《I Ascend to the Divine Throne through Arcane Means》


 Chapter 1 - 1 Rebirth

    <h4>Chapter 1: Chapter 1 Rebirth</h4>


    Chenxi Calendar 640, June 4th


    Gaia Main World, Fanor Continent, Royal Capital of Feis Kingdom, Bright City.


    36 Feis Street, Kane Mansion.


    Every June is the hottest time of the year in the Eastern in of Fanor Continent in the Feis Kingdom. The stable boys would often sneak a lounge chair behind the stables to rest, preferring to endure mosquito bites rather than sleep in their cramped and suffocating quarters.


    The mansion, still cloaked in the previous day''s heat, had not yet dissipated the warmth, but the eastern sky had already shown a trace of white.


    A young many on the bed in the master bedroom, his light and breathable silk pajamas seeming unable to soothe the heat of the summer night. The fragrance drove away the annoying mosquitoes but was helpless against the sweltering heat of the night. In his sleep, the man muttered,


    "Why is it so hot, isn''t the air conditioning on?"


    Lis turned over, nning to continue mastering his teachers'' myriad skills in his dreams, when suddenly he sat up with a start.


    Something was wrong. Isn''t it January? Why is it so hot? Is the house on fire?


    The sitting Lis looked around in confusion. Gone was the familiar immersive gaming pod and the expensiveputer setup that ended up being used only for watching shows and handling his power-leveling studio business. The spacious room had nothing but the soft bed beneath him, a luxurious carpet, and a small table with a few letters on it.


    Had he been kidnapped? But the environment didn''t seem right; who would let their hostages stay in such a nice ce? The windows weren''t even secured. Don''t kidnappings usually involve gags, bound hands, lying on the floor in three tight measures, plus a fierce and formidable guy watching over?


    Moreover, why kidnap him? Although he made some money running a gaming studio, most of it was sent to Uncle Chen to keep the orphanage running. What kidnapper would go to such trouble for his meager savings?


    Lis was now fully awake and carefully looked around to figure out where he actually was.


    His gaze swept outside the window, and Lis widened his eyes in astonishment.


    Looking out from the floor-to-ceiling ss window on the right side of the room, across the courtyard in front of the building, were scattered two- and three-story buildings. Yet, more striking was the white marble dome and the tall, slender spires beyond that ck-tiled roof, which seemed to radiate a soft white light around it like a beacon, warm and captivating.


    "This... isn''t this the Bright City Dawn Cathedral from the Divine Revtion game?"


    Suddenly, his head began to ache, a barrage of information flooding into his mind. Lis rubbed his temples, grimacing as he dealt with the sudden influx of data.


    After a while, Lis finally understood where he was.


    "My name is Lis Kain? A Court Viscount of the Feis Kingdom?"


    "Am I... did I travel into ''Divine Revtion''?"


    "Divine Revtion" is a groundbreaking immersive online game, entering the game through a dedicated gaming pod achieves a hundred percent simtion, attracting millions of yers worldwide. At its peak, it had unprecedented concurrent online numbers of over fifty million, virtually monopolizing the online gaming market at the time.


    For such a groundbreaking game, the official developers understand well, bncing gamey while enhancing yability andpetitiveness, attracting countless guilds and professional yers, and introducing professional leagues, national wars, and other derivative y modes, creating a virtuous cycle and pushing the game''s influence to its peak.


    Lis''s gaming studio was located within "Divine Revtion," recruiting a crew focused on grinding and power-leveling. His ie was quite good. As a hardcore yer and top-level expert, although his own skills were not less than professional yers, specializing as a Fire Mage he had entered the top thirty in the Hua Xia Mage leaderboard, but he had been toozy to join a professional team under someone else''s management. He simply opened a studio. His ie was not less than ying professionally, and he had made quite a name for himself as a god-like figure among bosses and ordinary yers alike.


    He had never expected to travel into the world of "Divine Revtion." Now, the Gaia World was still peaceful, but Lis knew that a series of magnificent tides of the era were about toe.


    Such as the [Total War] that would sweep the six continents of the Gaia Main World had not yet begun, [Floating City Az] was still submerged in the eastern sea of the Fanor Continent, the [Phillips Crystal] that opened the portals to many Different nes was still lingering in the void outside the world, the disaster seeds that would pollute the World Tree Yggdrasil in the Gaia World during the [Crimson Invasion] were still gestating in the Abyss, the All Gods still sat on their Divine Thrones, unaware that they were about to be toppled by the [Time Tide]...


    ying "Divine Revtion" was exhrating for Lis, who often wished he could rece his game character and personally defeat enemies; however, now facing the imminent dangers and disasters, he just wished to return to his modest cozy nest in his great homnd and satisfy his cravings peacefully.


    N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Don''t ask, it''s heartfelt.


    "Shit (a type of herbal nt)!"


    Lis suddenly jumped up from the bed, his face twisted, wishing he could just bang his head against the wall.


    "Damn!"


    Lis suddenly remembered the USB drive loaded with 5 TBs of his carefully selected math study materials plugged into his workputer back home. If Uncle Chen and his young wards found it, it might be okay, but if the girls from the orphanage discovered it, would he still maintain the immacte, virtuous big brother image he had always presented in their minds?

 Chapter 2 - 2 Preliminary Planning

    <h4>Chapter 2: Chapter 2 Preliminary nning</h4>


    "I don''t recall any specific reason being given for Viscount Kane''s death in the subsequent main storyline either,"


    Having realized he had been reborn and was soon to face a death storyline, Lis Kain frowned and summarized his memories from his past life, attempting to steer his new role as Viscount Kane away from this deadly plot twist.


    "Divine Revtion" unfolds in a ce called the Gaia Main World within the Star Realm, surrounded by brilliantly sparkling different nes, Divine Countries, and the Abyss and Hell, enveloped in darkness and blood under the vast sea of stars.


    In the Gaia Main World, there are six continents: Fanor Continent, Eson Continent, Ketan Continent, Tudos Continent, Gena Continent, and An Continent. Each continent corresponds to different regional servers in the game, with each server having distinct main storylines in the early stages of the game. Among these, the Fanor Continent serves as the main starting point for yers from Hua Country.


    In his previous life, Lis initially spent most of his time in the Feis Kingdom on the Fanor Continent, so he was rtively familiar with the main storylines of the Fanor Continent during the version 1.0 period of "Divine Revtion."


    The Fanor Continent vaguely resembles an irregr rectangle, covering hundreds of millions of square kilometers. In the central and eastern parts are broad and fertile ins where severalrge Human Kingdoms are situated, to the south lies the vast, dense Navia Forest, home to the Elf Kingdom, and to the north, a vast expanse of perpetual snow ins inhabited by various Magic Beasts and alien races. The majestic, long Jianuo Mountain Range stretches between the middle and western parts of the continent, and beyond the mountains lies the deste expanse of endless deserts in the west.


    The Feis Kingdom is located in the east of the continent. Originating from the Jianuo Mountain Range, the Gedo River flows through the entire territory of the Feis Kingdom towards the eastern Treasure Pearl Sea, endowing the kingdom with vast, fertilends and convenient transportation, making it more powerful than the surrounding countries.


    Every year on October 10th, the Feis Kingdom celebrates the Sacrificial Festival, the most festive and joyful time in the kingdom. People decorate the cities and celebrate the fruitful harvest of the year while praying to the All Gods for favorable weather in theing year.


    The most grand and lively celebration takes ce in Triumph Square in Bright City, the capital of the Feis Kingdom.


    The Royal Family organizes the Sacrificial Festival in Triumph Square in Bright City, and the King along with all the nobles residing in Bright City attend. It is the most important moment of the year for Bright City.


    Every year during the Royal Capital Festival, the King of Feis sits on his throne on the dais.


    Many ministers and nobles circle around the throne on horseback to show their respect and support for the king.


    Meanwhile, the capital''s citizens, protected by the guards, gather around the square, enjoying free wine and food while watching the Sacrificial Festival ceremonies.


    This year, just as King Morton Fis was about to light the torch symbolizing the next year''s harvest, suddenly a Golden Assassin attacked, ughtering several nobles around the King in in sight. Several nobles had their throats cut and fell before the King and the many spectators.


    Viscount Kane, now Lis Kain, was among the highest-ranking of the unfortunate nobles assassinated. To minimize the negative impact this heinous incident had on the kingdom, the assassination was officially designated as the "Viscount Kane Assassination Case."


    Almost all yers are belligerent elements and unstable factors. Lis still remembered watching the cutscene of Viscount Kane being assassinated by the assassin during that main storyline. Most yers, witnessing the assassin boldly killing several nobles in front of the Golden Lion Knights and Court Mages and then escaping unscathed, were boiling with excitement and howling, wishing they could rece him.


    Even subsequent statistics on professional choices showed that the proportion of yers choosing the profession of assassin in the Feis Kingdom was several percentage points higher than in surrounding kingdoms, clearly illustrating the impact of this event on yers at that time.


    For the Feis Kingdom, it was like being harshly pped several times. Having such an event ur during the most important festival of the kingdom, with several kingdom nobles killed, undoubtedly left the entire Royal Family''s face in the dust, trampled several times over.


    This was also one of the catalysts that led to the Feis Kingdomunching a war and invading other countries in theter 2.0 plot.


    Even though the Feis Kingdom eventually won the war and reaped countless benefits, the "Viscount Kane Assassination Case" never had any follow-up, as if it had been forgotten by everyone in the kingdom.


    Eventer, when yers who were fans of the storyline tried to diligentlypile the history of the Feis continent, they found no clues, only recording this event as one of the causes of the Fanor continent war.


    "Damn, what did Viscount Kane do wrong to be treated like this!"


    Lis Kain painfully tapped his head, feeling injustice on behalf of the unfortunate Viscount Kane, now himself, although he had enjoyed watching the scene in his previous life, being the victim feltpletely different.


    In the past, some yers had spected that this assassination was orchestrated by the Feis Kingdom itself as a pretext for the ensuing war, especially since the kingdom had long coveted the seaport of the Boditch Kingdom to the east, but there was ack of evidence, and logically it was somewhat far-fetched. After that, so many major events took ce that the assassination gradually ceased to be mentioned.


    "The information is still too scant. Besides, it''s still over three months until the assassination happens, and I have no way to figure out who wants to kill me."


    Lis murmured, pressing his temples with his right hand.


    After all, it''s still a matter of not being strong enough!


    If he were a Legendary Mage, he wouldn''t need to worry about being assassinated by an advanced assassin��a single Legendary Magic Meteor Burst would send him straight to hell.


    So the priority right now is to enhance his own strength.


    Lis summoned the system panel again and started to carefully review every piece of data.


    He was now a Level 30 Junior Mage, and he remembered that the level cap in Divine Revtion version 1.0 was 30.


    In the Divine Revtion game, most professions followed the same pattern; for mages, for example, Levels 0-50 were Bronze Mage, 51-100 were Silver Mage, 101-200 were Golden Mage, and beyond Level 200 was the Legendary Domain. Whether there were higher levels beyond that was unknown, as the realms beyond Level 200 had not yet been released in his previous life in Divine Revtion.


    Ordinary levels, ordinary attributes, and even his standout status as a Court Viscount did nothing to directly enhance hisbat ability.


    Lis even faintly felt that the main reason he was being targeted for assassination was his status as Court Viscount.


    Thus, the most worthy thing for him to focus his energies on was...


    Lis looked at the Talent section of his information panel.


    -----------------


    [Talent: All-Purpose]


    [Rank: Legendary]


    [Effect: Your talent breaks all limits, enabling you to learn and master skills and specialties from other professions, and the more non-main profession skills you master, the faster your growth rate (current extra experience point bonus: 0%)]


    -----------------


    Lis furrowed his brows, rhythmically tapping his right index finger on the bed beneath him, lost in thought.


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    After the excitement of acquiring a legendary talent had passed, Lis had also recognized some limitations of this powerful talent.


    Indeed, the All-Purpose talent was strong, allowing Lis to acquire specialties and skills across professions, but it also introduced a new problem for him.


    That was the skill level!


    In the world of Divine Revtion, learning the appropriate skill was not the end, but merely the beginning; only when the skill level continuously improved could the real effect of each professional skill be realized, enhancing skill damage while also prioritizing the skill effect.


    Take, for instance, the Thief''s skill "Invisibility." If it was only level one, any intermediate-level professional could detect the true body under the invisibility with just their intuition.


    Therefore, prioritizing the enhancement of skill levels was very important, and upgrading these skill levels required spending character experience points.


    For some profession''s core skills, upgrading these skill levels was even more crucial than raising the character''s level.


    So, if Lis indiscriminately learned a plethora of other professions'' skills without enough experience points to cover the cost of upgrades, those skills would be practically useless in real battle and would only serve as material to stack onto Lis''s talents.


    Even if the All-Purpose talent provided Lis with an extra experience point bonus, it likely would not satisfy the upgrade needs of all skills.


    But!


    The All-Purpose talent not only allowed Lis to master skills from other professions, but it also enabled him to acquire various specialties!


    Simply put, a specialty can be seen as a persistent passive state that buffs oneself, typically improving character attributes, special effects, resistance, and many other aspects.


    Compared to professional skills, specialties do not need level upgrades and are more powerful but also more difficult to acquire.


    For example, the Mage''s professional specialty "Magic Power Thinking" fundamentally doubles the Intelligence attribute, an effect shared by all Mage specialties.


    Each profession has its own exclusive specialties, and different professional specialtiesrgely determine future development paths.


    If Lis wasn''t wrong, he could also acquire professional specialties from other professions!


    Not to mention other effects, just acquiring the attribute modifications corresponding to that profession was already incredibly powerful.


    If Lis acquired any Warrior professional specialization, his Strength attribute would simrly receive a twofold attribute modification.


    What kind of move is this?


    Not only am I stronger than you, but I am tougher than you too!


    Lis felt that he had finally found the right way to unlock his talent.


    While selectively learning professional skills, he would focus more on obtaining specialties from various professions.


    Just right!


    Who am I, Lis? A top-tier professional gamer from a past life + reborn!


    I memorized the ways and methods to acquire powerful skills and specialties from various professions.


    Isn''t this returning to my own area of expertise?


    Then what''s there to worry about?


    Just grind, and it''s done!

 Chapter 3 - 3 Specialty [Arcane Thought]

    <h4>Chapter 3: Chapter 3 Specialty [Arcane Thought]</h4>


    The morning was the busiest time at the Kane Mansion, as the silent estate awakened to the bustle of the servants'' work.


    The maids were preparing breakfast, repeatedly wiping the dining room tables and chairs that had yet to gather dust.


    In the stables, the groom replenished the troughs with fresh fodder and remembered to brush off the bits of chaff clinging to the horses'' hides. He couldn''t afford to neglect this task; apse in attention could embarrass Young Master Lis if he rode out and it would be the groom who''d suffer for it.


    The maid Rossi carefully knocked on Young Master Lis''s door and, hearing no response, intended to open the door as usual to wake him.


    Before Rossi could push the door open, it suddenly swung out from within, and Lis, already dressed neatly, stepped out of the room.


    "It''s Rossi, huh? Tell Bender that I''ll be going out in a bit," he said.


    "Yes, Young Master Lis," Rossi quickly responded, bowing respectfully to the side, her imposing cleavage revealed within her ck and white maid''s uniform.


    Even Lis, seasoned and detached, couldn''t help but take a few more nces, silently admiring the original owner''s tireless pursuit of learning.


    In his memories, the original owner was still a virgin at 18 in the liberal Royal Capital of the Feis Kingdom, a court noble who cocooned himself at home, hopelessly addicted to magic, never engaging in any noble socializing, which was, in a sense, "infamous."


    Even so, at 18, the original owner was just a Basic Mage. Had he been ofmon birth, he might have been considered a small genius, but as the heir of the Kane family, a family of court mages that once produced a Legendary Mage, spending various precious resources only to achieve the level of Junior Mage after more than a decade was not particrly talented.


    N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Consider that Princess Taya Fis had be a Golden Warrior by age 20 and broke through to the Legendary Domain just ten yearster��the disparity was truly disheartening.


    But Lis clenched his fists tightly.


    Having lived a second life, he refused to settle for being an insignificant background character; he was determined to seize control of his own fate in the vast and turbulent tides of theing era.


    Starting today!


    In the early morning, bright and warm sunlight poured through the mansion''s corridor stained ss, casting its gentle rays upon Lis. Maid Rossi, stealing a nce at his retreating figure disappearing around the corner, felt puzzled; the young master, who never woke up early, seemed different from usual today.


    -----------------


    Dining Room of the Mansion


    Of the Kane family members, only Lis Kain remained, so therge spacious dining room and the white long table harbored only him enjoying his breakfast.


    Wiping his mouth with a napkin, Lis put down his knife and fork contentedly. He couldn''t deny that the home''s chef was quite remarkable��the chocte pancakes and white bread smeared with butter and jam served for breakfast were delicious; soft and sweet, the slightly bitter chocte perfectly offsetting the jam''s richness. However, having ck coffee in the morning was still an acquired taste for Lis.


    He still preferred starting his morning with a strong cup of green tea to clear his mind.


    To the side, wearing a ck butler''s uniform with slightly weathered temples, Joyce saw Lis''s satisfaction and waved to signal a nearby maid to clear the tableware, then humbly ced a round te in front of him.


    Looking at the te, Lis saw several letters of various colors. The borate and luxurious gold thread patterns on the envelopes indicated they were from those nobles and wealthy merchants keen on social balls, aiming to unt their ample wealth and esteemed status.


    "Young Master, these are invitations from Count Reyi, Viscount Peck and the Golden Rose Guild, inviting you to dinners being held soon," he said.


    "I see, just put them on my bedroom table. If I decide to go, I''ll let you know to prepare," Lis said.


    After all, these were just formal invitations; as a virtually invisible noble, his presence or absence wouldn''t matter to anyone.


    "Yes," answered Joyce, as meticulous as ever, with respectful affirmation.


    "The carriage you asked to be prepared is already waiting for you at the entrance. Are we leaving now?"


    "That quickly? Then, let''s go," said Lis, eager to embark on the journey to acquire the first and most important specialty in his ns.


    "Young Master Lis!" The groom Bender, in neatly pressed ck tails, was ceaselessly polishing the Kane family''s eagle crest on the carriage at the mansion''s entrance. Noticing Lising out, he promptly approached to pay respects.


    "You''re looking sharp today, Bender," said Lis with a smile.


    "Of course, Young Master. You haven''t been out in quite a while; now that you''re using the carriage, how could I not do my utmost?" Bender replied with a chuckle, immediately revealing a sycophantic attitude as he assisted Lis into the carriage, then asked, "Where do you n to go today, Young Master?"


    "Directly to the Royal Library,"


    "Alright, please getfortable, we''re setting off now."


    After Bender gently closed the carriage door, he respectfully bid farewell to the butler Joyce, who was standing by, and immediately perked up, took his seat at the front of the carriage, lightly flicked the reins, and the two chestnut horses steadily pulled the carriage forward.


    -----------------


    Lis nced at the bustling scenes along the way, truly fitting for the Royal Capital of the strong Feis Kingdom, a hub of transport with an endless stream of merchants, traders, and travelers.


    He wasn''t sure if it was psychological, but the intermittent cries of vendors seemed to carry more life than the supposedly ''100% real'' experience in the games of his previous life.


    The Feis Street, where his own residence was located, was also a testament to the prominence of Bright City; it was jokingly referred to as the Noble District and not far from ces like the Royal Library and the Royal Magic Academy. He would be there shortly.


    Assisted respectfully by Bender, Lis stepped down from the carriage, looked up at the solemn and serene blue-gray granite gate that stood out amongst the surrounding buildings, smiled, slightly adjusted his ck top hat, and walked straight in.


    "Greetings, Lord Viscount Kane. How may I assist you today?"


    As soon as Lis entered the Royal Library, a servant came forward to inquire.


    The Royal Library, being the most important Court Library in the Feis Kingdom, was generally not open to the public. To ess and review the books, one needed certain qualifications. For yers, this meant the reputation value with the Feis Kingdom needed to be above friendly, and they would have to spend contribution points to exchange for entry to the Royal Library. This was also the biggest barrier to acquiring this particr professional specialty in his past life.


    Obviously, as Court Viscount Lis Kain, qualification for entry into the Royal Library was nothing to him, which was why he chose to acquire this professional specialty first.


    "No need, I''ll just have a look on my own,"


    Lis waved his hand at the servant and leisurely walked deeper into the library.


    It was early, and there weren''t many people browsing books in the library. Lis saw a few individuals in a distant reading area on the first floor, hunched over tables with tall stacks of books, clearly having pulled an all-nighter here.


    "The thrill of a grind is momentary, a continuous grind is a continual thrill!"


    Lis shook his head then no longer paid attention, recalling from a previous life''s guide the location of the book he was looking for.


    The original owner had oftene here to research magic, so Lis looked around and soon identified his target.


    "Hmm, the second floor''s continent history section..."


    "The innermost shelf of the seventh row..."


    "The top row... found it!"


    Lis slowly descended the rollingdder, holding arge tome with a dark gray cover in his right hand.


    Looking at the book in his hand, "The History of Magic Development in the Feis Kingdom" (Volume VII), Lis took a deep breath and slowly flipped open the thick cover.


    Inserted between pages 352 and 353, which detailed the exceptional contributions made to Magic Models by Legendary Mage Bobaka, was a thin piece of parchment.


    Lis carefully took the parchment paper in his hands, which read in a flowing, elegant script:


    "Oh, congrattions! To the Mage who has taken the time toe here, this is a little reward from the great Element Maniptor Master Bobaka. ept it and praise the great Bobaka loudly!"


    [You have acquired the item [Boba Ka''s Arcane Notebook]]


    [You start learning from [Boba Ka''s Arcane Notebook], finding many insights!]


    [Learning progress 10%... 50%... 100%]


    [Your understanding of magic has improved, and you can control elements from a higher level; you have mastered a new Mage professional specialty��[Arcane Thought]]


    [Determining... It has been detected that you already possess the lower professional specialty [Magic Power Thinking], which can be reced]


    [Recing...]


    [You have lost the Mage professional specialty [Magic Power Thinking]]


    [You have acquired the Mage professional specialty [Arcane Thought]!]

 Chapter 4 - 4 Glittering Gold

    <h4>Chapter 4: Chapter 4 Glittering Gold</h4>


    [Your understanding of magic has improved, and you can now control elements from a higher level, mastering a new Mage specialty��[Arcane Thought].]


    [You have acquired the Mage specialty [Arcane Thought]!]


    [Specialty: Arcane Thought��Intelligence Attributes receive a 2-fold value adjustment, Elemental Affinity +100%, arcane subsystem unlocked.]


    Gazing at the Mage specialty newly disyed on the panel, Lis clenched his fist with satisfaction and swung it through the air before carefully rolling up the [Boba Ka''s Arcane Notebook] in his hand and cing it inside the storage ring.


    Even though he had already acquired the specialty [Arcane Thought], just possessing the ability wasn''t enough; the notebook, which recorded the arcane research insights of the Legendary Mage Boba Ka, was still of great help in enhancing his mastery of the profession.


    If nothing else, once he was done with it, he could also auction it off, a treasure eagerly sought after by many high-level mages!


    For Lis, who once owned a gaming studio, returning everything neatly was the most basic professional rule.


    After ensuring there were no other omissions, Lis casually picked up "Magic Development History of the Feis Kingdom" (Volume Seven) and walked to the upper-level eastern side of the high-level lounge, which was open only to nobles and other distinguished visitors.


    Leisurely settling into a soft fur couch, with the faint, refreshing scent of mint spreading through the air, Lis had a diligent servant rece his brewed ck coffee with hot cocoa, casually flipping through the hefty history tome with his thoughts already far from the text in front of him.


    The specialty [Arcane Thought] was a crucial step for his main profession as a mage, focusing not on the effect of Elemental Affinity +100%.


    Truthfully, there are many powerful specialties in the realm of mage professions, like the [me God] specialty Lis mastered in his previous life, which drastically increased the damage of Fire Magic by 50%.


    The keyy in the phrase [unlocks arcane subsystem], which essentially paved the way for Lis to ascend to bing an Arcanist.


    Why be an Arcanist?


    Without mentioning anything else, ording to the data from the bygone Neserel Magic Empire,


    among the mages who historically achieved legendary feats...


    more than half had dabbled in being an Arcanist!


    This conclusion has persisted to the present day and continues to be verified.


    While no yers from his previous life managed to reach legendary status, the strength of an Arcanist as their primary profession was well recognized.


    It might seem weaker in the early stages, but as it developster on and the exclusive arcane it controls gradually increases, its uniquely robust strength made it consistently rank within the top three of yers'' most dreaded opponents.


    However, obtaining the [Arcane Thought] specialty so smoothly was still quite a surprise for Lis.


    Being able to use his noble status to conveniently waive the qualification review required to enter the Royal Library proved his strategy was feasible.


    He couldpletely bypass those intricate prerequisite quests and go directly for the ultimate treasures, which undoubtedly was a tremendous advantage.


    Although he was still unsure whether the yers from his past life would appear as expected, at least he remembered that those treasures indeed still existed in this world, quietly awaiting their moment to see the light of day.


    Thinking of this, Lis''s mood became even more spirited.


    Just as Lis was daydreaming about bing a legendary mage,manding the Floating City, leading a giant dragon and the Constructed Magic Statue Army to conquer the boundless starry seas,


    "Hey, isn''t this our famously renowned Lord Viscount Kane? What''s up, finally decided to get some air outside your study?"


    A sly, somewhat cynical voice interrupted Lis''s daydream, drawing his eyes away from the lines describing the glorious achievements of the Royal Mage Corps of the Feis Kingdom.


    Standing before him was a slender young man of the same age, dressed in a white suit adorned with golden tassels and striking golden short hair, the whole person shimmering in gold, yet hisplexion looked a bit pale.


    If this scene were in a novel from Lis''s previous life, it would definitely feature some young master jumping out to show off and smack the hero in the face.


    Unfortunately, in Lis''s memory, this young master was indeed a young master, but not one who was out to get him; rather, he was one of his only two best friends growing up.


    The memories in his mind allowed Lis to naturally integrate into his social identity from his previous life.


    Seeing this, Lis didn''t even bother to get up, and while still leaning back on the couch, casually replied:


    "Yo, isn''t that Mora Karl, the famous scion of the Golden Rose Commerce? What''s up, decided to leave your tender nest today?"


    Mora waved his hand to dismiss the servant by his side and then slumped onto the couch next to Lis like he had suddenly deted, a far cry from his dapper appearance moments ago, and retorted:


    "It''s been a while since Ist saw you. When did you learn to be so sarcastic?"


    "Picked it up from you. Speak your mind, I''ve never seen you around the Library."


    "Can''t Ie see you without having a reason?"


    Mora yed with a gold coin in his hand, which bore the image of Quentin Fis, the first King of the Feis Kingdom.


    "It''s been a long time. How about we get together with Bernie sometime when you''re free?"


    "Isn''t he busy doing research in the academy''s Magic Workshop with his teacher?"


    Lis put down the book in his hands and thought about this other best friend for a moment.


    "Hey, who can just research all the time. Unlike you, who has been into research from a young age. I''d say it''s better to go out and enjoy life more; otherwise, it''s a life wasted."


    The gold coin nimbly flipped back and forth between Mora''s fingers as he spoke quite casually, indeed he had always wanted to drag Lis into some venture together.


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    "I''ll be quite busy soon, but set it up and let me know."


    After saying this, Lis closed ''The History of Magic Development in the Feis Kingdom'' that he had been reading and ced it on the table beside him. Someone would surely put it back in ce. He then stood up and prepared to leave.


    "Leaving already just after meeting. Does that suit us? Has our friendship deteriorated that much?"


    Mora put on a heartbroken expression but didn''t budge an inch.


    Lis didn''t say anything and simply threw up a universally recognized friendly hand gesture.


    "I have a party next week for my birthday, remember toe."


    Mora mentioned this specifically, fearing Lis would, as usual, just lump his invitation together with a bunch of others on the table without a second nce.


    Lis waved his hand to signal he understood, and after straightening his attire, he directly walked out of the lounge.


    Mora didn''t mind and happily sipped his coffee, rubbing his back as he enjoyed the rare downtime.


    As Lis walked out of the Royal Library, escorted by the servants, Bender immediately brought over the carriage and opened the door to help Lis get in, then respectfully asked from outside the carriage door.


    "Young master, are you going anywhere else afterward?"


    Thinking for a moment and squinting his eyes, Lis said:


    "Go to number 16 Langai Street in the West District."

 Chapter 5 - 5 The Prodigal Son

    <h4>Chapter 5: Chapter 5 The Prodigal Son</h4>


    If the East Half City of Bright City is the flourishing face of Light, with the Royal Pce, Noble District, various Church cathedrals, and the Commercial District all clustered in the east, then the West District is where the lower sses reside, with ordinary residential areas, workshops, and dpidated streets intermingled.


    Among them, Langai Street in the West District is one of the most deste and neglected ces, so much so that even the patrolling officers rarely give it a nce, naturally turning it into a haven for some gangs and homeless people.


    But today, Langai Street was different��the tter of carriage wheels could be heard as a beautifully decorated four-wheeled coach pulled by two tall horses slowly made its way down this street.


    The squat houses beside the street now seemed particrly shabby and derelict, their ckened doors and windows tightly shut, as if showing unwee to outsiders.


    Even the beggars at the road''s edge quickly scurried aside, not daring to approach for fear of offending the noble person seated in the carriage.


    As the wheels moved over the broken stones and muddy water, Bender looked disdainfully at the homeless lying in the corner of the walls, flicking his whip, though with a touch of distress for the sshes of mud staining the carefully maintained horses and carriage.


    Before long, the carriage stopped beside a two-story house. Bender carefully hopped down from the coach, fetched a footstool, and set it up before finally opening the coach door.


    "Master Lis, we''ve arrived, please watch your step."


    "Thank you, Bender."


    Lis stepped down from the carriage, looked around at the dpidated streets which were identical to his memories, an unfamiliar visitor might not even realize that this ce and the glitzy district in the East Half City were separated by merely half the city''s length.


    Lis looked at the brick and stone house in front of him, which was obviously different from the surrounding, he smiled lightly and knocked on the metal door with ustomed force, "ng ng ng."


    After a long while with no answer, Lis''s brows furrowed.


    This isn''t right, thest time I knocked like this, Old Jess would''ve been out cursing at someone by now. Why is there no reaction after such a long time?


    At that moment, a wooden window of the house opposite Lis slowly opened a crack, and a timid eye peered out, whispering to Lis,


    "Um, if you''re looking for Uncle Jess, he''s gone out, and won''t be back for a month."


    After saying that, the window mmed shut with a "bang," as though there were a flood or a ferocious beast outside.


    Why do they seem so afraid of me?


    Lis felt several hidden gazes watching him secretly; he nced around, but they all disappeared.


    Looking down at his clothes, he then realized.


    In his past life as a gamer, heopted for maximum profit, penny-pinching to the extreme (stubbornly so) and unlike those leisure yers, he wouldn''t spend much on his attire, so he hadn''t realized what his appearance and the apanying carriage meant on Langai Street.


    It looks like I''ll need to change into more ordinary clothes next time; I can''t take the coach here anymore either.


    Lis silently made ns, and although Old Jess wasn''t there, it wasn''t a trip without any gain.


    "So, Little Easter Egg is now living just across from here!"


    -----------------


    Ashley patted her chest. The courage she had so hardly mustered to speak a single sentence was now exhausted. If it hadn''t been for Uncle Jess asking her to pass a message to anyone who came looking for him, she wouldn''t have dared to speak to those intimidating-looking people at all.


    After waiting a while and hearing the carriage drive away, Ashley carefully opened the window and, seeing the carriage wobbling into the distance, finally rxed.


    "Ashley, you did great! The task Uncle Jess asked of me wasn''t so hard after all!"


    Was that person a noble?


    They must have been, only Nobles dress so finely and cleanly. She had never seen such a beautiful carriage before and it even had a silver-white eagle with outstretched wings on it.


    But that person didn''t seem as scary as Aunt Anna described, huh? Do nobles really snatch away girls just like themselves to eat?


    Little Ashley''s head was filled with big questions. Without giving it much thought, she closed the window again.


    Whenever Aunt Anna was away, she would always lock the doors and windows tightly. Although this made the house very dark, Ashley was not afraid at all; she even liked to stay quietly in the shadows by herself, feeling secure surrounded by the darkness.


    -----------------


    Kane Mansion.


    Lis had just stepped down from the carriage when he saw the butler Joyce awaiting him, impably dressed in a ck and white tailcoat with a pair of gold-rimmed sses. His bow was so precise not even a fraction was off, the very epitome of grace.


    "Joyce,e with me to the study,"


    "Yes, Young Master," Joyce replied, perfectly embodying the butler''s code of asking little and saying less, following a step behind Lis up to the second floor of the mansion.


    Seated behind the desk, Lis looked at Joyce standing to the side and said with the same tone as his predecessor:


    "Joyce, what is the current state of the family''s business affairs?"


    N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Indeed, Lis was the only remaining member of the Kane family, but his predecessor had been so obsessed with magic that he had entrusted all the family''s business affairs to the butler Joyce, asking for his needs to be prepared directly by Joyce.


    However, Joyce was also worthy of Lis''s trust. Since the Kane family had received its peerage, only three generations had passed, and they belonged to the newly risen nobles of the Royal Faction. Joyce had served as the great butler of the Kane family since the second Viscount Kane, never making a single mistake and understanding the Kane family even better than Lis, the current Viscount Kane.


    Having personally raised Lis from youth after the loss of his parents, Joyce''s loyalty was naturally not in question for Lis.


    Although Lis had rarely concerned himself with the family''s business affairs before, Joyce thought little of it and, after a brief reflection, responded:


    "Currently, the family''s yearly ie is about 7,500 Gold Coins, which includes 5,000 Gold Coins as a royal stipend, approximately 2,000 Gold Coins from the ie of three shops in the Feis District, and about 500 Gold Coins from the yield of two estates outside the city."


    "The yearly normal expenditures amount to roughly 4,800 Gold Coins. This includes 1,000 Gold Coins for maintenance and repairs of the mansion and estates, about 300 Gold Coins for servants'' wages, food and daily essentials cost 1,000 Gold Coins, approximately 2,000 Gold Coins for maintaining the Kane family''s rtions with the Royal Family and other Nobles, and other expenses around 500 Gold Coins."


    (Note: 1 Gold = 10 Silver = 200 Copper. Amoner''s yearly ie is around 10 Gold, while a simple meal of ck bread and vegetable soup outside costs two Copper.)


    Since the Kane family''s peerage is that of a Court Viscount without anynd grants, their primary economic source is the annual stipend from the Royal Family.


    Lis clicked his tongue. Nobles truly live differently; he remembered that in his past life, when he first started a game, he worked tirelessly for days toplete a mission, and the reward was merely 1 Gold Coin.


    However high the ie, the expenditures were high as well, with most of it going towards maintaining the family''s noble facade.


    But this was also inevitable. Being frugal was not an option��they, as Court Nobles, couldn''t live likemoners without being seen as an insult to the Feis Royal Family, at the risk of light punishment or even severe Deprivation of noble status.


    Such a stark ss distinction. Nobles truly are extravagant and indulge in luxury!


    As Lis savored a sip of the hot chocte Rossi had just brought in, he inwardly denounced thevish lifestyles of the nobility.


    "What are the family''s savings now?"


    Lis estimated that, after all, being an inheritance of three generations, there should be a considerable fortune, right?


    "Due to your recent purchases of precious materials for magical research, the family now only has about 500 Gold Coins left after this year''s necessary expenses."


    "Cough��" Lis choked on a sip of hot chocte.


    Good grief, turns out I myself am the wastrel ��(�㧥��;)!

 Chapter 6 - 6 New Goals

    <h4>Chapter 6: Chapter 6 New Goals</h4>


    "So, as Viscount Kane, I only have 500 gold coins avable to use right now?"


    Having received a confirmatory response from Joyce, Lis rubbed his temples with a headache.


    His predecessor was so incredibly adept at squandering wealth, spending the Kane family''s annual ie plus years of savings, and after all these years, he was merely a Junior Mage; no wonder he was on the verge of bing the Feis nobility''sughingstock.


    I thought I could finally enjoy financial freedom, but being reborn as a noble still means facing an economic crisis.


    Although 500 gold coins may seem like a lot, in reality, they aren''t much; a single piece of ordinary magic equipment could cost hundreds of gold coins.


    "Prepare 300 gold coins for me for now, I have a use for them."


    Lis instructed Joyce listlessly, and Joyce, without asking for details, bowed and consented.


    "Do we have any other amodations within the city? Preferably with a spacious open area that''s somewhat secluded."


    After thinking it over, Joyce said:


    "I''m not sure if you have any other requirements, but if it''s just as you said, we have a warehouse on Belle Street with a courtyard. It''s usually used to store goods from the estates and shops outside the city. If you need, I can make arrangements now, and it will be cleared out by tomorrow."


    "Clear it out first," said Lis, pausing before adding, "How many members are in the family guard now, and what are their strengths?"


    Forgive Lis for asking such a question; it''s just that his predecessor truly never cared even about these matters rted to his own safety. But this was very important for Lis''s next step.


    "ording to the Royalw, you can have a team of ten guards, but currently, we''ve only hired three people, and the family is cultivating three exclusive guards, making six in total. Among them is one Golden Warrior, one Silver Warrior, and the rest are Bronze Warriors." (Note: The Court Viscount''s guard numbers requirements are very strict, as all of the Court Nobles are concentrated in the capital.)


    "What weapons are they skilled with?"


    Hearing this, Joyce looked up at Lis, hesitated, and said:


    "I''m not quite clear on that. Captain Welf likely excels with the longsword, while the other guards use the long spear more often. Would you like me to find out for you?"


    After some thought, Lis said, "Never mind, just ask Welf toe to the study for a moment. And prepare a set of servant''s casual clothes for me in my room by tomorrow morning."


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Upon hearing this, Joyce bowed and left the room, shortly after which Lis could hear heavy footsteps approaching.


    "Thump, thump..."


    "Come in."


    Upon gently pushing the door open, a supremely muscr middle-aged man d in light leather armor entered, his left hand over his right chest as he bowed and said:


    "Good morning, Master Lis. What can I do for you?"


    As Lis looked at the family''s sole Golden Warrior guard, who truly valued physical strength above all, his arms were nearly as thick as Lis''s thighs.


    "Lately, I''ve been thinking of slightly intensifying my physical training. What weapons are you and the other guards skilled with?"


    Welf was a little surprised; hadn''t their Lord Viscount been immersed in magical studies all this time, hardly ever leaving his home? The guards had an easy job because of it. What could have brought on this sudden interest in physical exercise? Could it be...


    "If you''re just looking to strengthen and improve your physique, there''s no need to start with weapons. We can help you begin with basic strength training, such as for the upper arms, waist..."


    With a face full of ck lines, Lis couldn''t believe what he was hearing from Welf. He waved him off and said directly:


    "You don''t need to worry about that; I just want to start with weapon training. I''m not sure which weapon will suit me best, so I''d like to try them all," Lis said.


    Welf didn''t mind; he wasn''t a family guard raised by the Kane family, just under a contract for hire. Moreover, as a Golden Warrior, he could stillmand a certain level of respect among the smaller and medium-sized nobles. An asional jest did no harm.


    "I specialize in swords and shields, but amongst the guards there are those who can handle spears, bows, knives, axes, and hammers. While we can''t im to be masters, we can certainly give you an introduction," Welf reassured him.


    "Fine, I''ll have Joyce clean out a warehouse on Belle Street. Tomorrow I''ll arrange for two other guards to bring weapons and train there with me," Lis decided.


    Although Welf found it strange not to simply train in the mansion''s courtyard, he didn''t ponder it further. The thoughts of a nobleman were beyond his understanding; he simply followed orders.


    Once Welf had closed the door to the study, Lis exhaled with relief and tapped his right index finger lightly on the redwood desk adorned with bronze gilding.


    The time to work on his second professional specialization was also approaching.


    Warrior Professional Specialization [All Martial Arts Mastery]!


    This was one of the warrior specializations that were rtively easy to obtain since it didn''t requirepleting any prerequisite tasks.


    You just needed to reach an intermediate proficiency with ten different weapons to automatically acquire it.


    The effects of [All Martial Arts Mastery] were quite straightforward, without theprehensive bonuses found in other specializations; its effects were all about mastery over the weapons in hand.


    [All Martial Arts Mastery �� Strength Attributes receive a double value modifier, all weapons begin at an intermediate proficiency, and the control level of your most proficient weapon increases by +1.]


    This was the warrior specialization that Lis found most suitable for himself, given his [All-Purpose] talent, which allowed him to master skills from other professions. The boost to proficiency provided by [All Martial Arts Mastery] was incredibly useful to him.


    Of course, the main benefity in what followed.


    An unconditional level-up of your highest proficiency weapon!


    In the game Divine Revtion, weapon proficiency levels were categorized as Low-level, Intermediate, Advanced, and Legendary. Not to mention NPCs, it was incredibly difficult for yers to break through to the Legendary level, making [All Martial Arts Mastery] an incredibly sought-after specialization among warrior yers.


    After all, if your weapon proficiency is already at an Advanced level, it could be directly elevated to Legendary weapon control, an effect that rivalled other top-tier specializations.


    This effect was also applicable to magical wands, which made the [All Martial Arts Mastery] specialization the envy of many Mage yers.


    Therefore, in the previous life''s game, the number of yers who had Legendary Wand Control was quite rare, and a significant portion of them were magic swordsmen and other special professions capable of mastering [All Martial Arts Mastery].


    Since Lis had the [All-Purpose] talent, he naturally wouldn''t overlook [All Martial Arts Mastery], a specialization he had been quite envious of in his past life.


    His efforts for the uing period would thus be focused on this: while diligently studying arcane arts, he would also aim to quickly master the [All Martial Arts Mastery] specialization.


    As for other professional specializations, there might not be a chance to obtain them in the short term. He didn''t have ess to other top-tier professional specializations from his memories, nor did he want to settle for just any specialization. After all, situations like his Mage specialization [Magic Power Thinking], which was directly receable by the higher-tier [Arcane Thought], were rare.


    Currently, what worried Lis was how to avoid the death that awaited him in more than three months. After all, it was the beginning of the Feis Kingdom''s main storyline game, and he was in the dark with precious little information at hand, like facing a dense fog without knowing where to start.


    He didn''t even know whether he had already caught the attention of the mastermind behind the scenes. Today''s encounter on Langai Street had served as a warning; from now on, he would need to disguise himself with a bit more subtlety whenever going out. Otherwise, to those watching with intent, his actions would be as transparent as ss.


    "The road ahead is long and arduous," Lis sighed.


    But let that be a worry for another time. For now, he was eager to test out his newly activated arcane subsystem!

 Chapter 7 - 7 The First Attempt at Arcane

    <h4>Chapter 7: Chapter 7 The First Attempt at Arcane</h4>


    Lis did not begin his research into the arcane subsystem in the study, but went directly to the magic workshop located in the basement of the mansion.


    There, equipped with various types of magic research apparatus that his predecessor had invested heavily in, it was also quiet enough that the servants knew better than to disturb him.


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Under the steady, clear glow of the magic stonemp, various high-level devices came into Lis''s view.


    "High-level Element Stabilizer, Element Observation Instrument, Magic Rune Burner..."


    Such luxury, all the magic research instruments that not even all high-level mages at the top Feis Royal Magic Academy could be equipped with were present here, and it was hard to say whether his predecessor, being a Junior Mage, had really been able to utilize these devices effectively.


    To be cautious, Lis turned on a high-level Element Stabilizer installed on the wall, which looked like a small radar, before he opened the panel to ess the arcane subsystem.


    In the game "Divine Revtion," each main profession could choose a corresponding job change, for instance, those starting as warriors could change to Shield Warriors, Knights, Pdins, etc., while mages could change to Fire Mages, Ice Mages, or even to Magic Golem Maniptors, humorously nicknamed "piloting Gundams," who specialize in controlling Magic Energy Structures.


    This was also a feature of the "Divine Revtion" game, where you could always find a profession you liked, even for casual yers.


    Each job-change generally had its own unique features - This kind of job-change was more akin to a professional skill enhancement, focusing mainly on enhancing certain aspects of a character''s abilitiespared to their main professions.


    Arcanists, among the numerous job-changes avable, were also very unique. They did not directly boost specific abilities but provided a pathway for yers to achieve growth through their own efforts.


    The potential was extremely high, but the minimum was also very low.


    ording to descriptions from yers who had changed their job to Arcanist in his past life and screenshots of their arcane subsystems, the arcane subsystem could be considered to provide the ability to deeply manipte and research the four basic Magic Elements of earth, water, fire, and wind, as well as high-level Magic Elements such as Light and Shadow.


    In "Divine Revtion," the basic principle behind every spell a mage could use was to form a Magic Model (a specificbination and frequency of Magic Elements) through the assistance of Spells and Magic Runes and the maniption of Magic Elements with mental power, which produced transcendent phenomena like creating fireballs with hands or moving objects through the air.


    Currently, the method for mages to learn spells was to learn Magic Spells and continuously try to manipte Magic Elements to construct Magic Models, further practicing them until they eventually mastered the spell.


    However, Arcanists believed that although Magic Elements were immutable, every mage was unique; hence, some people excelled in using Fire Element spells while others excelled in controlling-type spells.


    Just memorizing spells through rote and mastering them through sheer repetition was seen by Arcanists as the least efficient and most foolish method.


    Arcanists advocated exploring the deeper rules of Magic Elements, questioning why abination of Fire Elements could form a fireball or why a specific arrangement of Fire and Earth Elements could create a Nine-Ring Magic Manipting Spell like Meteor Fire Rain.


    Furthermore, Arcanists would modify and adjust Spells and Element Models ording to their own affinity with Magic Elements, ultimately forming a unique spell that best suited their true nature.


    These specially adjusted spells by the Arcanists were collectively referred to as arcane.


    Arcane, because they were more suited to the Arcanist''s own characteristics, tended to be more powerful or have unique effects when usedpared to the spells before adjustment.


    If certain arcane developed by Arcanists, while aligning with their own essence, also possessed considerable universality and practical value, they would be learned and used by other ordinary mages, bing new spells passed down through generations.


    For instance, what was originally a One-Circle Magic Fireball Technique was continuously improved by generations of Arcanists, developing into various spells such as Bursting Fireball Technique and Kargul mes Bomb, and even terrifying spells like the Nine-Ring Silent Extinguishing Fireball Technique emerged.


    Therefore, Arcanists were also seen as inventors and explorers among mages.


    Of course, ording to the Arcanists'' own boastful im:


    Strength is merely a small gift in our wondrous journey of exploring Magic Elements (?��???��)?!


    In his past life''s game, of course, the arcane subsystem couldn''t realize Arcanist''splex ability to adjust spells; yers with arcane subsystems could only continuously modify the Magic Element Models, seeking the arcane model that best matched their ownpatibility.


    Because every modification to the Element Model required spending Experience Points, Arcanist yers jokingly referred to it as trying their luck for the big prize.


    If lucky, one could assemble an arcane model with apatibility of over 95% on their first try; if not, even after ten or a hundred attempts they might not achieve apatibility of over 80%.


    Therefore, Arcanist yers were very weak in the early stages of each game version, only able to use the arcane of the previous level, but by the middle andter stages of the version, after adapting to and adjusting the newly mastered spells, they would be strong again.


    Of course, this had nothing to do with the current Lis. With his own Luck Value of 3, Lis didn''t think the process of improving arcane would go smoothly.


    When he opened the arcane subsystem, it didn''t appear as a t control screen like the screenshots posted by other Arcanist yers but rather presented itself as a three-dimensional model of Magic Elements right before Lis''s eyes.


    Um, the arcane subsystem seemed different from his previous life. Was it because he had truly crossed into the "Divine Revtion" game world that the arcane subsystem had also changed?


    Lis shook his head and stopped pondering, as it wasn''t something he could figure out at the moment. He then immersed his gaze into the various spell models that appeared before him, which seemed to be the spells he had already mastered.


    The red particles represented the Fire Element, the yellow ones the Earth Element, the blue ones the Water Element, the green ones the Wind Element, and the pale white transparent particles should be the Spirit Element.


    Beyond that, Lis could also see specks of white and ck particles, which must be the Light Element and the Shadow Element. As for the legendary Emperor Time Element and Space Element, Lis didn''t find them.


    Lis looked at a spell modelposed of a cluster of Fire Element particles, which should be the model for the Fireball Technique.


    The Fireball Technique model was arranged in a regr spherical shape, with three Magic Pattern Circuits made of Fire Elements running through it.


    Lis thought for a moment and tried adjusting the angle of one of the Magic Patterns inbination with the others, then carefully infused Magic Power into the model.


    Before Lis''s eyes, the Fireball Technique model brightened with the input of Mana, forming a small bright red fireball that appeared much smallerpared to the fireball formed by the normal spell model.


    What''s going on? Was this a sess?


    He wondered about its power. Should he throw it at something to test?


    Suddenly, the small fireball began to irregrly bulge and twist, under Lis''s horrified gaze...


    "Boom~~~~"


    -----------------


    In the second floor of the mansion, in Lis''s bedroom


    Rossi, who was diligently wiping the windows, suddenly felt a tremble under her feet and thought she heard something explode.


    "Strange, was that an earthquake?"


    She looked out the window, and everything on Feis Street looked usual and peaceful; the cream-colored pigeons in the nearby fountain square showed no reaction, still cooing and following pedestrians, begging for food.


    "Maybe I was mistaken; how could there be an earthquake out of nowhere?"


    Rossi shook her head and hustled back to her cleaning. Master Lis seemed a bit differenttely; she had to work even harder o(*�R���Q)��|.


    But soon Rossi discovered that it was not her imagination...


    Because the tremors from the basement didn''tpletely stop at all that day!

 Chapter 8 - 8 Royal Swordsmanship

    <h4>Chapter 8: Chapter 8 Royal Swordsmanship</h4>


    June 5th, at the Kane Mansion.


    It was another clear day, and Rossi opened the windows of the dining room to let the fresh air flow in.


    Lis, however, looked like he hadn''t woken up yet, yawning and enjoying today''s breakfast at the dining table.


    Today''s breakfast was bacon and eggs, blueberry cake, and yogurt gran with nuts. The pink bacon, chopped into small pieces, paired with golden eggs sprinkled with pepper and salt, was appetizing. The delicate blueberry cake and the colorful yogurt nut gran brought a sweet taste that could always bring a good mood to a new day.


    Even Lis, who had spent more than a dozen hours in the basement researching, felt a bit more spirited.


    The vibrations and sounds from the basementst night didn''t cause any panic among the servants, as everyone knew Master Lis was researching magic there; it was just that this time, it took a bit longer, and the noises were a bit louder, that''s all.


    Lis didn''t care about the servants'' dark circles under their eyes. Though the experiments thatsted for more than a dozen hours yesterday did not seed in improving his first arcane, he still made significant gains.


    First, the system''s arcane submodule was different from his previous life; now, each attempt to modify the Magic Model didn''t require any Experience Points. The only limitation was that if he didn''t have enough Mana, he couldn''t materialize the Magic Model.


    Second, in the arcane submodule, the sess or failure of each Magic Model modification was no longer expressed in terms of fit, so every time Lis made modifications, he had to throw the Fireball to see the specific effects. He might know what sess looks like the first time he constructs his own exclusive arcane model.


    Third, using magic in this real world wasn''t as simple as in the immersive games of his former life, where one could just select and release a spell with his will. Every time Lis used the Fireball Technique, he clearly felt real Magic Power circting in his body, and he needed to get used to and master this sensation.


    Although he encountered many difficulties, Lis was not discouraged. Unlike in the games, the feeling of truly mastering extraordinary power was so beautiful and enchanting that Lis was soon immersed in it, forgetting the passage of time.


    Moreover, with continuous attempts, Lis had a hunch that within a week, he would be able to master his first arcane.


    Lis moved his body around, feeling that his current body was not yet fully in sync with him, likest night,


    when he was still very excited, but his body was too tired!


    This pampered body was not used to his love for staying upte!


    But no matter, it was simple...


    Just stay up a few more nights!


    A little forced therapy, perhaps?


    As Lis was stretching his limbs, Housekeeper Joyce said beside him:


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    "Master Lis, the garments you ordered have just been ced in your bedroom, and Welf is already waiting for you in the courtyard with two guards."


    Lis pped his face, perking up as he replied:


    "I know, tell Welf and the others to wait for me at the back door in casual clothes."


    "Yes."


    Shortly after, Lis changed into his clothes and came to the back door of the mansion.


    Knowing that Lis nned to train his body and learn to use weapons, Joyce had specially prepared a set of shorts and a short-sleeved shirt, made of cotton, which was veryfortable and breathable to wear.


    Welf and two guards dressed in casual clothes and carrying weapons were already waiting for Lis at the back door.


    One of the guards was somewhat thin and stood beside Welf, grinning and chatting about something.


    The other guard looked to be under twenty and stood a bit apart, carrying his weapons alone, not joining in the conversation between Welf and the other guard. When he saw Lis approach, he quickly stood at attention and saluted.


    Only then did Welf and the thin guard notice Lis by their side, and they hurriedly saluted too.


    "Good morning, Master Lis."


    Lis waved his hand: "I remember you, Welf. You two are...?"


    The thin guard hurriedly replied with a fawning tone, "Good morning, Master Lis! I''m Bill, I joined the Kane family with Captain Welf."


    The young guard spoke in a steady voice with a hint of respect, "Master Lis, I''m Dison, I have been raised by Housekeeper Joyce since I was a child, and I''ve always been in the mansion."


    "Hmm, I know." Lis nodded, clearly understanding that Bill, like Welf, was hired by the housekeeper to be a guard of the Kane family, while Dison was raised by the family from a young age and could be considered one of his loyal subordinates.


    "Let''s set out, then. We''ll head straight for the Belle Street Warehouse. Today, when we go out, let''s just bemoners, act normal."


    Welf and the two others had no doubts; they simply followed the Young Master''s orders. Perhaps the Young Master had taken a fancy to experiencing the life of amoner on a whim!


    The Belle Street wasn''t far from Feis Street, both located in the East half zone of Bright City.


    Looking at the spacious warehouse surrounded by grey-white walls, a rough estimate put it at over 800 square meters, with an interior ceiling height of 5 meters.


    Everything that had once been stored in the warehouse had been cleared out, with only some straw still piled in a corner.


    Besides the warehouse, there was an empty plot of nearly one thousand square meters to the east, which seemed to be used for parking caravans and goods. The entire warehouse was enclosed by brick walls over one person tall.


    The whole warehouse was also quite clean, indicating it was well maintained.


    Lis was quite satisfied with it, the ce was spacious enough and rtively concealed. Apart from the storage rooms for keeping goods, there were several rooms in the back for temporary rest.


    After taking aplete tour around the warehouse, Lis saw that Welf and the others had already prepared the weapons they would need. Even the box of sweets and red tea that Rossi had specially brought for him was set aside on a table, so he gestured for Welf to get ready for the training.


    Seeing this, Welf, without hesitation, stepped forward and handed a practice wooden sword to Lis.


    "Master, let''s start with the one-handed sword," Welf suggested.


    After speaking, Welf himself picked up a wooden sword and casually executed a beautiful sword flourish.


    Lis tested the wooden sword in his hands. Though made of wood, the material was quite hard, and it was heavy to hold.


    Even though his Strength hadn''t received an attribute modification, the increase brought by level 30 was enough for Lis to use the wooden sword properly.


    Watching Lis clumsily swing the wooden sword to produce an irregr sword flourish, Welf smiled and said,


    "On the battlefield, a one-handed sword is generally used in conjunction with a shield. Of course, warriors who are more skilled in martial arts and seek higher agility and freedom may choose to use only a one-handed sword."


    "Which swordsmanship does Master Lis wish to learn? Rock Swordsmanship, Tidal Swordsmanship, or Gale Swordsmanship?"


    These were all styles that Welf had mastered, considered top-grade among publicly known swordsmanship.


    Lis did not hesitate, as he had already made ns:


    "I want to practice Royal Swordsmanship."


    "Royal Swordsmanship?"


    Welf was somewhat surprised. Royal Swordsmanship was indeed a very famous style, but it was not known for its power. Instead, it was because the movements of Royal Swordsmanship were very borate.


    In essence, this style was a form of ceremonial swordsmanship, existing for the sake of visual appeal.


    Thus, it was also esteemed by Nobles and wealthy merchants.


    Of course, Welf knew this style because, besides looking good, its biggest advantage was its simplicity.


    After hesitating for a moment, Welf refrained from urging Lis to choose a different style of swordsmanship. Perhaps he should just indulge Lord Viscount''s caprice. Maybe it was his preference for this style that brought Lis, the esteemed Mage, to train with weapons.


    Raising his hand to indicate the sword''s edge and tip, Welf began exining the one-handed sword and Royal Swordsmanship:


    "The parts of a one-handed sword that have lethal potential are these two. In order to fully..."


    With Welf''s exnation, a series of system messages also appeared before Lis''s eyes.


    The reason he chose Royal Swordsmanship was because it was simple and could be learned quickly. Royal Battle Technique, including swordsmanship, spear technique, knife skill, and so on, was demonstrated through multiple experiments to be the quickest way to improve weapon proficiency.


    As for being mistaken for a mere show, Lis didn''t care. What mattered most to him was to master the specialty of All Martial Arts Mastery as quickly as possible.


    [The Golden Warrior Welf has taught you techniques for wielding a one-handed sword, your proficiency with one-handed sword weaponry has increased]


    [...10%...50%...100%]


    [Your proficiency with the one-handed sword has risen to basic]

 Chapter 9: Arcanist Job Change and Blue Ball Skill

    <h4>Chapter 9: Arcanist Job Change and Blue Ball Skill</h4>


    [Your Basic One-Handed Sword Control proficiency has increased.]


    [Basic One-Handed Sword Control: You now have a fundamental understanding of one-handed swords, and your power when using them has slightly increased.]


    Lis looked at the new entry for one-handed sword control under his Intermediate Wand Control, realizing that reaching basic and intermediate proficiency for any weapon was rtively easy, but advancing further was significantly harder.


    For instance, Lis had practiced spells for over a decade, but his proficiency with the magic wand was still only at the intermediate level, still a hair''s breadth away from the advanced level, uncertain of when he would break through.


    At the same time, Lis also discovered that although his weapon proficiency continuously improved with Welf''s instruction, simr to how NPCs in games directly teach skills through a click, deep concentration and active learning significantly quickened the proficiency growth.


    After all, this is a real world where his system slightly differs from those in games.


    The knowledge and power he possessed were no longer merely game data but genuinely existed within his mind and body.


    This is much more fun than grinding in a game!


    Even though Welf and others were quite cautious, how could they avoid bumps and bruises during training?


    But how could Lis, feeling his strength grow, ever give up? He wholeheartedly dove into the training, enduring the pain and the pleasure.


    In the following days, Lis''s days were packed; he spent the days on Belle Street learning various weapons'' handling and techniques with Welf and a few guards, and at night, he continued his "boom boom boom" exploration of arcane arts in the basement of the mansion. His only leisure was asionally having the young maid Rossi massage him for rxation.


    Don''t think otherwise, it''s strictly professional!


    -----------------


    The sixth day of training


    Kane Mansion, undergroundboratory.


    With some soot on his face, Lis used the Clear Wind Technique to disperse the thick smoke of yet another failed attempt but showed no signs of despair.


    "I was too hasty again, the Fire Element''s nature is more explosive and vtile, a too-stable magic runebination actually reduces the power of the Fireball Technique, but this time''s Element Model felt somewhat attuned to my magic power."


    After pondering for a moment, Lis adjusted the construction of the Element Model by changing the angle between the third long magic rune and the foundational magic rune on the nearby Magic Rune Burner.


    "Let''s try this, adjust the angle of the third long magic rune and the foundational rune, and see the effect."


    He brought up the arcane subsystem and carefully started modifying the Fireball Technique Element Model once again.


    Lis took a deep breath; sess or failure hinged on this moment!


    Just as Lis fed his magic power into his newly constructed Fireball Technique Element Model for the umpteenth time��


    Suddenly, a miraculous feeling arose in Lis.


    It was as though the red-glowing Element Model floating in the air had be part of his body.


    The magic power circting through his body seemed to resonate with the newly constructed Element Model, continuously flowing into it.


    The fully supplied Element Model silently floated in front of Lis, and before he could study it further, it suddenly lit up, spun around, and transformed into a pale blue fireball the size of a fist before his eyes.


    Observing the fireball in his hand, Lis examined it with interest from all angles, sensing that he hadplete control over this fireball, unlike the times it had unexpectedly exploded before.


    After examining it enough, Lis finally turned his attention back to the system panel.


    Just as he had sessfully condensed the fireball, a bunch of system notifications popped up in the lower left corner of his vision, which he hadn''t yet had time to read.


    -----------------


    [You have sessfully improved the Fireball Technique Model]


    [You have mastered a proprietary arcane spell "Fireball Technique (nameable)"]


    [Initiating Arcanist ss change requirements assessment]


    [Assessment (1/3): Mage main profession... Assessment passed]


    [Assessment (2/3): Intelligence Attribute over 50... Assessment passed]


    [Assessment (3/3): Mastery of a proprietary arcane spell... Assessment passed]


    [All assessments passed, you can choose to ss change to Arcanist]


    [Yes/No]


    -----------------


    After much deliberation, since the final form is a blue fireball, let''s call it...


    Blue Ball Skill!


    Lis, whose past life was not known for creative naming, named his first arcane spell Blue Ball Skill, feeling as if someone was dancing in front of his eyes.


    Shaking his head, Lis then looked at the Arcanist ss change prompt.


    The Arcanist ss change, unlike some specialized professions, does not require arranging a special ceremony; fulfilling the requirements is enough to advance on the spot.


    As for whether to change ss to Arcanist?


    Nonsense, otherwise, why would he go through all the trouble to acquire the "Arcane Thought" specialty?


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Lis decisively confirmed "Yes".


    -----------------


    [You have chosen to change your profession to Arcanist]


    [Changing profession......Change sessful]


    [Your main profession[Mage]has been promoted to [Arcanist]]


    [You have attained a new milestone [Strongman''s First Step (Silver Level)]]


    [You have acquired a new specialty [Rank Suppression]]


    -----------------


    Lis Kain felt a sudden rity in his mind, as if his thinking had sped up considerably, and it seemed he had gained new insights into various element models and their properties.


    Shaking his head, Lis brought up his attribute panel.


    -----------------


    Name: Lis Kain


    Race: Human


    Level: 30


    Life Value: 900/1050


    Mana Value: 666/2040


    Status: Normal


    Experience: 4396/170000 (Unallocated Experience Points[216820 Points])


    Main Profession: Arcanist (Basic)


    Secondary Profession: None


    Talent: All-Purpose


    Attributes:


    Strength 35


    Agility 36


    Intelligence 68 (Attribute Modification)


    Charm 38


    Mysterious 33


    Endurance 35


    Luck 3


    Free Attribute Points 10


    Specialties:


    [Arcane Thought]�� Intelligence Attribute receives a 2x modifier, Elemental Affinity +100%, arcane subsystem unlocked


    [Advanced Fatigue Resistance]�� Reduces the negative impacts of a fatigued state on the body, stamina recovery speed +50%


    [Rank Suppression]�� You gain an extra power bonus when dealing with lower-tier professionals, current bonus (10%)


    Skills: Magic (Magic Hand, Cleaning Skill, sh Technique...), One-Circle Magic (Fireball Technique, Ice Arrow Skill, Human Charm...), Second Circle Magic (Ice de Skill, Wind Walking Technique, Earth Escape Skill), Three-Circle Magic (Chain Fireball Technique), Three-Ring Magic (Blue Ball Skill), Warrior Martial Skill (Charge, Shield m, eleration...)


    Milestones: [Basic Mage (Bronze Level)], [Strongman''s First Step (Silver Level)]


    Legend Level: 10 (Realm Level - Court Viscount Legend +10)


    Equipment: Jade Wand, Jade Talisman, Concentration Ring


    -----------------


    Lis looked over the gains of the past few days, feeling quite fulfilled.


    The [Rank Suppression]specialty and [Strongman''s First Step]are both essentials when you change to a high-tier profession, and their effects are quite satisfactory.


    The effect of [Rank Suppression]is simply a mowing-down tool, the lower the rank of the opponentpared to yourself, the higher the damage bonus.


    [Strongman''s First Step]is straightforward; most milestones directly add free attribute points.


    He had also stealthily learned several martial skills from the guards through his [All-Purpose] talent, greatly enriching his harvest.


    Lis casually assigned the newly earned 10 free attribute points to his intelligence, contentedly tidied up hisboratory, and prepared to treat himself to an early rest today.


    The fate of potential cannon fodder always gave Lis a heavy sense of crisis, which only lessened slightly whenever he made progress in his abilities.


    He hoped that he could ultimately avoid the deathly conclusion~


    Lying in bed, Lis sighed lightly and closed his eyes, entering a state of meditation.

 Chapter 10: The Guard’s Hidden Thoughts

    <h4>Chapter 10: The Guard''s Hidden Thoughts</h4>


    Early morning at the Kane Mansion.


    Last night, for some reason, young master Lis''s magic experiment ended early, and without the continuous "bam bam" sounds that had persisted for days, the entire mansion''s household staff enjoyed a much better quality of sleep.


    Little maid Rossi opened the windows of the dining room and took a deep breath of the fresh morning air, her long brown ponytail swinging happily.


    As Lis''s personal maid, Rossi had been dealing with thete nights of his experiments, which was still better than being cooped up in theboratory and bedroom all day long.


    Compared to previously, when she sometimes wouldn''t see the young master for a whole day, Rossi thought she was growing morepetent in her role, even though it was now a bit more tiring. Recently, she had the chance to give young master Lis a massage, and he even asionally joked with her, which made her feel she was doing her job as a personal maid more proficiently.


    "Alright, Rossi, let''s work hard again today!" Rossi patted her smooth, cogen-rich little face to encourage herself.


    It was time to wake up the young master, who had been staying upte recently and not looking too well. She was the one who had been waking him up; perhaps she should prepare some refreshing ck tea for him today?


    Just as Rossi was about to go upstairs to wake the young master, she turned around and saw that Lis was already sitting at the head of the dining table, enjoying breakfast.


    Lis waved his hands, signaling his adorable little maid to ask the kitchen to bring another serving of ham cube bread.


    Fresh, tender ham cubes nestled within the white, fluffy bread, paired with a rich, creamy mushroom soup, whetted Lis''s appetite.


    Of course, Lis''s good mood today might have also contributed to that.


    Last night, he had sessfully modified his first exclusive arcane spell and sessfully transitioned to Arcanist, which was the first step he took toward bing a Legendary Mage, a milestone of great significance.


    The system had determined that his modification of the Blue Ball Skill was a three-cycles arcane spell, which was an unexpected pleasure.


    Generally speaking, a modification of a One-Circle Magic should correspond to the same level of arcane spell. To increase the power and advance to higher-circle spells, one needed to add moreplex elemental circuits and Magic Runes, but his Blue Ball Skill was different.


    If it wasn''t an issue with the Element Model, then could the reason be himself?


    Could it be because his soul was more in tune with Fire Magic, especially since his past life was primarily focused on mastering Fire Magic?


    Lis let his mind wander. The issue of Element Modelpatibility with the soul had never been settled and couldn''t be confirmed at the moment.


    After all, the soul is the most mysterious and enigmatic part of a living being, not even gods can fullyprehend its mysteries.


    While Lis was enjoying his exquisite breakfast and letting his thoughts drift, Housekeeper Joyce came in from outside, apparently with something to say to Lis.


    At the first sight of Lis, Joyce froze, and even his normally graceful demeanor seemed to hesitate for a moment.


    Lis noticed Joyce''s unnatural behavior and asked curiously,


    "Joyce, is something the matter?"


    Joyce then came to his senses and bowed slightly with his impable manners:


    "Just now, young master Mora sent someone to look for you, reminding you not to forget to attend his birthday party this evening."


    This guy...


    Lis was a bit speechless; thest time at the library wasn''t enough, so he specifically sent someone to hurry him along.


    If Mora wasn''t so busy preparing for the event himself, he probably would havee to drag Lis there in person!


    It''s not like I am... uh...


    Lis remembered and realized... it seemed... indeed... his predecessor had skipped quite a few times.


    Sigh, with that kind of invitation, I guess I might as well reluctantly participate.


    "I understand, I wille back early today."


    "Very good, young master. I will have Rossi prepare your evening party attire in advance."


    ---------------


    Belle Street


    Bang~


    On the t ground outside the warehouse, two figures separated immediately after colliding. On one side was Lis, puffing and panting, propping himself up with his Long Spear, and on the other side was the seemingly unexerted guard, Dison.


    "Just now, young master, you exerted too much force with your waist when you swung the Long Spear, causing the movement to deform. When you''re exerting force, you should..."


    Seeing that Lis was somewhat exhausted, Dison sheathed his weapon and began to point out the deficiencies in Lis''s movements just now.


    Lis nodded, wiping the sweat from his forehead with his hand, while looking at the panel information that popped up in his field of vision.


    [Intermediate Warrior Dison imparts to you the technique of wielding a Long Spear, your Long Spear weapon proficiency (Basic) has increased]


    [...94%...95%...]


    Through these past few days of training, he had managed to raise both his One-handed Sword and Two-Handed Sword proficiency levels to Intermediate, and the Long Spear was close to doing the same.


    Moreover, as his training became more extensive and the Martial Arts skills he learned grew richer, he felt like he was starting to grasp the essence of the weapons, making training with other weapons smoother. The most direct reflection of this was the increasing speed of his proficiency advancement in weapons.


    This was possibly also due to his "All-Purpose" Talent.


    He had originally estimated that it would take him about a month and a half to raise the proficiency level of ten weapons to Intermediate, but now it seemed that one month might be enough.


    This was indeed good news, considering he didn''t exactly have an abundance of time. He had to increase his strength while also figuring out how to avoid his potentially tragic future as cannon fodder.


    [...98%...99%....100%]


    [Your Long Spear weapon proficiency has risen to Intermediate]


    [[Intermediate Spear Control]: You have essentially grasped the techniques of using a Long Spear, significantly increasing its power when used]


    Good, this is the third Intermediate proficiency!


    After practicing with Dison for a while longer, Lis finally managed to break through to Intermediate proficiency with the Long Spear. Then he stopped, tossed the Long Spear aside, and said to Dison:


    "I feel the Long Spear isn''t that interesting, too simple. Teach me the Knife Skill instead."


    Dison, on the side, was taken aback for a moment, not understanding why the young master suddenly lost interest in the Long Spear when Lis was getting better with it just moments ago.


    However, the usually silent Dison didn''t say much, just nodded his head, went over to the side and drew the standard Long Knife that had been prepared in advance from the weapon rack, and began to demonstrate the moves of Royal Family Swordsmanship to Lis.


    Standing to the side, Welf saw Lis throw the Long Spear aside and ask Dison to get out the knife to start demonstrating, his mouth twitching involuntarily.


    He had seen this scene two days ago; he was teaching Lis the One-handed Sword just fine, and suddenly Lis didn''t want to continue and wanted to learn something else. It seems the young master Lis has lost interest in the Long Spear and wanted to practice the knife now.


    N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Bill, who was standing nearby, noticed Welf''s somewhat speechless expression and said in a low voice:


    "I don''t know what our young master is trying to aplish; he gets impatient after just a few days of practice. This must be the fourth weapon he''s switched to already."


    Welf shook his head, "That''s not for you to say. Young master Lis just wants to experience different weapons. Once he finds one that suits him and he likes, he surely won''t be like this."


    Bill hurriedly interjected, "Ah, boss, I''m just speaking privately with you. It''s just that you''re a Golden Warrior, even the noble lords have to give you some respect. You''ve put in so much effort to teach the young master, and yet the young master is so picky, it''s a bit..."


    Welf nced at Bill, but didn''t stop him from continuing.


    "These past few days, we''ve been messing around with young master Lis here during the day, and at night when the young master causes such a stir, we don''t get a good rest either. The brothers are getting a bit resentful."


    "Resentful? It''s probably just you and Lance who feel that way. Why don''t I see Dison acting like this?"


    "How can that be the same? Dison and a few others were orphans raised by the Kane family from childhood; but us brothers, we all see you as the leader, otherwise..."


    Welf cut off Bill''s words with a wave of his hand. This guy was talking nonsense, but young master Lis was indeed a bit too much of a handful. Perhaps he should go and talk to that person about it.


    Seeing Welf taking his words to heart, Bill didn''t say anything more. Bill, who always soughtfort, wasn''t interested in spending every day practicing arms with the young master. With that time, why not go to Golden Lily Lane and have a nice chat with a girl instead?

 Chapter 11: Banquet and the Girl

    <h4>Chapter 11: Banquet and the Girl</h4>


    116 Feis Street


    At the entrance of the Carl family mansion.


    Dressed in a ck evening gown, Lis alighted from the carriage, and a nearby servant promptly approached, leading Lis toward the main hall of the banquet as Bender and the carriage were directed elsewhere for rest.


    Lis loosened his tight cor, still somewhat unustomed to such intricate attire.


    Following the servant into the grand hall, Lis entered a space luxuriously decorated over hundreds of square meters, where numerous polished, crystal-clear crystals hung overhead in a massive Magic Crystal Lamp, casting a soft glow while the tables nearby were filled with fragrant delicacies and fine wines at the guests'' disposal, amid guests who were already toasting and mingling.


    The Carl family, indeed, ranked within the top five in Feis Kingdom by virtue of controlling the influential Golden Vine Flower Guild, possessed enough strength to "purchase" a Baron''s title from the kingdom, and the mansion they acquired in the Noble District was no less luxuriously majestic, evidence of the Carl family''s substantial wealth.


    Lis looked around with interest at the guests in luxurious outfits scattered around the dance floor; his former self seldom attended such soir��es, thus even these should-be familiar faces of Feis City''s high society appeared utterly foreign to him, with no familiar faces.


    Just then, Mora Karl, having just dealt with a Count by her father''s side, spotted the rather distinctive Lis not far away. Her eyes lit up and, after informing her father, she approached Lis directly.


    "You, howe you didn''te to find me after arriving, are you really our esteemed Lord Viscount? Just standing there by yourself, not even mingling with others?"


    Lis shrugged, "You know I hardly ever attend these kinds of events. I don''t know any of these people, how am I supposed to strike a conversation? I saw you were talking with that old man earlier, so I didn''t approach you."


    "What do you mean ''that old man''? That is His Excellency Count Dion Duval, the Finance Minister of the Kingdom!"


    Mora looked at Lis incredulously, unable to believe he didn''t recognize even him, and promptly started introducing Lis to the other distinguished guests around.


    "That is Arsen Hade, the youngest son from Duke Hade''s family, who is said to be highly favored by His Majesty the King nowadays."


    "The man speaking to my father over there is Monte Oraya, President of the Oraya Commerce Guild, a guild not inferior to my family''s. He happens to have good rtions with my father, though."


    "That''s Mrs. Pasha Koy, a well-known socialite of Bright City, you better be careful not to be enchanted by her!"


    Stealthily pointing with her finger, Mora gestured towards ady in a purple fringed long dress, chatting and smiling with several gentlemen nearby, raising her eyebrows at Lis.


    Upon her words, Lis took a careful look, hissing softly in appreciation of her undeniable charm, scrutinizing her academically, and concluding indeed she was as substantial as her reputation suggested, a true mark of a renowned socialite, a lesson learned!


    For the first time, Mora deeply shared an academic exchange with Lis, bothing to a mutual understanding.


    "You sly guy, you must have done your field research already, right?" Lis looked suspiciously at his friend, whose eyes were shining with excitement.


    "It''s just artistic appreciation, okay? She''s almost old enough to be my mother!"


    The questioned Mora nearly jumped up and swore to prove his innocence, although in Lis''s eyes, this man was almost thoroughly unscrupulous.


    "Enough with this topic." Mora saw his father waving at him, seemingly about to wee another esteemed guest, and hurried over, "I''lle find youter, don''t sneak off!"


    After all, it was Mora''s birthday banquet, and although most people were there to foster connections and social rtions, as the host, he couldn''t be absent from the scene for too long.


    Lis was quite content to be left alone, unfamiliar with the other guests, free from disturbances.


    Lis listened as Mora''s father, Vim Karl, thanked all the guests at the banquet, conversing in pleasantries, and moved to the long table to pick and choose his food.


    Roastedmb chops, herb sauce snails, beef tenderloin with goose liver, Boditch''s Sweet Shrimp Sd, cheese chicken cutlet, hazelnut caramel cake, coconut cherry pie...


    Satisfied, Lis heaped arge te of delicacies and, disregarding the somewhat astonished looks from the servants, settled in a corner of the banquet hall to fully enjoy his meal.


    Indeed, as one of the top five guilds in the kingdom, the avability of Boditch''s Sweet Shrimp, native only to a few coastal regions of the Fanor Continent in the Duchy of Boditch, was a rarity, its fresh taste was exceptional, and it was a wonder how it was transported from the distant shores to the ind kingdom of Feis.


    In his past life, he had never seen such ingredients in the Feis Kingdom during his gaming days, having only encountered them once when he went on a quest to Boditch, confirming their fresh and bouncy texture, truly a top-grade among seafoods.


    "Ding~"


    As Lis was enjoying the gourmet food, a te was set down next to him on the table. He nced at it��wow, even more packed than his own!


    Twomb chops topped the pile, stuffed with various foods and finished with two servings of hazelnut cake, precariously perched in a way that was somewhat heart-wrenching.


    While Lis''s attention was on this "tower" of a te, a figure emerged from behind it and sat down on a chair nearby.


    Lis observed this person, who unlike the other guests, wasn''t socializing in the dance area but was hunkered down in the corner like him, relishing the food.


    Dressed in a fiery red off-shoulder evening gown, her simrly red long hair casually draped to her waist. The well-tailored design entuated the girl''s perfect curves, highlighted byyered cut-out patterns and delicate fringe against her fair skin. Her appearance was somewhat ordinary, yet her gray-purple eyes sparkled with vivacity.


    The girl curiously nced at Lis, seemingly surprised to meet someone else who also "stood out from the crowd." She smiled gently at him and then began to enjoy the delectable treats before her.


    Although Lis felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity, he didn''t dwell on it, thinking he might have seen her once before in his past gaming life!


    Soon, both of themunched an assault on the "two mountains" before them. Despite the continuous eating, the table manners remained impable, and the food on the table visibly decreased at a rapid pace.


    While Lis had started eating first, both finished their meals almost simultaneously.


    "Squeak~"


    Both pushed back their chairs and stood up, ready to replenish their tes from the buffet.


    "Pfft~"


    A bell-likeugh rang out next to Lis. Turning his head, he saw the girl looking at him with a curious smile.


    "You''re really strange, aren''t you? Don''t most peoplee to these soir��es to meet officials and nobility? Why are you hiding here eating?"


    Lis looked at the girl''s te in her hand and somewhat speechlessly said,


    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Aren''t you doing the same? I just can''t be bothered with all that mutual ttery."


    "I''m different!" the girl waved her hand, "I came with friends to gain some experience, and to snack on some goodies. I heard Golden Vine Flower Commerce specially arranged for a convoy to go to Boditch in the east to buy lots of precious ingredients for the soir��e��I couldn''t miss it."


    Her initial statement sounded rational, but hertter words betrayed her true foodie nature.


    "That''s true, that Boditch Sweet Shrimp Sd is great, I''m nning to go for more."


    The mention of food even made the girl''s eyes light up:


    "Right? Isn''t it amazing? Normally you can''t buy it even if you have the money!"


    Lis also joined in the conversation,


    "But I think the Boditch Sweet Shrimp would taste even better in Golden Shrimp Balls."


    The girl looked surprised,


    "Golden Shrimp Balls, what''s that? Is it a dish? I didn''t realize you could cook!"


    "Of course!" Lis, who had grown up in an orphanage in his previous life, had indeed mastered excellent culinary skills.

 Chapter 12 - 12 Knocking

    <h4>Chapter 12: Chapter 12 Knocking</h4>


    While Lis conversed with the youngdy about the delicacies at the party.


    Viscount Kane Mansion


    Housekeeper Joyce was resting in a chair by the window of his bedroom, his hand gently swirling the dark red wine in a tall ss, an elegant demeanor not diminished even in his pajamas.


    Anyone unacquainted who saw this scene would surely assume he was some noble lord.


    "Dong dong~"


    "Come in," Joyce said, bringing the ss to his nose to savor the slow evaporation of the fruity fragrance.


    "Excuse me, Lord Joyce!"


    Guard Commander Welf entered, gently closing the door behind him.


    "What is it?"


    Joyce didn''t even nce at Welf, as if the fine wine before him was more worthy of his attention than Welf.


    Welf recognized at a nce that the wine in Joyce''s hand was Muge Wine from the Thousand Wind Hills in the southern part of Feis Kingdom; its unique fruity fragrance and refined pte were highly sought after, a single bottle costing a hundred Gold Coins.


    Of course, Welf himself had never tasted such luxury; he recognized it thanks to the distinctive green bottle on the small table beside him.


    However, Welf felt nothing amiss about Joyce enjoying the expensive wine; instead, he respectfully replied,


    "It''s about Young Master Lis."


    "Oh?" Joyce finally turned to look at Welf, speaking in a calm and measured tone,


    "I remember the young master was training with you in weaponry, what''s happened?"


    "Nothing serious, the young master learns quickly and is very diligent, it''s just that..."


    Welf lowered his head, carefully saying, "Young Master Lis seems rather impatient, learning quickly but changing to another weapon as soon as he gets familiar with one, and he mostly learns shy but impractical moves, which leaves everyone rather helpless."


    "And these past few evenings, the young master''s experiments go on veryte, affecting everyone''s rest..."


    Welf gritted his teeth, anxious, but still voiced his thoughts,


    "Lord Joyce, do you think you could speak with the young master? It doesn''t seem useful for a noble Mage to learn Martial Arts."


    Having had to keep up with Lis''s whims for days, Welf felt a hint of resentment. Most importantly, he believed that for Lis, a Mage, it was bothborious and thankless to learn weapon use��a sheer waste of time!


    After speaking, Welf kept his head down, not daring to look at Joyce, as if the seemingly frail housekeeper were some ferocious beast.


    Silence followed for a moment, and as Welf grew increasingly uneasy, regretting his rash act of "tattling"...


    "Is that truly what you think?"


    Joyce''s unruffled voice softly rose in Welf''s ears.


    Seeing Welf''s silence, he continued,


    "It seems I have been too lenient with you all."


    Hum~


    Joyce gently set the wine ss on the table, and suddenly, an intense, terror-inducing pressure enveloped Guard Commander Welf''s entire body.


    "Ahhhhhh..."


    Welf immediately dropped to his knees, his hands firmly pressed against the floor to support his body while the fear of death surged through his heart. Amidst gasps of pain and the struggle for breath, he dared not inhale, as if at any second, the terrible pressure might crush himpletely.


    What... what is happening?


    Merely the killing intent and aura released had rendered him immobile?


    Will I.... Will I die here?


    He was wrong, so terribly wrong. He had thought that bing a Golden Warrior would earn him some status before this person, but he could not even withstand this pressure!


    This was no Advanced Professional as he had guessed, but clearly a being whose life had transcended, one who had stepped into the Legendary Domain!


    That person was someone who even the King would treat as an honored guest with respect, whose heroic legend would spread across the entire continent. Who would have thought that their own old housekeeper was one of them?


    I''m going to die, going to die, going to die, going to die, going to die!!!


    Facing the helplessness and fear of death, panic crazily tugged at the warrior''s nerves, and Welf''s heart was drowned in endless regret.


    Just as Welf felt his consciousness about to fade away...


    "Remember your ce."


    Housekeeper Joyce''s fingers tapped on the table one by one, yet Welf felt each tap fiercely hammering on his heart.


    "Master Lis''s words aremands, even if they send you to your death!"


    Housekeeper Joyce stopped tapping his fingers and looked at the Golden Warrior lying prostrate on the ground, drenched in sweat. He said in a cold tone:


    "Otherwise, you''ll know that death is the kindest mercy."


    Welf felt as though he was facing Hell itself, as a deep intent to kill pierced from his skin into his vitals, and his whole being seemed to be encased in ice, his blood about to stop flowing and freeze.


    "Get lost!"


    Not even waiting for a response, Housekeeper Joyce couldn''t be bothered to take another look at Welf. He waved his hand dismissively, Welf let out a muffled groan, and suddenly he was airborne, forcefully thrown out through a nearby window.


    Afterpleting the deed, the old butler remained as calm and collected as ever, as if the terrifying act hadn''t been of his doing.


    Housekeeper Joyce''s eyes were deep as he watched the dark red liquid flow back and forth in his hand. He continued to savor the intoxicating scent of sunshine and rain in the Muge Wine, lost in thought about something.


    "An arcanist...huh?


    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    -----------------


    116 Feis Street


    Unaware that his Guard Commander had just been severely reprimanded by the housekeeper for tattling on him, Lis was in a good mood, exchanging culinary insights with the foodie girl he had met at the party.


    This wave was definitely a case of like minds meeting GET!


    "So you see, there are actually many ways to make golden threads, with egg, potatoes, or even flour. Of course, my favorite is the one made with potato threads, whichplements the shrimp balls'' smooth and tender texture perfectly!" Lis rambled on.


    "Oh~~~! That must be delicious!" The girl looked at Lis, seemingly aglow, with eyes full of admiration, sparing no praise.


    She nced at the te of Boditch''s Sweet Shrimp Sd and suddenly felt it didn''t seem as appetizing anymore!


    The girl''s eyes swiveled, and extending her fair, delicate hand to Lis, she said:


    "It''s a pleasure to meet you, my name is Ya''er."


    Lis, not minding the clearly fake name, took the girl''s hand with gentlemanly grace, lifted it to his lips, and gave it a light kiss.


    "I am Lis Kain. It''s a pleasure to meet you."


    Ya''er looked at Lis, a bit surprised, then burst intoughter:


    "Dear Mr. Lis Kain, I''m not married yet, hasn''t anyone told you it''s rude to kiss a maiden''s hand?"


    Well, I just wanted to follow local customs, and I truly hadn''t noticed this.


    Lis thought somewhat embarrassedly, but Ya''er didn''t mind and quickly changed the subject, pointing at a figure approaching them.


    "My friend hase to find me. It was very nice to meet you. Next time, you must treat me to the golden shrimp balls you mentioned!"


    After saying that, the figure reached Ya''er and Lis, swept Lis with a guarded nce, and then turned to Ya''er:


    "Miss Ya''er, it''s time, we should go back."


    "Yeah, alrighty."


    She waved goodbye to Lis and then left with the man through the crowd of the dance party.


    "Interesting!" Lis watched the retreating figures, smiling to himself.

 Chapter 13 - 13 The First Step in Gathering Intelligence

    <h4>Chapter 13: Chapter 13 The First Step in Gathering Intelligence</h4>


    "Interesting, very interesting."


    Lis murmured, finding the young girl named Ya''er rather strange. She clearly had the education of nobility based on her manners, but also gave off a sense of freedom and unrestraint, which was quite contradictory.


    Moreover, when he had gently touched the girl''s slender hand earlier, despite its well-maintained condition, he distinctly felt the toughness of her palms and the calluses formed from long-term use of weapons, which seemed inconsistent with her noble identity.


    Furthermore, the young man who had left with her was none other than Arsen Hade, the youngest son of Duke Hade''s family, that Mora had introduced to him. Arsen''s cautious gaze and the subtle respectfulness toward the girl reflected Ya''er''s extraordinary status.


    Shaking his head, Lis decided not to dwell on these thoughts. Who knows? They might seldom meet again!


    As for the Golden Shrimp Balls that the girl wanted to eat, well, if fate allows, then so be it!


    -----------------


    "Miss Ya''er, please don''t do this next time. I was just going to greet someone, and in the blink of an eye, you were gone,"


    Arsen Hade said somewhat helplessly to the girl beside him.


    "Oh, I was hungry, and there were so many delicious things, I didn''t go anywhere else!"


    The young girl named Ya''er waved her hands cheerfully, not minding Arsen''s tone of slight annoyance.


    "Who was that with you just now?" Arsen asked, adding, "Lis gave me an unusual impression; he does not seem like those nobles keen onworking and indulgence. His unique aura makes him stand out in a crowd."


    "He said his name was Lis Kain, apparently a very skilled chef!" Ya''er responded after a moment of thought.


    "Lis Kain..." Arsen pondered, then dismissing thetter part of the statement, asked curiously, "The Viscount Kane? The homebound mage?"


    "I don''t know, but he is a very interesting person! He even said he will make me Golden Shrimp Balls in the future!"


    "Shrimp Balls... Is that a dish?" Arsen was somewhat speechless, wondering how these things were connected. If it really is that viscount, although not one of the great nobles, he surely wouldn''t be cooking, would he?


    Ya''er paid no mind to Arsen''s thoughts, humming a tune and tapping along the nighttime streets. Her fiery red dress bounced with each step, reflecting her spirited mood.


    Arsen had no choice but to closely follow the youngdy''s steps. Even though Miss Ya''er''s abilities far surpassed his own and she had magic items to disguise her appearance, he would still be ountable if someone carelessly bumped into her.


    -----------------


    Having finally finished giving farewells with his father, Mora had alsopleted the first dance with a shy nobledy, after which he stepped back, yielding his ce and leaving the center of the dance floor.


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Mora wore an affable smile on his face as he navigated through the crowd in the banquet hall, apparently looking for something.


    "My word, I work so hard up there, and you''re just hiding down here eating?"


    Mora finally located Lis, who was tucked away in a corner, and from the look of his te and the remnants of food, it was clear that he had stayed there the whole time.


    "It''s your birthday party, are you expecting me to go up and say a few words too?"


    Lis was focused on devouring the chocte vani ice cream that had just been served. The refreshing chill in the June heat must be due to either ice magic or an Ice Magic Stone��it was indeedvish, but he liked it.


    Mora gestured for a servant to bring him some food and gently sipped the golden champagne, exhaling deeply as he watched the lively scene before him.


    "You know that celebrating my birthday is only part of it, the main reason is to provide an opportunity for socializing,"


    "Ah, yeah, yeah, yeah...."


    Lis simply couldn''t be bothered with this guy, certain that if he didn''t handle his business, this guy would start worrying about his guild going under.


    "You rascal!" Mora punched Lis yfully, not using much strength.


    "But it''s really rare for you toe this time, it must be your first time attending our family''s evening party, right?"


    Lis recalled for a moment and indeed it was his first time; aside from the Royal Family''s annual soir��e which he couldn''t escape, he never really attended any other parties, making the other nobles think him quite unsociable.


    "Let''s not talk about that, where is Bernie? I''m here and that guy isn''t?"


    "I heard he''s caught up in a crucial moment in his research at the Magic Workshop of the school, too busy to leave. But he did send someone to inform me and even brought a gift."


    Mora stretched out his hand to show Lis, wearing a ring on his right index finger embedded with a transparent gemstone, emitting a faint magic glow.


    "Iron Armor Ring, enchanted with the fixed Three-Ring Iron Armor Technique, can be used three times a day, and the most valuable thing is it can activate automatically when in danger."


    "That''s thoughtful."


    This protective ring was worth several hundred gold coins; Bernie must have gone through quite some effort to send such an expensive gift, knowing his own modest family background.


    "And yours?" Mora asked tantly, reaching out to Lis.


    "Your surprise isn''t ready yet, but it will definitely satisfy you," Lis spread his hands. He indeed had some ideas he wanted to implement with Mora and Bernie, but they were not yet ripe and would need some more time.


    "Alright, I can wait a bit longer." Mora believed that Lis wouldn''t just bluff him on this.


    "I actually need a favor," Lis spoke to Mora.


    "What do you need? New experimental equipment, Magic Ore, or a Magic Rune Scroll?" Mora replied nonchntly, as Lis had previously asked him to buy such items.


    "It''s not about buying things; I need you to help me gather some information about Bright City, mainly about various price levels, unusual urrences, things like that."


    Lis considered his words carefully; he knew nothing about the mastermind behind the scenes, only that they nned to assassinate nobles including himself during the Sacrificial Festival in three months. He could only hope to glean some clues from Mora.


    "Since when did you start caring about this sort of thing?" Mora looked at Lis with mild surprise.


    "I have my uses," Lis didn''t want to borate to Mora; after all, he couldn''t say that he''d foreseen his own assassination in three months �C that would be dismissed as nonsense and possibly alert the perpetrators.


    Seeing Lis reluctant to borate, Mora stopped pressing. After all, helping a brother out wasn''t a big deal, especially when it was just a small favor.


    "Okay, I''ll send you a summary of our guild''s weekly intelligence reports, but only those that don''t involve our guild''s secrets. I''ll keep an eye out for other information and will send it to you if anythinges up," Mora agreed.


    "Thanks," Lis nodded, considering sending servants or guards to gather information, but that would be too inefficient; it was better to have Mora involved.


    The Golden Vine Flower Commerce was a well-knownrge guild with a department specifically for gathering intelligence. Merchants cared greatly for all sorts of information, as ordinary details could hide great business opportunities and shimmering gold coins.


    "Enough about that, look over there, that''s the second daughter of Count Siani, a tempting rose. What do you think, interested?"


    Mora was back to his old self, acting yfully improper.


    Lis sighed, ashamed to associate with such a person.


    "Wow, that''s huge..."

 Chapter 14: Contest

    <h4>Chapter 14: Contest</h4>


    Early in the morning, at Kane Mansion


    Waking up with a start, Lis mbered out of bed and stretched mightily, his joints cracking audibly.


    Last night, he and Mora had a few more drinks. The tipsiness was quite pleasant, and he fell asleep directly without meditating when he returned.


    The fatigue brought on by several days of intense training seemed to have dissipated, leaving him feeling much fresher.


    Today''s breakfast was a meal of vegetable and cheese pancakes coupled with blueberry oatmeal porridge, likely something Joyce had instructed the kitchen to prepare, knowing well that he hadn''t eaten lightly the night before.


    "Master Lis, this is today''s mail, including a formal letter from the Royal Magic Academy of Feis, which might be important," Joyce said, as ever standing by Lis''s side, handing over the mail.


    "A letter from the school? Is there something going on?" Lis asked, eyeing the envelope with curiosity; he couldn''t recall anything particrly urgent for the school to be sending him correspondence.


    The Feis Royal Magic Academy, which bore the name of the kingdom, was proof that it was the best magic academy in the kingdom.


    Having enrolled at the age of ten, the academy didn''t adhere to a fixed teaching model. It pursued a philosophy of free development. Students who entered the academy in the same year were considered contemporaneous and could choose to attend any courses they found interesting, simr to the elective system in universities from his previous life. Perhaps the only requirement was that one had to attain the rank of Intermediate Mage to graduate.


    Thus, within the school, one could witness the remarkable sight of ten-year-old children and people in their thirties or forties attending the same ss.


    However, he hadn''t been to the academy for several months now; what could possibly be happening at this time?


    Lis opened the envelope to see neatly penned handwriting, clearly from an official school document. There was no record of any particr event, merely an invitation to Lis to visit the Fifth Magic Workshop.


    The Fifth Magic Workshop was a ce Lis knew of. The academy had many workshops, but it was the top ten that people coveted, with resources guaranteed to be of the highest tier. The Fifth Magic Workshop was quite prestigious, especially given the preceding workshops were reserved for the academy''s principal and vice principal.


    Why would they invite him to visit out of the blue when he hadn''t applied for anything?


    Well, he might as well go take a look when the timees; he was quite curious to see what advanced experimental equipment and novel research projects might be there.


    Lis stuffed thest of his pancakes into his mouth in just a few bites, suddenly craving the pancake rolls from his previous life. He decided to experiment with making them once his immediate concerns were settled.


    The morning training session passed quickly, but what puzzled Lis was the change in his attending guards.


    There was nothing different about Dison; he was as respectful and patient as ever.


    His Guard Commander, Welf, however, had changed somewhat. Previously, he had retained a bit of pride and arrogance, but now his demeanor was exactly like Dison''s, and Lis even sensed a hint of... fear in Welf''s eyes?


    Lis was unaware of the severe emotional trauma his butler had inflicted upon Welf the previous night and simply assumed Welf had suddenlye to realize his, the Lord Viscount''s, brilliance and charm.


    It was a jest, of course. Lis remained very curious, but no matter what, Welf was reluctant to speak, particrly with Bill next to him who imed with a dark circle under his left eye that he had fallen out of bed while sleeping...


    Nevertheless, this was a good opportunity for Lis to inquire about several Combat Skills he was interested in learning, such as Taunt, Block, and other such divine warrior skills, and some very practical strengtheningbat skills like Secondary All Attributes Enhancement and Danger Prediction.


    Incidentally, during these few days of practice, Lis found that his game system could still detect information about enemies just like in the video games of his previous life. Unfortunately, Welf''s Level was too high, and he could only see just a handful of details.


    -----------------


    [Based on your level, you have obtained the following information.]


    Name: Welf


    Race: Human


    Level: 102


    Life Value: ???


    Mana Value: ???


    Main Profession: Shield Warrior


    Secondary Profession: Treasure Hunter


    Talent: Rock (Gold Level Talent: When using a shield, gain a 30% Block effect enhancement and a 30% increase in Strength Attribute)


    Attributes: ???


    Danger Level: Extremely Deadly!


    Evaluation: He takes three punches to your seven parts head!


    -----------------


    It seems Welf only recently became a Golden Warrior, but it wouldn''t be a problem for him to deal with Lis.


    Although he had gained a sizeable amount of Experience Points from meditating in the past while, it would only result in a Level increase of about three if he used them all for leveling up, which wouldn''t make much of a difference.


    Indeed, was farming creatures andpleting quests still the fastest way to level up?


    Lis found himself missing those days of grinding from his previous life.


    Although noble life nowadays is veryfortable and even includes a sweet-smelling little maid, I still prefer that kind of life full of unexpectedness and surprises! The life of adventure, that is.


    As for being a homebody, well, that''s out of the question now!


    Once I master the "All Martial Arts Mastery" specialty, I can start the next phase of my n.


    These past few days I have been sparring with the guards, but it''s more about learning martial arts to improve my proficiency. I haven''t really had a proper battle yet.


    With this in mind, after resting for a moment, Lis turned to Dison, who was standing by, and said,


    "Dison,e on, let''s have a contest and test my strength."


    Dison hesitated for a moment before agreeing. It''s not that he thought he would lose, but he was considering how much effort to put into the match.


    Should I feign a mistaketer to let the young master win?


    Lis, seeing the conflicted expression on Dison''s face, knew what he was thinking.


    "I can use magic, you know. It won''t look good for you, an intermediate warrior, to lose."


    Upon hearing this, Dison''s expression grew serious. He held his sword defensively, readying himself and waiting for Lis to make the first move.


    I''ve never fought a mage before. After all, among all the extraordinary professions, mages have the highest barrier to entry.


    At the bronze and silver ranks,pared to the numerous warriors, mages are quite rare. I''ve only faced the assault of their innate magic when hunting magic beasts, but I have yet to experience a real battle against a proper mage.


    -----------------


    [Ding~]


    [Limited Challenge Task Triggered]


    [Objective: Defeat the silver warrior Dison]


    [Reward: To be determined based on taskpletion]


    -----------------


    Oh? A limited task has been triggered; I must win now!


    Lis saw that Dison was ready, grasped the long knife he picked up on a whim, and began to chant spells.


    Even without using a magic wand, which meant no corresponding power enhancement or casting support, Lis released the spells smoothly.


    "Secondary Deflection Field Field"


    "Spirit Armor Technique"


    "Magic Light"


    "Buffer: Precise Strike"


    "Bear''s Tenacity, Cat''s Grace, Bull''s Power, Fox''s Cunning, Owl''s Wisdom"


    ...


    Regardless of their effectiveness, Lis applied all the beneficial magic spells he could to himself, and for a moment, he was surrounded by a shimmering glow of various magic lights.


    Dison didn''t move, simply waiting quietly for Lis to finish casting his spells. However, Lis''s next actions caused a change in Dison''s expression.


    Lis raised his knife, muttering to himself as a white glow indicative of martial arts flickered over him.


    "Combat Skills: Secondary All Attributes Enhancement"


    "Combat Skills: Resistance Enhancement"


    "Combat Skills: Danger Prediction"


    Warriors have rtively few protection and benefit systembat skills, but after using thisbination of magic andbat skills, Lis felt a moment of emptiness within. The practice had already consumed a significant amount of mana, and this series of actions had further depleted Lis''s mana reserves.


    After all, my mana value isn''t high right now, and I''m not wearing any corresponding magic items or equipment.


    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Dison looked at Lord Lis, now seemingly protected to the utmost extent, and couldn''t help but feel a shiver run through him.


    He never expected that in just a few days, Lord Lis would have learned and mastered thebat skills he disyed, which was a bit terrifying.


    Dison was aware that certain special ressifications could use skills from two basic professions, like a magic swordsman, who could utilize both magic andbat skills. But those were reserved for individuals with exceptional talent. Most people, after choosing their main profession, could hardly learn skills from other professions.


    Could it be that Lord Lis possesses such a top-tier talent?


    Not daring to underestimate the situation, Dison discarded his original n of not usingbat skills and also bolstered himself with beneficial statuses.


    "Here Ie!"


    Lis''s figure dashed, charging toward Dison.

 Chapter 15 - 15 Victory

    <h4>Chapter 15: Chapter 15 Victory</h4>


    Belle Street Warehouse


    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Lis swiftly closed in on Dison, shing toward Dison''s shoulder with his sword.


    With the enhancement of various beneficial magics and martial arts, Lis, even though he wasn''t of the thief profession and his main attribute hadn''t been altered, his speed at that moment was quite impressive.


    ng ng ng��


    Dison, after all, was a Silver Warrior. Other than intelligence, he held absolute advantage in all other attributes and naturally blocked the continuous series of Lis''s shes with rtive ease.


    A flick of the wrist parried the longsword, but instead of pursuing the openings revealed by Lis, he stepped back twice, positioning himself again and waiting for Lis''s second wave of attacks.


    Lis flexed his wrist, which had gone somewhat numb from the exertion of too much force, as he was still not proficient at dissipating the energy of his attacks.


    Looking at Dison across from him, serious yet not initiating an attack, Lis grinned and stretched out his index finger.


    "Fireball Technique!"


    An orange-red fireball the size of a ser ball formed in front of Lis and flew toward Dison.


    As Lis''s most adept skill in his previous life, he was thoroughly familiar with all sorts of tricks in using the Fireball Technique, so naturally, the power of this fireball was not to be underestimated.


    Dison, somewhat unustomed to the transition from a solid martial arts contest to suddenly having a spell flying at him, nheless quickly dodged by shifting to the right.


    Before breaking through to the Gold Level, the warrior profession does not possess the ability to directly sh through spells, let alone withstand the bombardment of spells with their bodies like a Legendary Warrior.


    Boom!


    The fireball hit the spot where Dison had just been standing, sting arge pit in the solidified ground, with the upheaval turning the earth ck and scorched.


    After dodging the fireball, and just as Dison steadied himself, he helplessly noticed that another bundle of ice-blue arrows had formed in front of Lis and was rapidly flying towards him.


    "Ice Arrow Skill!"


    Something was off!


    Even though Dison had never directly battled a mage, he knew something was amiss with the spells Lis was casting.


    Too fast!


    In the blink of an eye that Dison had dodged the Fireball Technique, Lis had alreadypleted the casting of another spell. This casting speed was unbelievably fast, especially considering Lis was not using a magic wand.


    Dison had observed other Bronze Mages casting spells, chanting incantations, and mobilizing magic power��all of which took time and could easily fail if one wasn''t careful.


    What Dison didn''t know was that Lis had already changed professions to be an Arcanist; his Elemental Affinity had greatly increased, and with his in-depth study of various spells, he hadpletely mastered the magic models of these low-level spells.


    Also, as a Golden Mage in his previous life, he might not be as familiar with martial arts or other professional skills, but when it came to utilizing various spellcasting techniques and tricks, he was highly skilled. The timing and methods of spellcasting came naturally to him.


    It was due to these factorsbined that Lis''s spellcasting speed now far surpassed that of mages of the same tier.


    Of course, limited by his own strength, Lis could only manage to quickly release low-level magic.


    With some reluctance, Dison had no choice but to dodge again. But this time, instead of simply dodging, he side-stepped the Ice Arrow Skill and charged directly at Lis.


    Continuing to dodge would lead to an unending cycle; he couldn''t let young master Lis down!


    Seeing Dison decide to engage in closebat, Lis wasn''t afraid and met him head-on.


    "Martial Arts: Furious sh!"


    As Dison reached Lis, he executed the technique, though he held back part of his strength, as he had the ability to stop the sword''s momentum if Lis couldn''t withstand the blow.


    Lis could tell that Dison wasn''t going all out, and naturally, he was eager to test whether he could withstand the attack of a Silver Warrior with all the enhancements he had.


    "Martial Arts: Defensive Stance!"


    This was a protective skill of the warrior profession, which allowed one to enter a defensive state and gain additional armor and block rate bonuses.


    ng~


    The longsword crashed heavily against the knife in Lis''s hand, and with teeth clenched, Lis''s body leaned slightly backward, barely managing to catch the blow.


    Even with the aid of many beneficial magics and martial arts, and even using a defensive martial arts skill, Lis still almost lost grip of his knife against Dison''s restrained power.


    Lis took the opportunity to leap backward, free from Dison''s subsequent attacks.


    Indeed, the substantial difference in attributes and rank suppression made it incredibly difficult for low-level professionals to challenge high-tier professionals.


    His body, which had just undergone a period of training, was also starting to feel sore and weak.


    My half-baked martial arts skills still aren''t very useful right now.


    Going head-to-head really isn''t working, I still have to rely mainly on spells.


    Lis forcefully threw the longsword in his hands at Dison, who hadn''t expected Lis to simply abandon his weapon and hastily swung his sword to deflect the longsword away.


    Taking advantage of the moment Dison was parrying, Lis''s hand shed with light as he took out a shield he had prepared in advance from his storage ring.


    He charged forward ferociously, hisbat energy glowing briefly as he gripped the shield tightly and smacked it viciously towards Dison''s face.


    "Martial Arts: Shield Bash!"


    Dison barely managed to lift up his sword in front of his eyes in time.


    Bang~


    Even though Dison, as a Silver Warrior, had some resistance to low-level skills, he was notpletely immune to the dizzying effect of the Shield Bash, and he entered the shortest duration of a Dizzy status.


    This was the opportunity Lis sought!


    He threw the shield onto the ground and once again took out his main profession weapon, the Jade Wand, from his storage ring.


    Emerald light shed, and as expected from Gold Level equipment, even though Lis couldn''t fully utilize the wand''s effects, the amplification was significant enough.


    "Weakening Ray!"


    "Dizziness Technique!"


    "Slowdown Technique!"


    "Oily Technique!"


    The Jade Gemstone atop Lis''s wand shimmered with spirit light, the magic power stored within being guided out to continually replenish Lis''s Mana consumption.


    Even so, Lis felt he was nearly at his limit, having cast close to twenty spells in the short duration of the fight. Even with the replenishment from the Magic Gem, he was nearly running on empty.


    But he had prepared the groundwork for hisst stand.


    Weakening Ray, one of Lis''s favorite spells from the early days of his past life''s gaming, was favored not just for reducing the enemy''s attack power but for diminishing their Resilience and Elemental Resistance as well.


    Dizziness Technique, Slowdown Technique, and Oily Technique were Lis''s handiest low-control triple set.


    Especially the Oily Technique��if the enemy hadn''t recovered from the first two control spells and happened to slip, that would buy Lis plenty of time.


    After all, slipping doesn''t check personal resistance, especially for a warrior. How can you exert force or apply martial arts while lying on the ground?


    Thisbo of minor skills might not deal direct damage, but once you''re caught, you can''t really fight back effectively for a short time.


    It''s like a turn-based game; I move, you move, I move, I move, I move, I move...


    Dison had never encountered such tactics before and perfectly took all the control effects, with no chance to counter the spells Lis subsequently cast.


    By the time he recovered from the Dizziness, Dison could feel his body slowing down significantly as if it had rusted.


    He had just taken a step back to widen the distance when his foot slipped, and he lost his bnce, falling to the ground.


    Dison, not bothering to get up, hastily grabbed his longsword to respond to Lis''s ensuing assault.


    But when he looked up, any other thoughts vanished.


    There was Lis, standing about two meters away, his wand slightly tilted forward towards him, and a serene blue fireball calmly floating in midair.


    Unlike a normal Fireball Technique filled with explosive burning energy, the blue mes were flowing over the surface of the orb like water, seemingly non-threatening.


    But just one nce was enough to make all the hairs on Dison''s body stand up.


    The warrior''s intuition was incessantly alerting him to the horror of this spell, something he could not possibly withstand.


    ncing at the quiet Lis on the side, pale-faced but not taking any further action, Dison knew that if young master Lis wished, the moment he had fallen could have been enough to kill him ten or eight times over.


    Dison''s right hand, gripping the longsword, tightened before he threw the weapon aside fiercely and bowed his head towards Lis.


    "Young master, I''ve lost."


    [Ding~]


    [You have ovee the odds and defeated Silver Warrior Dison,pleting the limited challenge quest]


    [You have obtained...]

 Chapter 16 - 16 Generous Rewards

    <h4>Chapter 16: Chapter 16 Generous Rewards</h4>


    Lis sighed in relief when he saw Dison no longer resisted and chose to concede. The truth was, his Mana Value had dwindled to almost nothing, and he too was on the verge of copse.


    ncing at the azure fireball in his hand, he opted for efficiency and smashed it onto an open space far away from the crowd.


    Boom!


    The deafening roar of an explosion filled the air, and thepacted ground was as fragile as tofu under the direct hit of the Blue Ball Skill, leaving a crater several timesrger than the previous one created by the Fireball Technique.


    "Young Master Lis... that''s terrifying!" Dison was still prostrate on the ground, staring nkly at the deep pit still sizzling with blue mes not far away, feeling the heat despite the distance.


    "If that hit hadnded on me, there probably wouldn''t have been anything left of me, not even the dregs."


    "Is he really just a Junior Mage?"


    Welf, who had been observing the entire battle, was keenly aware of the power of that spell, and the feeling of horror made him realize that even he could be threatened by that magic.


    Who was he?


    A Golden Warrior! Even in the most populous Warrior profession, Advanced Warriors were considered top-tierbatants in the entire Kingdom, rarely seen, perhaps one in ten thousand Warriors.


    By all rights, a basic spell should not be able to break through his Combat Energy defense, but it was clear that the strange blue fireball in Lis''s hand could prate his defenses and harm him, which was utterly iprehensible.


    If before the duel it was out of respect for Lord Joyce, the butler, that Welf was so respectful to Lis, now Welf truly admired and even feared his Lord Viscount from the bottom of his heart.


    As for Bill, standing beside Welf, he was already pale and weak-kneed, nearly copsing on the spot.


    Lis, however, paid no mind to the expressions of the guards beside him. He took deep breaths to calm his wildly beating heart from the battle and started to check the system prompts that had just appeared in front of him.


    -----------------


    [You overcame the odds and defeated Dison,pleting the limited challenge task]


    [Assessment: Cross-level Challenge... Assessment passed, reward increased]


    [Assessment: Full Effort in Combat... Assessment failed (Dison did not exert 100% strength), reward decreased]


    [Assessment (Hidden): wless Victory... Assessment passed, reward increased]


    [Taskpletion 110%, distributing rewards...]


    [You gained 330,000 Experience Points]


    [You gained the specializations "Fearless Challenger" and "Low-level Resilient Body"]


    [You gained the skill "Martial Arts: Furious sh"]


    -----------------


    Lis hadn''t expected to trigger a limited challenge task, one of the rather attractive game content in "Divine Revtion".


    When yers challenged NPCs, wilderness monsters, or bosses, there was a chance to trigger these limited challenge tasks, which offered generous rewards, including a chance to acquire the challenge subject''s skills and specializations, as well as a hefty sum of Experience Points and Gold Coins.


    However, the richness of the rewards meant that such tasks were very rare and highly challenging!


    Firstly, these tasks could only be triggered in solo challenges.


    Secondly, the task would only be triggered if the system assessed the enemy''s Level as close to or stronger than your own.


    In the game "Divine Revtion", due to equipment, talents, and many other factors, NPCs at the same level were significantly more formidable than ordinary yers, not to mention key characters in the main storyline. These were foes not even professional gamers could withstand.


    Often, a storyline boss required masses of yers to sacrifice their lives to push forward, enduring brutal beatdowns.


    Thus, in his previous life, not many couldplete such tasks and im the rewards, but numerous yers persevered undeterred, to the extent that NPCs who could easily trigger these tasks would end up avoiding yers.


    Just walk normally, and all of a sudden, some weirdly dressed person pops out shouting "You scoundrel!" and challenges you to a duel.


    Morons like this, you run into a few hundred of them a day, nobody can stand it.


    After some thought, Lis decided to abandon the idea of finding someone else to farm limited challenge quests, firstly because his own strength was still insufficient, and beating Dison was a stroke of luck, so he needed to work harder.


    He could have Welf and the others cooperate with him, but firstly, these kinds of quests have a low trigger rate, and secondly, if the quest was made too easy, the rewards would decrease significantly.


    If it wasn''t for the hidden criteria he had met this time, the rewards wouldn''t have been so generous.


    Lis shook his head, dismissing these thoughts, and began to happily tally up his substantial quest rewards.


    "300K Experience Points, delightful, it could make me go up by about two levels."


    "100 Gold Coins, eh? If it was just after the server started, it would indeed be a lot, but now I''m a Lord Viscount... It''s still a lot actually!"


    Now for the main event, Lis rubbed his hands together and opened the detailed information on the specialties and skills he had acquired.


    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    -----------------


    [Fearless Challenger] �� Reduces the damage from Rank Suppression by 30%, with a chance to exempt from negative statuses such as Fear, Shock, Silence, Chaos, and Charm.


    [Low-Level Resilient Body] �� Increases Life Points by 10%, speeds up recovery from minor injuries, and slightly boosts one''s Resilience and elemental resistance.


    [Martial Arts: Furious sh] �� An Intermediate Warrior Skill, inflicts damage equal to (30% of the user''s lost Life Points + 200% * Strength Attribute) on the enemy, with a chance to add a Shock effect, cooldown time: 10 minutes.


    -----------------


    [Martial Arts: Furious sh] can be ignored for now since he didn''t have extra Experience Points to upgrade the skill, and the chance to trigger the Shock effect was too low at a low level.


    [Fearless Challenger] is a very useful Passive Specialization; every yer gets it the first time they challenge an enemy of a higher Level, and the effect of potentially exempting from negative statuses might y a crucial role in battle.


    [Low-Level Resilient Body] is a Passive Specialization that directly strengthens one''s tankiness. Warriors be the top-tier tanks that can''t be smashed or cracked only after acquiring many simr passives, so the more of these, the better �� refuse none.


    [Low-Level Resilient Body] and [Martial Arts: Furious sh] must have been snatched from Dison. Thinking of this made Lis look towards Welf with eager eyes.


    If the goodies plucked from a Silver Warrior were so good, what treasures might one be able to snatch from the Golden Warrior Welf?


    Lis nodded and discreetly added challenging Welf to his mental to-do list.


    Welf, who was helping Dison to his feet, felt a shiver down his spine. He looked around suspiciously, feeling like he was being watched by something filthy.


    Watching Dison struggle to clean the ck oily liquid from his body, Lis suddenly felt that the Oily Technique might have more potential for development. It was so useful for disgusting people; he should definitely explore it further when he had time.


    Seeing that Dison might not be able to clean up in a short time, and Bill seemed not yet recovered from the shock, Welf had no choice but to pick up his sword and stand in front of Lis, preparing toplete the training task afterwards.


    He dared not ck off in the slightest now, even if Lis seemed a bit tired, he wouldn''t dare mention ending it early unless Lis said so.


    All thanks to this guy!


    Welf disdainfully nced at Bill, who was cowering to one side.


    Indeed, he should train this guy more; he had been too lenient before. How could he be a good guard for young master Lis if this continued?


    Welf genuinely thought to himself.


    However, Lis had no ns to continue training either. After calling out to Welf, they prepared to go back and rest.


    Tomorrow he would have to visit the Royal Magic Academy in the Kingdom of Feis again, so there was no need to exhaust himself today.

 Chapter 17: Oh~ This Familiar Routine?

    <h4>Chapter 17: Oh~ This Familiar Routine?</h4>


    The next day, at the entrance of the Feis Royal Magic Academy


    Lis slowly descended from the carriage. After all, it had been some time since he had returned to the academy, so he dressed a bit more formally.


    He wore a formal ck Mage Robe, holding a Jade Wand in his right hand while the Jade Talisman and Concentration Ring were neatly worn on his body.


    Welf was d in silver-white Warrior Armor. His robust and powerful figure and the golden Professional Badge worn on his chest signaled to others that he was a distinguished Golden Warrior.


    Today, Welf had volunteered to apany Lis to the academy, iming it had been too long since Young Master Lis had been to school, and he wanted to be there to support his presence.


    Lis did not see the necessity for this himself. He was not someone who liked to show off. However, seeing Welf so enthusiastic, he refrained from rejecting the offer.


    Having spent seven or eight years studying at this academy, Lis was naturally familiar with every corner of the school and proceeded to lead Welf towards the Fifth Magic Workshop.


    Looking at the academy''s antiquated bronze-colored gates and the mottled deep cyan brick walls that seemed out of ce with the surrounding buildings, the air seemed filled with a sense of time''s passage.


    It was said that the history of the Feis Royal Magic Academy could even be traced back to before the establishment of the Feis Kingdom, with only a change in name by the new Royal Family.


    Anyoneing here was required to dismount from their carriage and enter the academy on foot, the King included.


    The reason for such a rule was a decree by the dean of the Magic Academy.


    That person was the Legendary Mage at the apex of the entire continent��"Judgement me" Fran Stephens.


    However, this legendary figure was always traveling in the Star Realm, studying the mysteries of magic. Lis had not even heard any news of his appearance in the many years since enrolling.


    Indeed, no student from the Magic Academy had imed to have seen him in the past twenty years.


    Lis had witnessed the intervention of Legendary Strongmen in his past life. Each one was a walking disaster. Legendary Warriors could shake mountains, not to mention the Legendary Mages whomanded Super Ring Magic and Forbidden Techniques.


    There was a tacit understanding among the Legendary Strongmen not to interfere in wars between nations or to kill living beings on arge scale.


    The Legendary Domain was still so far away from him!


    But in this life, harboring the "All-Purpose" Talent, Lis was confident in reaching that legendary realm.


    As Lis was deep in thought, an untimely voice suddenly interrupted his musings.


    "Isn''t this our esteemed Lord Viscount Lis Kain, graceless hermit? What has prompted you to step out today?"


    The somewhat irritating voice piqued Lis''s curiosity, and he looked in the direction of the sound.


    What the hell? This invitation for a beating with such tone and words, was he about to enter a scenario of showing off and face-pping?


    Just then, on the side, there were five or six people dressed in Academy Mage Robes standing nearby, around the same age as himself, seemingly just passing by.


    Lis did not respond, but instead looked carefully at the individuals. They seemed vaguely familiar, with a hint of pride on their faces, yet their Mage Robes appeared somewhat wrinkled and faded.


    Seeing the puzzled expression on Lis''s face, the freckled youth who had just spoken in a peculiar tone couldn''t hold back and said resentfully,


    "As expected of Lord Viscount, indeed, the nobility easily forgets. Can''t even remember your own ssmates, can you?"


    The others standing around him seemed to resonate with the statement, looking at Lis with eyes full of hostility.


    Lis looked at them again, more intently this time, flipping through the memories he had long since tossed aside as junk.


    "Oh~ Aren''t these the members from the Mutual Assistance Association? What brings you to me?" Lis narrowed his eyes and smiled as if he was looking at a bunch of clowns.


    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    He remembered now. These were his peers who had enrolled at the same time as him. Although ofmoner origin, they had decent magical talent and had sessfully passed the entrance test.


    These people began to band together for warmth after enrolling, iming that despite being nobles, they had topete with us at the Magic Academy for resources, and were quite hostile toward Mora and myself.


    The original body had always been engrossed in spell research and never paid any attention to these few people. Moreover, though they had been hostile toward me in the past, they had never provoked me to my face like this.


    Long time no see, have they changed their sex?


    "Oh, I remember now, is there something you wanted?"


    Lis looked at these few people with a smile, not showing any anger, why should he be mad at some little brats?


    "Uh...," the freckled youth leading them, who was named Yoni, had intended to provoke Lis, incite his anger, and then win a bet for his own purposes. Knowing that Lis wasing to the academy today, they had waited quite a while on this inevitable route, but they didn''t expect Lis topletely ignore the bait.


    "If you don''t have any business, then I''m leaving. I still have to go to the Fifth Magic Workshop."


    Lis saw that the few of them were standing there dumbfounded, which was somewhat amusing. It seemed that they hade here especially to find him, so he feigned preparing to leave.


    Seeing Lis about to leave, the few became anxious; if they let Lis go to the Magic Workshop directly, wouldn''t that mean their efforts over the past few days were in vain?


    Yoni stepped directly in front of Lis, abandoning all other pretenses and said bluntly:


    "You can''t go. Today you must give up the assistant position at the Magic Workshop; it was meant to be Camus''s in the first ce."


    An assistant position? They wrote to ask me toe to the Fifth Magic Workshop just for this?


    Lis pondered secretly but still kept a straight face and said:


    "Oh, and why should I give it up? Tell me why?"


    "It was supposed to be for Camus. He''s so outstanding; he applied so many times and was rejected. Why should you be chosen?"


    "Besides, it''s not like you can make any use of that position, wasting so many resources and still remaining a poor student stuck in ce," Yoni hurriedly said.


    "Even if it''s a waste, that''s my business. Why should I give it to your so-called ''big brother Camus''?"


    "I don''t want to talk nonsense with you. Do you dare to engage in a mage duel? The stake is the assistant position."


    Lis looked at the person before him, fixated on him, with a bit of amusement. Indeed, it was the naivet�� of someone who had always lived within their ivory tower.


    "I''m curious, what makes you think I''d duel you?"


    "You... do you have no sense of a noble''s honor at all?"


    Yoni felt something was off; Lis seemed different than before. Although he used to be a quiet type, whenever a mage duel was mentioned, Lis never refused. He was passionate about anything rted to spells.


    But the Lis before him seemed like apletely different person now, looking at him as though watching a monkey show, which made Yoni extremely ufortable.


    Lis yawned: "A duel is fine, but what can you offer as your stake?"


    Yoni thought for a moment: "If you win, then all of us will avoid you in the future."


    Are you kidding me?


    Lis chuckled and was about to walk away from the side; who has the time to waste here entertaining you?


    Seeing this, Yoni quickly blocked Lis, realizing he had to bring out that item.


    As long as he could get Lis to agree to a mage duel, he couldn''t believe he would lose to Lis, who, despite massive resources, remained in the mid-level of Bronze Mages.


    Biting his lip, Yoni reached into his Mage Robe and took out...

 Chapter 18 - 18 Innocent, huh!

    <h4>Chapter 18: Chapter 18 Innocent, huh!</h4>


    Yoni pulled out a crystal-clear gemstone from his Mage Robe, emitting a faint cyan light, and one could almost see the cyan breeze swirling within, he said:


    "Then I''ll put up this Sky Blue Gemstone as the wager for the duel, how does that sound?"


    Lis nced at the gemstone in Yoni''s hand, then swept his eyes over Yoni, and said methodically:


    "Since you want to give me a gift, I naturally won''t refuse."


    "Good!" Seeing that Lis finally agreed, Yoni said excitedly, "Then let''s go to the training ground."


    "No need, let''s just do it here, after all, it will be over soon," Lis said nonchntly, waving his hand.


    Yoni didn''t care, so he agreed.


    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Passersby who saw that a duel seemed about to take ce also gathered around, most of the onlookers being Academy Mage apprentices, naturally confident they wouldn''t be affected by the remnants of the battle, and the crowd formed a circle, leaving the middle ground to the two duelists.


    "You talk tough, just produce your qualifications honestly and all will be well."


    Seeing that Lis had finally taken the bait, Yoni said confidently, epting his own Magic Wand from a friend''s hand, after all, he did not possess a precious piece of equipment like a storage ring.


    "o(*�����*)o Hehe," Lis was in a good mood and even gave Yoni a Mage''s duel salute with a smile.


    "You won''t beughing soon!" Yoni controlled his Magic Power, reciting the Magic Spell proficiently, and Wind Element began to gather in front of him, it appeared he was casting the Second Circle Magic Vortex Wind de.


    But what surprised the onlookers was that Lis made no movements to cast a spell, instead standing still waiting for Yoni toplete his casting.


    A crescent-shaped cyan Wind de appeared in front of Yoni, cutting towards Lis.


    Looking at the solidity of the Wind de, Yor was indeed one of the more outstanding students in their group, mastering the Vortex Wind de quite proficiently.


    Lis appraised in his mind as he watched the Wind dee towards him, still without any movement...


    Just as the Wind de was about to sh Lis, suddenly, a figure shed, and the Wind de was directly shattered, the broken wind dissipating around.


    Welf, d in armor, stood in front of Lis, his Longsword still flowing with the remnants of a gentle breeze which proved that it was he who had just destroyed Yoni''s Spell.


    Although the onlookers did not recognize Welf, the sword that dispelled the Spell and the gold badge on his chest both revealed the intruder''s identity.


    Golden Warrior!


    Yor naturally knew that the person in front of him had been following Lis from the start, but it was only now that he realized this Guardsman was a top-tier powerhouse among the Warrior profession.


    Although not standing at the pinnacle of the continent like a Legendary Strongman, easily dealing with a Basic Mage like himself was naturally a matter of ease.


    Yor hastily stepped back several paces, looking nervously at Welf, and tilting his body towards Lis he shouted:


    "Lis, what do you mean? Why did your guard intervene in the duel, could it be you''re nning to renege?"


    "Of course not, I am aw-abiding good citizen who keeps promises," Lis shook his head and said to Yor with a look of helplessness.


    "But you might, it seems, perhaps... have forgotten my identity."


    "Your identity?....!" Yor seemed to realize something, his face suddenly stiffened, unable to utter another word.


    But by this time, the surrounding spectators had already spelled it out: "Lis is a Court Viscount, right? I remember the Royal Family has a rule that unless previously restricted, nobles holding titles can have their guards participate in duels!"


    "Exactly, this is recorded in thews of the Kingdom, so I have not broken any rules, have I?"


    Lis looked at Yor with a smirk, but at that moment, Lis''s smile in Yor''s eyes was akin to a grinning Demon, mocking his own foolishness.


    Actually, this rule was specifically left as a loophole for the nobles; after all, even among those enthusiastic about honor duels, few nobles were willing to risk their own lives to fight. Generally, they let the guards trained by their families fight in their stead.


    Damn it, how could I have forgotten this?


    Yor agonized over his oversight. He was inclined to concede, but the thought of losing the Sky Blue Gemstone caused him an unbearable heartache. It was a treasure Camus''s brother had specially lent him to facilitate this duel. Was he supposed to just watch Lis win it from him?


    But he saw absolutely no chance of defeating Welf!


    "Lis, you coward, always letting your guard fight for you. Do you dare to face me in a one-on-one duel?" Yor could only try to provoke Lis with words, hoping to secure a chance for a solo fight.


    Lis couldn''t be bothered to respond. Although he could easily take down Yor himself, why should he bother when Welf was there to do the work?


    As for the insults, Lis considered them to be nothing more than the impotent rage of a loser. Such attacks were like kindergarten levelpared to inte trolls from his previous life. He didn''t even feel like retorting; he found it beneath him.


    "Welf, finish him and take the bet back."


    "Yes, young master." Welf felt speechless too. What were these people thinking, challenging a prodigy like his young master?


    Welfpletely forgot about his own actions of tattling the day before.


    Having received themand, Welf moved swiftly, appearing in front of Yor in a sh, and kicked out.


    "Ugh!"


    Yor couldn''t react in time and copsed to the ground, clutching his stomach in agony.


    Welf took the Sky Blue Gemstone from Yor''s chest and, almost as an afterthought, delivered his favorite smack right across Yor''s face.


    Young Master Lis might ignore the man''s insults, but as the Guard Commander, he couldn''t pretend he didn''t hear them.


    After consecutive heavy blows, Yor passed out, and it seemed that one could even see pieces of teeth flying from his mouth.


    It wasn''t until Welf returned to Lis''s side that Yor''spanions dared toe forward and check his injuries.


    "Repair Moderate Wounds!"


    Suddenly, a man d in a ck mage robe stepped forward from the crowd. A Healing Magic spellnded on Yor, whoseplexion improved a bit; then he turned to Lis and said:


    "Viscount Kane, don''t you think you''ve gone too far? Why did you have to strike so hard?"


    "Oh? And who might you be?" Lis asked, tilting his head as he looked the man over. He was not one of the group that came with Yor, and he possessed a somewhat refined appearance with a smile on his face, yet there seemed to be a hint of darkness in his eyes.


    "I am Camus. Don''t you think you owe me an exnation, Viscount Kane?"


    Lis remembered. This Camus was the leader of Yor''s little clique, considered outstanding throughout the academy and admired by many of the teachers.


    "Who do you think you are that I owe you an exnation?" Lis responded to Camus, unabashed.


    "This is the Royal Magic Academy. Letting your guard hit him so hard, are you trying to kill a fellow student?"


    "What, now you''re trying to pin this on me!" Lis shot back at Camus, who was standing righteously indignant, and said:


    "First, this was a duel; I haven''t vited any rules."


    "Second, injuries are to be expected in a duel; this is merely a lesson. Do you really think a Golden Warrior can''t control his own strength and could identally kill him?"


    "Third!" Lis narrowed his eyes at Camus, "you hid away at the start of the duel and only came out to spout sanctimonious nonsense after seeing your side lose. Do you really think I didn''t see that? Are you asking for death?"

 Chapter 19: The Puppet Master’s Probe?

    <h4>Chapter 19: The Puppet Master''s Probe?</h4>


    "You..." Camus wore a grim expression, never expecting Lis to be so blunt and leave him no room to maneuver.


    Feeling helpless, Camus gauged the situation. Under the suppression of Welf, the Golden Warrior, he realized that there was no turning back.


    He had no choice but to pretend to be concerned about Yor''s injuries and, along with others, carry Yor towards the academy''s infirmary.


    Before leaving, he looked at the Sky Blue Gemstone in Lis''s hand with immense heartache. Seeing Lis toss the gem up and down as if to show off, Camus clenched his teeth and turned to leave the scene without uttering a curse.


    Lis did not stop him, just quietly watched them leave, seemingly lost in thought.


    The crowd, seeing that the exciting event hade to such an anticlimactic end, felt somewhat disappointed and gradually dispersed.


    After Camus and the others had vanished from sight, Lis continued toward the Fifth Magic Workshop with Welf, noting that it was already gettingte.


    "Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!"


    After excusing himself from the crowd, Camus returned to his dormitory at the academy. As an excellent student, he had been assigned a private dorm, where he didn''t fear any sudden intrusions.


    The usually smiling Camus could no longer maintain his facade, and fiercely swept all the objects off the desk in a fit of rage, ttering noise erupting around him, hisplexion terrifyingly dark.


    After venting, Camus finally calmed down and considered the consequences of his failed probing.


    This secret maniption of Yor and the others likely hadn''t been discovered yet, but what to do about the failed mission? He would not have such a good opportunity next time.


    As for the assistant position, Camus didn''t care about it at all!


    He had learned through back channels that Lis was invited to the Fifth Magic Workshop today and had intentionally led Yor and the others to ''coincidentally'' run into Lis.


    Originally, the n was for Yor, as a High-level Bronze Mage, to be more than enough to test Lis''s strength, and losing was inconsequential. It would be just a normal spellpetition, nothing to worry about even if the academy found out.


    But who would have thought that Lis wouldn''t y by the rules!


    It shouldn''t be like this. Lis, that guy is usually so silent and focused only on spell research, never showing any signs of being a noble Viscount.


    Not having seen him for a while, how did he suddenly change so much?


    This is trouble!


    The Lord had tasked me to probe Lis for his current strength and protective measures, but without even a spellpetition, what else could I do?


    Camus pondered. Although he didn''t understand why the Lord had ordered him to do this��after all, isn''t Lis just a Junior Mage? Perhaps the only notable thing about him was his noble status as a Court Viscount.


    Camus was confident that, given simr circumstances, he would be many times stronger than Lis.


    With the Lord''s exalted status, he really should not care about an ordinary noble like Lis.


    And to test Lis''s protective measures?


    Could it be...


    Camus suddenly shuddered, halting his dangerous train of thought.


    Whatever the Lord had nned, high-stake gambles were not for small fry like him to be involved in.


    He was just one of the silently cultivated hands, and if not for this task, he wouldn''t have had the chance to meet the Lord face-to-face.


    Thinking of this, Camus remembered the Sky Blue Gemstone given to him by the Lord, feeling waves of heart-wrenching pain.


    The precious Magic Gem was meant to be used for this mission, and had he seeded, it would have been his to keep.


    To think that not only had the mission failed, but the gemstone was now in the hands of that detestable Lis!


    Well, if it really came down to it, there was only one option left!


    Camus thought bitterly, a hint of madness flickering across his gloomy face.


    ---------------


    Welf, sword in hand, followed behind Lis as they walked down the quiet academy avenue.


    Having taught those people a lesson and even obtained a high-level Magic Gem, shouldn''t Master Lis be pleased? Why did he look so somber?


    Welf was puzzled but clueless about what Lis was thinking.


    Lis, however, paid no mind to Welf by his side. He was turning the newfound Sky Blue Gemstone in his hand, his thoughts still on the recent events.


    There''s something off about that Camus!


    After receiving an invitation to return to the Feis Royal Magic Academy, these people just "happened" to encounter me and "on a whim" decided to duel me, and they even produced an expensively valued Advanced Magic Gem!


    One should know that even the Jade Gemstone embedded in the Magic Wand I use is only equivalent in value to this Sky Blue Gemstone, already surpassing ten thousand Gold Coins.


    These few students who aremoners without any background or umtion, Lis wouldn''t believe for a moment they could bring out such treasures on their own.


    Could it possibly be that the God of Dawn had sent them especially to deliver treasures to me?


    Really? I don''t buy it!


    Lis certainly didn''t consider himself to be one of those lucky types like Long Aotian who could receive treasures simply by sleeping at home.


    Therefore, those few people must have a problem! And that leader, Camus, is the most suspicious.


    So what was their purpose in challenging me to a duel?


    It absolutely wasn''t for some so-called assistant qualification.


    The opportunity to study in the Academy''s Fifth Magic Workshop is indeed rare, but for amoner to so brazenly challenge a Kingdom Viscount, that''s just too ridiculous.


    Especially that Camus!


    The way he swallowed his pride and walked away thest time he confronted me, does it show that he''s not the type to get hot-blooded and challenge nobles just for a qualification?


    So since it''s not for the sake of a qualification that we''re dueling, and I have no other connections to them, then...


    ...their goal is simply the act of challenging me to a duel itself!


    To cross swords with me?


    To probe and ascertain my strengths and weaknesses?


    Lis sorted through the details of recent events bit by bit, increasingly feeling that this minor incident was not as simple as it seemed, especially knowing that he would face an assassination attempt in three months.


    Perhaps this was a test by the schemer behind the scenes?


    Suddenly, Lisughed confidently, If that''s the case, all the better!


    He didn''t fear the probing; he feared opponents who lurked in the shadows, never revealing the slightest opening or w.


    As long as their ultimate goal was still to assassinate him during the Sacrificial Festival, they definitely wouldn''t prematurely send Advanced Professionals to deal with him, to avoid startling him.


    Or rather, they definitely wouldn''t allow any incidents to befall him before the Sacrificial Festival!


    Knowing the future course of the plot was Lis''s greatest advantage!


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    After sifting these thoughts, Lis nced at the Golden Warrior Welf by his side and felt a sense of security arise, saying to him earnestly and sincerely,


    "Welf, my safety from here on is all in your hands, work hard!"


    Welf, looking at Lis who had suddenly turned to speak to him was puzzled, as if a few question marks had popped up over his slow-witted head.


    What''s up with the young master? Has he developed a persecutionplex?


    Of course, such words couldn''t be said aloud. Welf merely nodded steadily, giving Lis a reassuring expression of trust.


    It was only natural to protect the young master well; Welf dared not imagine how Housekeeper Joyce would ''take care'' of him should anything happen to Lis.


    The mere thought made Welf shiver, and his gaze grew even more resolute.


    Lis looked strangely at the Guard Captain by his side, wondering why a single sentence from him caused the man''s expression to change three times?


    But Lis soon ran out of time for idle chatter with Welf.


    Because in front of him, the School''s Fifth Magic Workshop had arrived.


    The workshop looked simr to a Mage Tower, or one could say that, in a sense, the Royal Magic Academy''s Magic Workshops were just "public" Mage Towers, passed down among Academy Mages.


    The deep ck walls fortified withyers of Magic Runes were impervious to even cannon fire.


    The multiple levels of the tower seemed to have silver-white light flowing on it, and to ensure the stability of the research environment inside, the whole tower had hardly any windows.


    Especially given theck of any sign reading "Such-and-such Magic Workshop," had it not been for Lis attending the school for several years, he would have never recognized this as one of the Kingdom Core Magic Workshops, the Academy''s Fifth Magic Workshop.


    Before Lis could even make it to the front door, the heavy walls opened to the sides like automatic doors, and a clear, familiar voice rang in Lis''s ear:


    "Lis, why did it take you so long to get here?"

 Chapter 20 - 20 Bernie and the Fifth Magic Workshop

    <h4>Chapter 20: Chapter 20 Bernie and the Fifth Magic Workshop</h4>


    "Lis, why did it take you so long to get here?"


    Hearing this voice, Lis immediately knew who it was.


    A handsome young man with short, slightly curly brown hair walked out from the door of the Magic Workshop, a gentle expression on his face.


    "Long time no see, Bernie. I ran into a bit of trouble on the way, just solved it," Lis said with a shrug.


    "Who would dare to trouble you?" Bernie frowned, puzzled. In his view, Lis was such a low-key person, and with a noble title to boot. Who would be so misguided?


    "It''s nothing. But since you''re here waiting for me, does that mean the invitation has something to do with you?" Lis didn''t bring up the matter involving Camus and others, as he was still waiting for their next move.


    Seeing that Lis didn''t want to talk about it, Bernie didn''t press further but took note of it in his heart.


    "Did you guess?" Bernie smiled, "I''ve been learning from Master Daher, and he recently managed to secure the rights to use the Fifth Magic Workshop at the academy. We were short-handed, so I mentioned it to him."


    It might sound light-hearted the way Bernie described it, but the opportunity to study at the academy''s Fifth Magic Workshop was incredibly rare, especially for students from ordinary backgrounds. It might be their only chance toe in contact with the very best magic instruction.


    Being ranked within the top five Magic Workshops at the Royal Magic Academy meant that in a sense, it was also among the top five in the entire Feis Kingdom.


    Not to mention, the Royal Mage Corps was stationed at the Royal Magic Academy, and its captain was the Legendary Mage "Judgement me" Lord Fran Stephens, which testified to the institution''s formidable strength.


    So Bernie indeed secured a very valuable opportunity for himself, but Lis was not one to make a fuss. While it might be precious for others, it was not a difficult matter for Bernie.


    If Camus, who had caused Lis trouble earlier, ranked among the top ten students in their batch, then the man before him stood out as a genius ranked among the top three of all the students of the academy in thest ten years.


    As the prized disciple of the Magic Rune Master Yousef Daher, Bernie had broken through to be an Intermediate Mage. Moreover, his talent in magic runes was so astonishing that he had be an Intermediate Magic Rune Master at a young age.


    Although Bernie was born into amoner''s family, he never indulged in self-pity or envy toward others, instead advancing and improving through his own efforts, getting to where he was now.


    What baffled other people in the academy was the fact that Bernie Bevin, ofmoner origins; Mora Karl, the second young master of the Golden Vine Flower Commerce; and Lis Kain, who held the title of Court Viscount, had built a rtionship as close as long-lost brothers from the time they started at the academy.


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    If it weren''t for Mora''sck of interest in continuing his magical education, preferring to engage inmerce and make money instead, Bernie likely would have secured a spot for him at the Fifth Magic Workshop as well.


    Lis felt the same. He remembered providing Bernie with various precious resources in the past, and Bernie even had free ess to use his private undergroundboratory that was off-limits to others.


    So naturally, Lis was not going to say any words of thanks this time.


    "Where is Master Daher?" Lis followed Bernie into the Magic Workshop. The wall that had opened behind them closed, leaving no trace of the passageway.


    "After all, the Fifth Magic Workshop has just been acquired by the teacher. There are many preparations to be made," Bernie said, pointing to therge and small boxes piled up around the wall.


    "The teacher has just finished adjusting the workshop''s Magic Intelligent Life, and he''s probably applying for various resources at the academy right now."


    "Oh, that''s right." A sh of Magic Light appeared in Bernie''s hand, and a somewhat cold female voice emerged.


    "Mr. Bernie, may I ask if there are any instructions?"


    "This is Lis Kain, he''s the new assistant. Could you enter his information into the system?"


    "Certainly, Mr. Bernie." As the voice faded, a beam of white light swept over Lis from somewhere unknown.


    "Personnel information entryplete. Wee, Mr. Lis, you now have third-level authority in the Fifth Magic Workshop."


    In his previous life, Lis had seen many magic intelligent lives in games, but this was his first time encountering one in this world, which naturally aroused some curiosity.


    "This is the Magic Intelligent Life of the Fifth Magic Workshop. The teacher hasn''t had the chance to name it yet. With the authority, you can now move around normally, but you still can''t enter some important ces such as the teacher''sboratory and the storeroom," Bernie exined as he showed Lis around the workshop slowly.


    Inside, the Magic Workshop was a bit more bustling than it looked from outside, although without too much decoration. The floor was already covered with exquisite Feis carpets; the deep gray walls were outlined with magic patterns that emitted pinpoints of dreamlike light, elegant and uncluttered.


    With the intelligent life present, Bernie didn''t have to worry about cleaning and maintenance; the pre-set Cleaning Skill easily took care of it.


    The first and second floors were the public resting areas and somemonboratories, while the third floor contained some valuable equipment in thergeboratories.


    "The teacher ns to make the third floor into a Magic Rune researchboratory, while the fourth floor and above are the teacher''s ownboratories and resting rooms. Normally, I wouldn''t go up there either," Bernie pointed upwards and said, "However, I am in charge of thisboratory on the third floor. If you''d like, you can join me in studying magic here."


    Lis inspected the ce carefully. The ordinaryboratories on the second floor were already about the same as theboratory equipment he had funded using most of the Kane family''s savings beneath their estate, not to mention the even more advanced equipment on the third floor.


    Not to mention anything else, just the Element Stabilizer to the left of Lis was whole two sizesrger than his own and should be capable of achieving the element stabilization effect for Advanced Magic.


    As for the Magic Rune Burner on the other side, the silver-white color on the apanying engraving pen seemed off to Lis; it couldn''t be Mithril, could it?


    Bernie noticed Lis''s interest in the Magic Rune Burner and exined:


    "This Engraving Device isn''t from theb; it was previously used by Master Daher himself. He ns to rece it with a better one from the academy and has passed this one to me."


    Lis was somewhat speechless, "Howe Daher is so good to you, entrusting you with such equipment to use?"


    It was known that Yousef Daher ranked among the top three Advanced Magic Rune Masters in the Feis Kingdom. The engraving device he had used was incredibly valuable, and now it was directly handed over for Bernie''s use. It seemed that Daher truly regarded Bernie as his inheritor disciple.


    "That''s the teacher''s care for me," Bernie nodded, speaking wistfully.


    "I''ve been busy helping the teacher organize the workshop and tidy up recently. It''s a pity I couldn''t attend Mora''s birthday party."


    "No worries, you don''t know him; he won''t mind this kind of thing," Lis said nonchntly.


    "I see you''re about ready here in theboratory. What are you researching at the moment? Is there anything I can help with?"


    "Oh, I''ve been studying the work on Enchantment Solidification recently, and I''ve made some progress."

 Chapter 21: Civilian Enchantment Supplies Plan

    <h4>Chapter 21: Civilian Enchantment Supplies n</h4>


    "Magic Rune research?" Lis was indeed quite interested, and it was because of his experiences in his past life that he understood the importance of Magic Rune research.


    Magic Runes, made up of power-infused special characters, are an essential medium for carrying magic, with primarily two different applications.


    One is the foundation for building Magic Models, which are crucial for transforming the power of different elements. Except for a few exceptions, most mages begin their spell learning by mastering the Magic Runes of Magic Models.


    Another aspect of Magic Rune research is better known to the public, which involves engraving Magic Runes to imbue magical power into relevant objects, such as weapons and armor. This process also has a unique name: "Enchantment."


    The finished products are widely known as Magic Pattern Cannons, Enchanted Weapons, Magic Stone Lamps, and so on.


    Yousef Daher is the strongest Magic Rune Master in the city of Feis, primarily focused on Magic Rune engraving and item enchantment.


    And his disciple Bernie is also primarily researching in this direction.


    "I remember you were researching civilian enchantments before?" Lis asked, while learning how to use the Engraving Device.


    "Yes, my teacher advised me to start from this aspect toy the foundation for future in-depth research,"


    Bernie instructed Lis on how to use the Advanced Magic Rune Burner, replying as he did.


    "I''ve just be an Intermediate Magic Pattern Master, and I don''t yet have enough knowledge and strength to support going deeper into enchanting advanced weapons and armor. Recently the development of civilian Magic Runes has been rapid, with new products like the Magic Stone Lamp and Magic Rune Communicator showing great potential," Bernie exined.


    Bernie looked at Lis, "How about it, do you want to join me in researching civilian Enchanted Products?"


    Lis nodded and replied, "Sure, I wouldn''t miss this opportunity."


    Although his immediate priority was to enhance his strength and uncover the truth behind the Sacrificial Festival assassination, the opportunity with the Fifth Magic Workshop was also not to be missed. This was particrly true for civilian Enchanted Products, which were partly included in Lis''s ns for the future.


    Due to the difference in worlds, in his former life, yers had tried to replicate modern society''s technological products in the gaming world, but without exception, all had failed because this world did not support the emergence of technology.


    However, lifestyle yers stumbled upon using the power of Magic Runes to achieve products with effects simr to some technology from the previous world, like Magic Air Conditioning and Magic Pattern Cars, among others.


    That yer immediately organized a team to manufacture these products and made a fortune. Just as preparations for expanding production began, they quickly became targeted by various forces��facing suppressions and sanctions until, left with no choice, they sought refuge with the Wealth Church and became one of its subordinate forces to escape disaster.


    Lis was very familiar with the entire process, as he had been one of the participants at that time; naturally, he understood the secrets of the Magic Runes.


    Meaning, Lis was now capable of replicating a series of products from his former life to generate huge profits.


    However, Lis did not intend to do so. After all, he was merely a Court Viscount, and he did not believe he could protect suchrge interests on his own.


    Therefore, Yousef Daher and Bernie, along with the Royal Magic Academy and the Royal Mage Corps, were quite important to his ns.


    The surprise he mentioned to Mora was this matter, especially since the sales channels of the Golden Vine Flower Commerce were also quite significant.


    No rush, he still had to n carefully. Currently, he did not have enough energy to devote to civilian Enchanted Products, and his strength was alsocking.


    Lis silently made ns, and seeing Lis suddenly lost in thought, Bernie, somewhat puzzled, asked:


    "What''s wrong? Is the device difficult to use?"


    "Ah, no. I just suddenly remembered something else," Lis replied casually, "I see theb is still missing a lot of stuff. Has the Magic Workshop not been officially opened yet?"


    "Yeah," Bernie sighed, "I''ve been busy with thattely. It''s probably going to be over a month before we can start our research work officially. The teacher still has a lot of ideas."


    After taking a look, Bernie said, "So there''s not much going on for you today; you just came to familiarize yourself with the ce. You cane back when the research starts."


    "Alright, I''ve been quite busy myselftely," Lis nodded. From now on, whether it''s experiments or arcane research, he could conduct them here as the concentration of elements and the magic equipment were beyond what hisb could offer.


    Never one to leave resources untapped, Lis never hesitated to make use of Bernie''s offerings.


    In some ways, Bernie was also considered the second inmand of the Fifth Magic Workshop.


    Bernie took Lis around the entire workshop to get acquainted, then walked him to the door.


    "That''s it. I''ve got a lot more to do, so I won''t see you out. I''ll let you know when the workshop is ready tounch," Bernie told Lis.


    "Got it," Lis waved his hand. There wasn''t a need for much formality between the two, as he left with Welf, who had been waiting outside.


    N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Young master, where are we headed now? Heading home?"


    As they boarded the carriage, Welf closed the door and asked Lis.


    Lis thought for a moment and said, "Let''s go to Belle Street instead, I''ll train for a while longer."


    "Yes," Welf knocked on the carriage door, instructed the coachman Bender, then settled back into his seat.


    "Master Lis, you''ve been picking up other weapons quite fasttely. Is there anything else you''d like to learn?"


    Lis calcted a bit; his proficiency level had upgraded to intermediate with weapons such as the one-handed sword, two-handed sword, shield, long spear, and knife. He was about to advance to a higher skill level in handling a magic wand. He figured he could still learn to use a bow, an axe, and a hammer from his guards, leaving him just one weapon short of the ten intermediate weapon skills needed for "All Martial Arts Mastery."


    Too bad none of his guards were trained as assassins, otherwise, he could have learned how to use a dagger as well.


    It seems he would have to find a way to learn thatst weapon somewhere else.


    Hiring someone toe teach at his home wasn''t something Lis considered much anymore.


    After all, he might still be under the eye of a hidden enemy. Learning weapons with his own guards was one thing; Lis trusted them not to gossip about the nobility, but bringing in outsiders posed a certain risk.


    So, learning incognito seemed to be the best solution.


    With that n in mind, Lis said to Welf, "Let''s continue with the practice. I am interested in learning about bows, axes, and hammers. Arrange something."


    "Understood, Master Lis," Welf, having gone through that incident, didn''t find it strange why Lis wanted to learn those weapons and really didn''t care to know; he just wanted to fulfill the tasks set by Lis.


    After all, having finally advanced to be a Golden Warrior, he wasn''t eager to ''rest in peace'' just yet.


    What a fulfilling day! Lis stretchedzily, thinking to himself.

 Chapter 22 - 22 Phase Training Concluded

    <h4>Chapter 22: Chapter 22 Phase Training Concluded</h4>


    About a week had passed sinceing back from the Magic Academy of the Feis Royal Family.


    Lis had also been leading a fulfilling life during this time, continuing his weapon practice with Welf and the others during the day, while also picking up some useful Martial Arts. At night, he would return and immerse himself in theboratory, often staying upte into the night.


    Lis''s hard work had not gone without reward, as his pace of weapon training became faster and faster. He was close to raising all the weapons in his n to an intermediate proficiency level, and he had learned a bunch of rted Martial Arts as well.


    New arcane spells had also made considerable progress. Lis had improved two more arcane spells, which were an improved version of the One-Circle Magic "Oily Technique" called "Fueling Technique," and an improved Three-Ring version based on the Second Circle Magic "Weakening Ray," called "Ageing Ray."


    One-Circle Arcane "Fueling Technique" took Oily Technique as its foundation, but Lis deliberately adjusted it to enhance the viscosity and mmability of the oil produced. Whenbined with his most familiar Fire Magic spells, and especially with his Three-Ring Arcane "Blue Ball Skill," the terrifying blue mes mixed with sticky, mmable oil were simply a nightmare for melee Professionals.


    As for the Three-Ring Arcane "Ageing Ray," it was an unintended product from one of Lis''s experimental Magic Model adjustments.


    Originally, Lis intended to tweak the "Weakening Ray" to enhance its effects on depleting resilience and elemental resistance, but he discovered that the resultant arcane "Ageing Ray" could reduce an enemy''s physical strength upon impact.


    After a few tests, Lis found that this effect could weaken an enemy''s agility, strength, and resilience by about 30%, although this reduction might be lessened by certain resistances, such as when applied to Welf, which weakened him by about 5%. Nevertheless, for Lis at present, it was already a very powerful restraining tactic.


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Since the effect appeared as if the enemy had suddenly aged by several years, Lis directly named it "Ageing Ray."


    Although the effect was only temporary, it scared the guard Bill, who served as a test subject, enough to think that Lis had gained the power to deprive him of his life. Begging for mercy, he repeatedly kowtowed, which was somewhat amusing and frustrating for Lis.


    Even though two more arcane spells had been sessfully improved, Lis didn''t stop pushing forward. After all, thergest ace up a Mage''s sleeve is an insatiable spellbook, ready to offer effective countermeasures for any situation.


    He had a long way to go!


    Seeing that the arcane subsystem seemed to have transformed into a talent aiding his Magic Model adjustments without the need to spend Experience Points to luck out as in his past life, he was even more inclined to make the most of his time.


    As time trickled away, Lis''s weapon training n approached its end.


    With Lis''s ten arrows hitting the 50-meter target one after another, the system''s notification sound arrived as expected.


    [...99%....100%!]


    [Your bow and arrow weapon proficiency has advanced to intermediate]


    ["Intermediate Bow Control": You have mastered the basic techniques of using a bow, and your power when using bow and arrow has increased significantly]


    Lis put down the longbow in his hands and sighed. Finally, his efforts during this period had not been in vain!


    Now hecked only the proficiency of thest intermediate weapon to gain "All Martial Arts Mastery"!


    Moreover, through the battles over this period, Lis had fully integrated thebat experience and tactics from his past game memories with his own skills, making everything perfectly smooth and natural.


    It was a true aplishment of skill!


    Lis felt confident that he could now steadily defeat an unrelenting Dison.


    "Young master, hard work pays off!" Seeing Lis put down his bow and arrow, Bill immediately rushed over from the side, handing Lis a towel he had prepared in advance with a sycophanticpliment,


    "To think that after only two days of practice, he could hit the target ten times in a row from such a distance, Young Master Lis truly is a peerless genius! I see the next legendary warrior of the Kingdom is none other than you, young master!"


    Lis took the warm towel and gave the guy a sidelong nce.


    What was that, being so bold to tter? The ttery was so over the top that he didn''t believe a word of it; instead, it made him feel so awkward he wanted to throttle the fellow.


    "The young master is indeed a genius," Welf also came over, nodding sincerely as he spoke.


    Over this period of practice, Welf had been amazed not only by Lis''s astonishing learning speed but also because, in between trainings, he had sparred with Lis a few times. Although he had always held back his power, Lis''s spell power, far surpassing that of mages of the same level, and his seasoned and uniquebat awareness always made Welf feel as if he were facing a top mercenary battle-hardened by countless fights.


    Logically speaking, Young Master Lis shouldn''t have had much realbat experience, having always been immersed in the Magic Academy andboratories studying spells. But those mature and stablebat skills and the unflusteredbat awareness in the face of danger could not be honed without hundreds of battles, and not just simple sparring sessions but real, life-threatening fights.


    Welf couldn''t figure out why Lis was so adept at realbat, and he could only attribute it to the young master''s exceptional talent.


    Lis handed the bow and arrows to Welf, wiping his sweat as he said, "Let''s call it quits with the training for now; I''m taking a few days off, I have other matters to attend to."


    "Yes, young master," Welf replied, casually tossing the bow and arrows he received from Lis to a man named Bill nearby and asked, "So, are we heading back to the mansion now?"


    Lis nced at the sky, judging that it was only around three in the afternoon and after a moment of thought he said:


    "You go back first, I have somewhere else I need to be."


    "Don''t you need me toe with you?" Welf was taken aback, since he had been Lis''s guard on every outing these past few days.


    "No need, you go back too. Tell Joyce there''s no need to prepare dinner for me."


    Lis wasn''t worried about his own safety. Although he had been probed a few days ago, he had Welf deliberately observe on several recent outings and they noticed no one was tracking them.


    Given that their enemies wouldn''t deploy advanced professionals at the time, anyone tracking him wouldn''t be able to hide their tracks from Welf, who was an advanced warrior.


    This meant that there were unlikely to be any attacks against him any time soon, allowing him to calmly n some matters.


    Following the experience on Langai Street, before every outdoor training session Lis now purposely changed into ordinary clothes, looking like a regr, handsome civilian��a bit of concealment meant no garnering undue attention.


    Being a mage, as long as he wasn''t in mage equipment, nothing about Lis''s appearance was particrly telling. But Welf was different; his muscr physique and the oppressive air that couldn''t be concealed by a warrior made him as conspicuous as a sore thumb, even in a crowd.


    If Lis wanted to do something incognito and people recognized Welf the moment they left the house, what would be the point of hiding?


    As for the other guards, having them along or not didn''t make much difference. It would be morefortable for him to go on his own.


    After cing some weapons into his storage ring, Lis pushed open the gate and walked out.


    His warehouse was located in a small alley on Belle Street, surrounded by ordinary residences and rtively quiet.


    Lis checked his bearings; his base in his previous life was in Bright City, with which he was very familiar, so he headed towards his destination.


    Objective: The Mercenary Guild!

 Chapter 23 - 23 Mercenary Guild (Thanks to Book Otaku for the monthly ticket!)

    <h4>Chapter 23: Chapter 23 Mercenary Guild (Thanks to Book Otaku for the monthly ticket!)</h4>


    The Mercenary Guild is arge organization spread across all human regions in Gaia World, and its scale surpasses that of the Assassin Guild and Warrior Guild among other civilian organizations.


    However, what sets it apart from other organizations is that although there is a consistent system for categorizing mercenary levels and ssifying tasks across Mercenary Guilds in various countries, other administrative systems are not uniform. The Mercenary Guilds of each country do not have a subordinate rtionship; they only pledge allegiance to the ruler of the kingdom they are in.


    This is exactly what each country''s ruler hopes to see, as after all, mercenaries form arge and powerful group within the nation, and no ruler would feelfortable leaving them uncontrolled.


    In the past life''s game, for most yers, the first power they joined was the Mercenary Guild, bypleting variousmissioned tasks to receive rewards of Experience Points, money, and other Extraordinary Items.


    Today, Lis''s purpose for visiting the Mercenary Guild was simple.


    First, he was there to learn thest Intermediate Weapon proficiency required by his "All Martial Arts Mastery."


    The second reason was to register as a mercenary andpletemissions and demon exterminations to acquire the substantial amount of Experience Points needed for his level-up.


    Just relying on the Experience gained from meditation seemed unrealistic to breakthrough to Intermediate Mage before the Sacrificial Festival, not to mention the endless pit of leveling up skills waiting for him. He needed to find a way to broaden his sources of Experience.


    For mercenaries in this world, the purpose ofpletingmissions is to earn the reward, but it was different for him; he had a game system, which allowed him to gain Experience Points whilepletingmissions.


    The most straightforward and direct source of Experience in the game system is monster hunting, right!


    Completing somemissioned tasks was also something that could be done along the way.


    Lis was nearly unable to restrain his eagerness to start monster hunting!


    The Mercenary Guild in Bright City was not located in the eastern part of the city but in the busiest Gedo Street in the West District. After all, most mercenaries belonged to the poorer strata of society and, before gaining Extraordinary Power and advancing to Professional status, could only earn money byboring through various piecemealmissions in the city.


    Moving things, cleaning, finding lost pets... such ordinarymissions were the daily life of most regr mercenaries.


    To call these people mercenaries was really just another way of saying they were desperately trying to make a living.


    As for more importantmissions like guard duties and clearing demons, those were only essible to those who had be Extraordinary Professionals.


    Lis remembered when the servers first went live in his past life, yers swept through all the Mercenary Guild''s tasks like a tornado, not rejecting even tasks such as unclogging sewers or moving trash.


    The enthusiasm and efficiency of the yers'' work led to a humorous rumor among the mercenaries that a group of tireless Demon Statues disguised as mercenaries.


    With their incredibly efficient work ethos and around-the-clock hours, the yers took over arge portion of the regr mercenaries'' jobs, leading to discontent among many mercenaries who relied on these tasks for their livelihood, and even caused some minor conflicts.


    However, once the yers had umted enough points to advance to Professional status, such incidents ceased to ur.


    After all, as far as grinding went, hunting monsters and clearing dungeons was obviously more appealing than scrubbing toilets (*�ҡ�?`)��.


    Although Lis''s agility attribute value had not yet received a numerical adjustment, it was still far superior to that of an ordinary person, and he soon arrived at Gedo Street.


    Gedo Street, known for its proximity to Gedo River that flowed through the West District of Bright City, is the capital''srgest hub for merchandise distribution and human traffic.


    The Mercenary Guild was situated at the head of Gedo Street, in the most conspicuous five-story gray building��the core of the Kingdom''s Mercenary Guild.


    Standing in front of the Mercenary Guild building, looking at the brown wooden door filled with the patina of age, even as evening drew near, a diverse array of mercenaries continuously entered and exited, stirring up Lis''s blood for adventure, grueling effort, and expenditure.


    Walking into the grand hall of the Mercenary Guild, the right side served as a resting and interacting area for the mercenaries.


    Returning mercenaries gathered two or three friends around a round table, drinking barley beer, bragging, venting about the day''s hard work, or rxing their minds tensed from fighting demons.


    "Old Mac, quit your bragging, as if you could beat a Tusked Wild Boar. You''d likely roll away in fright just hearing it!"


    "Exactly, the Tusked Wild Boar might not be an Extraordinary Magical Beast, but it''s even stronger than the weakest Magic Beast, the Shadow Rabbit. Those tusks, tsk tsk, they''d run you right through."


    "I heard Mr. Tony''s ntation just outside the city was ravaged by a magic beast, and he''s hiring Silver Level mercenaries to handle it. Any of you guys interested?"


    "You don''t know, man. When I was adventuring in the great desert to the west, I chopped an ogre into several pieces with a single sword strike��but the meat was tough, got stuck in my teeth! What are a few goblins today? Just a piece of cake!"


    ...


    Enduring the noisy mor of the mercenaries, Lis squeezed his way to the left side of the hall, where the guild managed mission postings,mission eptances, mercenary registrations, and reviews.


    Right next to it was probably a bar counter for collecting mercenaries'' sries.


    In his past life, Lis had spent quite some money here, mainly because the game experience was so well executed: he could drink without getting drunk, which gave Lis, who was usually a lightweight, a chance to show off.


    "Hello, are you here to upgrade your mercenary level or to register as a mercenary?"


    The youngdy behind the counter, who had been busy all day and looked soul-crushed, immediately perked up upon seeing Lis, after all, who doesn''t love a handsome young man?


    "Hello, please register me as a mercenary," Lis nodded as he spoke.


    "Name?"


    "Moriarty."


    "Age?"


    "18."


    "Profession?"


    "None."


    Registering as a mercenary was simple, but Lis didn''t want to reveal his mage identity just yet.


    After all, he still wanted to learn new weapons, and having the rare mage identity among professionals drew too much attention.


    "Here''s your ID card; you are currently the lowest rank of mercenary. Completing missionmissions can earn you mercenary points, which will elevate your mercenary level." The uniformed youngdy handed him a gray card, intricately engraved with Lis''s information using magic patterns, making it difficult to forge.


    "You can take on some simple tasks that can bepleted within the city or team up with others for higher-level missions to hunt demons, but..."


    The youngdy hesitated for a moment before offering her advice:


    "It''s best not to try those risky missions before you be an official professional. Surviving is the most important thing!"


    After all, having worked in the Mercenary Guild for so many years, she had seen too many young people who registered as mercenaries and, driven by passion, participated in extremely dangerous missions, leaving not even a trace behind.


    "Thank you for your advice, I understand," Lis replied with a smile.


    In this world, he didn''t know if he could have resurrection abilities like in his previous life''s game, so naturally, he wouldn''t act recklessly, shouting "Beastmen will never be ves!" or "Demacia!" as he rushed headfirst into danger like some foolish yers.


    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    He was just a no-rank mercenary, which meant doing simple but time-consuming tasks like most ordinary mercenaries, possibly never getting the chance to be promoted to an official mercenary.


    Official mercenaries from lowest to highest are ranked as Bronze, Silver, Gold, Mithril, and Gemstone Level.


    The rankings aren''t directly tied to professionals'' ranks; it purely depends on the level and number of missions aplished by the mercenary.


    Lis toyed with his freshly acquired, still warm mercenary ID card and asked the uniformed youngdy:


    "Um, I also wanted to know, does the guild have a professional tutor avable now?"

 Chapter 24: Seeing Ya’er Again

    <h4>Chapter 24: Seeing Ya''er Again</h4>


    "A Professional Tutor, you say? Just give me a moment."


    Upon hearing his request, thedy at the counter stood up and went to ask someone else at the back.


    Professional Tutors were a kind of welfare policy of the guild, which allowed one to receive guidance from formal professionals at a rtively low cost. It was also considered one of the most likely ways for ordinary people to master Extraordinary Power.


    However, because of therge number of applicants, the teaching quality of Professional Tutors was a concern as they catered to many students at once, and sessrgely depended on the individual''s ownprehension.


    It wasn''t long before thedy returned and said to Lis:


    "The Mage, Warrior, and Hunter Professional Tutors are currently avable at the guild. The assassin Professional Tutor has gone out to handle amission and is not in the guild."


    At this news, Lis frowned. His goal was to learn the dagger under the guidance of an assassin Professional Tutor. Now, just his luck, the assassin tutor was absent. Was he supposed to wait indefinitely?


    Seeing Lis frowning without a word, thedy thought he was pondering which Professional Tutor to choose and suggested:


    "I''d rmend you start with either the Warrior or Hunter tutor. Although there are fewer Mages and their status is higher, too few have the Talent for it..."


    Thedy paused for a moment and then added, "Besides, a Mage Tutor charges 10 Gold Coins for a single session, which is ten times more than the other tutors!"


    Wow!


    Lis hadn''t expected the Mage Professional Tutor to be so profitable, especially since he had not transitioned to Mage through this method in his previous life!


    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Ten Gold Coins for one person,


    Teaching ten people in a session,


    Running ten training sessions a week,


    That''s 1000 Gold Coins a week!


    Thinking of the mere three hundred Gold Coins he had left in his storage ring after ordering Joyce to withdraw them, Lis''s eyes nearly turned into the shape of Gold Coins (???)!


    Though Lis knew this calction definitely wasn''t that straightforward and the actual situation certainly wasn''t as ideal, with maybe a hundred Gold Coins at most per week and it taking up a lot of time.


    After considering, Lis still forcefully suppressed the words about applying to be a Mage Professional Tutor that were on the tip of his tongue. After all, it was a very time-consuming job, and he guessed that most of the profits would have to be turned over to the guild. Besides, he wasn''t as desperate for resources as he had been in his past life as a yer.


    But now came the problem: what should he do about learning hisst weapon skill?


    Just as Lis was getting a headache over this, a rather sleazy voice came from behind him.


    "Hey hey, young man, are you looking for a Professional Tutor?"


    Lis turned his head to see a man standing behind him, donning standard mercenary gear, his face even sleazier than his voice as he rubbed his hands together and grinned at him.


    The man''s somewhat abstract appearance made Lis feel slightly ill, and he took two steps back before delivering a triple dismissal:


    "No, not interested, thanks (get lost)!"


    "Ah,e on,d, don''t reject it so quickly! Look here, this is my big brother Albert. He''s about to break through to be a Silver Warrior."


    "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Signing up for my big brother''s one-on-one coaching is only 5 Gold, and he guarantees that you''ll be an Extraordinary Warrior!"


    Behind the abstract-looking man, the one who must be Albert was prancing about, showing off the muscles on his arms!


    Before Lis could even respond, thedy behind the counter spoke coldly:


    "Sere, Albert, you two dare to scam people here again? If you don''t leave now, I''ll have the guards throw you out!"


    To prevent mercenaries from getting drunk and causing trouble indoors, the Mercenary Guild was equipped with a substantial security force.


    "No, no, we''re leaving, we''re leaving, Miss Lia, please don''t be angry."


    Before they could finish speaking, the two of them quickly scuttled away from the mercenary hall, puzzled in their minds as normally Lia wouldn''t bother with such matters; after all, they were just trying to make a little extra Gold, and they would still teach whatever needed to be taught.


    "Hmph!" Lia watched as they hastily retreated and gave a soft snort.


    These two had been here deceiving new mercenaries into spending more money to learn professional skills, and now they had managed to deceive their way to his presence.


    Moreover, could he, the receptionist who came into contact with hundreds of people every day, not see what these two fools with poor eyesight had failed to notice?


    Could the youth in front of him, named Moriarty, be anyone ordinary?


    Although he was dressed in in cotton clothes, they were neatly kept and hisplexion bore hardly any marks of exposure to wind and sun, his skin even looked enviable to Lis.


    Most importantly, the ring on the boy''s hand was clearly a precious storage ring at a nce, and one of no low level at that!


    He guessed it must be another privileged young master out to experience the life of a mercenary.


    Lis was unaware of Lia''s intricate thoughts and, with a hint of gratitude, he said:


    "Miss Lia, right? Thank you for just now."


    "It''s nothing, Mr. Moriarty, have you decided which professional tutor you''d like to learn from?"


    "Not yet," Lis hesitated and then said, "I want to learn about the assassin profession, but the tutor isn''t here. Miss Lia, do you have any other assassins to rmend?"


    "An assassin, huh? There are indeed very few who choose this transcendent profession. Let''s see..."


    As Lia was trying to recall if there were any assassins avable for mentoring within the guild, another voice rang out from not far away.


    "Lis!"


    This surprised voice made Lis pause. He hadn''t expected to be recognized here, and the voice sounded somewhat familiar.


    Thump thump thump~


    The crisp sound of leather shoes hitting the ground grew louder as they approached, and a familiar face leapt out from the crowd of mercenaries.


    Ya''er!


    The spirited girl he had met at the Mora''s house soir��e.


    He hadn''t expected to encounter her here.


    "Hello, Ya''er, I didn''t expect to run into you so soon!" Lis said with a smile, raising his hand to greet the girl.


    "Hey! I just had a feeling that someone familiar was around, and it turned out to be you!" Ya''er looked at Lis with her gorgeous gray-violet eyes filled with surprise.


    Lis took her in, noting the simple, practical brown leather armor tightly enclosing her slender figure, only her snow-white, delicate arms and calves were exposed, a ck longsword strapped to her back. Her fiery red hair was carelessly tied into a bun at the back of her head, with a few stray tresses falling alongside her face, giving her a lively and adorable look.


    "What are you looking at?" Seeing no response from Lis, Ya''er waved her wrist in front of his eyes.


    "Nothing, I''m here to register as a mercenary. What about you, Ya''er?" Lis said with a smile.


    "Silly, just look at what I''m wearing, and you''ll know. I''ve been a mercenary for a while now."


    Lis wasn''t surprised by Ya''er''s status as a mercenary; after all, he had realized during theirst meeting that the girl was no fragile woman and had even mastered extraordinary power to be a full-fledged professional.


    Lia, standing aside, now spoke respectfully:


    "Miss Ya''er is perhaps the most talented person to have joined our Mercenary Guild in thest decade, advancing from a basic mercenary to a gold-level mercenary in just one year."


    Lis was somewhat taken aback by this. A gold-level mercenary was no trivial matter, especially one who had advanced so quickly within a year. Achieving such a ranking couldn''t have been satisfied bypleting numerous simple quests alone.


    That meant Ya''er hadpleted a considerable number of high-level extermination andmission tasks on her own!


    Moreover, it seemed from Lia''s implication that Ya''er had the capacity toplete high-level tasks and didn''t just make her way by being part of a team.


    She had that sort of strength?


    Ya''er... Could she possibly be an advanced professional?

 Chapter 25 - 25 Ding~ Your Golden Thigh Has Arrived

    <h4>Chapter 25: Chapter 25 Ding~ Your Golden Thigh Has Arrived</h4>


    "Oh, Lia, it wasn''t as amazing as you said!"


    Ya''er waved her hand embarrassedly, her face turning slightly red.


    "I didn''t expect Miss Ya''er to be so powerful, way stronger than me!"


    Lis also gave a thumbs up to Ya''er, finding the girl''s reaction quite amusing.


    "Stop talking about me!" Ya''er waved her hand, turning to Lis and asked,


    "Lis, do you have anything else you need to do? I can help you, just treat me to those Golden Shrimp Balls you mentionedst time!"


    As soon as Ya''er opened her mouth, her foodie nature was unmistakable.


    "I wanted to find an assassin profession tutor to learn some professional knowledge, but unfortunately, he''s out on a mission and not at the guild."


    "Ah? Lis, why do you want to learn about the assassin, aren''t you a mage..."


    Ya''er had not finished herst word when Lis suddenly covered her mouth, the youngdy almost blew his cover.


    She indeed had figured out that he was a mage!


    To avoid being seen as a freak, Lis decided to change locations and have a proper chat with Ya''er.


    "Miss Lia, thanks, but I just remembered something urgent at home, I must go now!"


    Without waiting for Lia to respond, he dragged Ya''er and dashed away.


    -----------------


    "Ouch, why won''t you let me talk?"


    Ya''er, somewhat dissatisfied, said after being dragged by Lis to a small alley outside the guild hall.


    "I just don''t want others to know I''m a mage yet, you almost let it slip!"


    Lis said, somewhat frustrated.


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "I didn''t know, why don''t you want people to know you''re a mage? Aren''t mages very formidable?"


    Ya''er asked, a bit embarrassed but also curious.


    "It''s because I have an opponent, I don''t want him to know my strength, I n to train hard and defeat him eventually."


    Lis nned to simply fool Ya''er, who didn''t seem very bright.


    Although Ya''er felt something was off, she didn''t mind.


    "Then why do you want to learn assassin profession knowledge? Is it useful for boosting your power?"


    "Not really, I can''t change my profession to assassin, I just wanted to casually learn a weapon, and studying with the assassin tutor would be good practice with a dagger."


    "Then let me teach you, I know a lot more!"


    Ya''er perked up and said proudly to Lis, puffing out her chest.


    Lis nced at the young girl''s chest, thinking there was a huge room for improvement, considered it a bit, and then said,


    "Sure, what weapon do you know?"


    "Do you want to learn the Longsword?"


    "No, I know a bit."


    "How about the Long Spear?"


    "No, I know a bit of that too."


    "The sword?"


    "No, I still know a bit."


    ...


    Finding that Lis knew everything she could teach, Ya''er fell into thought about what else she could teach, but she really didn''t know how to use a dagger.


    From Ya''er''s words, Lis guessed that if Ya''er really was an advanced professional, she was most likely a Golden Warrior.


    Thinking about how his friend Welf was over forty before he barely made it to an advanced warrior, and looking at the young girl''s face, rich in cogen, he couldn''t help but sigh at the great disparity between people.


    Welf would probably be really disheartened if he knew.


    However, he hadn''t had the chance to think it through earlier; looking at the young Ya''er, who appeared to be only about twenty, albeit somewhat naive and romantic, if she was already a Golden Warrior, she must indeed be a person of extraordinary talent.


    In the storyline, he was definitely the core protagonist, the Child of Destiny!


    I remember in the main storyline of "Divine Revtion".....


    Warrior profession...


    Female...


    The story begins when she is only around twenty years old...


    Sss~~


    Lis gasped, contributing his own part to warming the Gaia World.


    If it really is the one he thought of...


    That would no longer be just a big help, but a giant''s thigh, "golden thigh" indeed!


    Lis knew there were Magic Items that could alter appearances, but...


    Looking at the girl bowing her head in contemtion, her adorable appearance, it was really hard to match her with the image of a dashing, resolute Valkyrie, broad-minded on the battlefield of thousandster on.


    "Got it!" Just as Lis was mulling over, Ya''er seemed to think of something and excitedly shouted out.


    The result, upon lifting her head, she saw Lis staring at her thighs with a peculiar look, she couldn''t help but shiver and quickly stepped back asking,


    "What are you looking at?"


    While thinking about how to better ''attach'' himself to the youngdy''s thighs, Lis came to his senses and hastily said with embarrassment,


    "Ah, nothing, I was thinking about what delicious food to make for youter since you helped me so much!"


    I owe you this favor, and you have to ept it whether you like it or not!


    After all, if he really could cling to her thighs, the troubles of the assassination during the Sacrificial Festival would be nothing!


    "Ah, you''re so nice!" Ya''er happily gave Lis his first "nice guy" card.


    Wondering how many cards it would take to turn oneself into a leg essory.


    "Do you want to learn the long whip? I know how, too!" Ya''er hadn''t forgotten the earlier conversation and mentioned it to Lis.


    "The long whip?" Lis was quite curious.


    In the "Divine Revtion" game, there were numerous types of weapons, but most people usedmon ones like swords, spears, and des; even axes and hammers were less used, let alone the unpopr long whip.


    But that being said, Lis was only looking to fulfill a specialty requirement with a new Intermediate Weapon proficiency, not really to fight with a long whip.


    Thinking about the future Valkyrie teaching him the long whip got him quite excited!


    "Sure, I''ll learn the long whip from you!"


    "Okay," Ya''er also happily agreed, for she had always trained in martial arts since she was young and had never been someone else''s teacher before!


    Lis looked up at the increasingly dark skies, the sun was about to set, and said to Ya''er,


    "It''s gettingte today, let''s practice tomorrow. Let''s go buy some ingredients, and I''ll make Golden Shrimp Balls for you tonight."


    "Sure." Ya''er eagerly agreed, pulling him to the far end of Gedo Street to shop for ingredients as if afraid Lis would change his mind.


    "We need this, get more of it!"


    "I like this too, let''s take it!"


    "Lis, can you make this? I want to buy some too."


    ...


    After their shopping spree, they spent over a dozen Gold Coins on many ingredients, especially Ya''er, who couldn''t move from the spot whenever she saw something she wanted to eat.


    Lis, carrying ingredients, followed Ya''er back to the ce rented by their team.


    Today herpanions were busy and there were no suitable tasks, so Ya''er was just wandering around the Mercenary Guild when she happened to run into Lis, who hade to register as a mercenary.


    In a way, it was also a kind of fate.


    Fortunately, although no one in Ya''er''s team knew how to cook and no seasonings were prepared, at least they had kitchenware ready, saving Lis from having to carry a cooking pot from the store through the streets.


    "I''m back!"


    The cheerful voice of Ya''er rang out, and a three-story garden vi appeared in front of Lis.

 Chapter 26 - 26 Is There a Problem with Lord Viscount Cooking?

    <h4>Chapter 26: Chapter 26 Is There a Problem with Lord Viscount Cooking?</h4>


    "Ah, has everyone note back yet?"


    Ya''er opened the door and walked in. Seeing the room still dark and even the Magic Stone Lamp was not turned on, it seemed herpanions hadn''t returned yet.


    Thump~


    Lis put down the ingredients in his hands, looked around, and saw that the interior of this exquisite small building was quite nice. However, the weapons rack and Magic Beast Tusk ced on the side still carried a strong mercenary style.


    It was indeed rare to rent such a house near Gedo Street in the West District.


    "Not bad, this ce. Did you and your teammates rent it together?"


    Ya''er nodded and gently ced the sword she had been carrying on her back on the weapon rack in the living room, helping Lis carry the things into the kitchen at the back of the living room.


    Then, she watched wide-eyed as Lis started his operation.


    Lis didn''t hesitate, although he hadn''t cooked since his arrival, his experience from his previous life hadn''t been forgotten. Rolling up his sleeves, he began his preparation.


    The clinking sounds began in the kitchen~


    He first beheaded the fresh shrimps he had bought, removed the shrimp line, put them in a bowl,


    added salt and cooking wine to marinate and remove the fishy smell,


    then cut the potato into fine shreds, washed off the excess starch with water,


    fried the potato shreds in oil heated to fifty percent until golden brown, took them out, and drained the oil,


    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    then coated the marinated shrimp with a batter made of flour and eggs, fried them until golden brown, took them out, and fried them a second time,


    stly coated the crisply fried shrimp with sd dressing, rolled it in the fried potato shreds, and formed a golden crispy ball of Golden Shrimp Balls.


    The finished shrimp balls were ted and topped with a few pieces of bright green mint, the tails of the shrimp balls curled up in a row, making them look both cute and delicate.


    Ya''er, who had been waiting eagerly by the side, immediately grabbed a shrimp tail, taking a shrimp ball and popping it into her mouth.


    "It''s so hot~"


    The Golden Shrimp Balls were still quite hot as they were just out of the pan, but even though Ya''er was scalded, she couldn''t bear to spit out the delicious food in her mouth, only a thinyer of mist covered her lovely eyes.


    A bite of the golden shrimp ball, the freshness of the shrimp coupled with the crispness of the potato shreds, offered a rich and unique texture, simply the epitome of crispy outside and tender inside.


    The sweet yet clean taste of the sd dressing nicely masked the excess greasiness, the aroma was enticing, making it hard to stop eating.


    Ya''er was so enchanted by the taste that she felt a surge of strength welling up inside her (figuratively speaking). Having grown up in luxury, she had certainly enjoyed fine food before, but she had never experienced such a dish, bringing her a novel experience.


    Coming to her senses, Ya''er''s eyes sparkled as she looked at the many remaining shrimp balls in front of her, feeling she could eat the whole te by herself.


    Lis smiled, watching the girl''s charming and adorable antics, it reminded him of his cute sworn sisters from his previous life who would always hover around him, asking him to make delicious food for them. After all, what chef doesn''t love such diners?


    He pushed the te towards Ya''er and said,


    "If you like it, eat more. It''s all yours."


    Looking at the remaining ample ingredients, Lis figured since he had started cooking, he might as well prepare a few more dishes.


    Telling Ya''er to take the Golden Shrimp Balls outside to eat, Lis was ready to showcase his skills, his movements bing more joyful.


    Before long, Lis had finished cooking honey zed carrot pork, an assorted cold meat tter with dressing, crab and ham baked vegetables, and topped it off with arge vegetable and fruit sd.


    Job done!


    Lis washed his hands. Since he hadn''t prepared in advance, many of his signature Chinese dishes couldn''t be made. Next time, he could ask Joyce to help prepare a set of specialized kitchenware and unique seasonings for him.


    However, Lis discovered that the "Mage''s Hand", a Zero Level Magic trick, was really useful. He felt as if he had an extra pair of skilled hands, not only greatly improving his cooking speed but also allowing him to practice multitasking skills.


    Ya''er, who was slowly savoring the Golden Shrimp Balls in the living room, watched as Lis quickly served up a variety of delicious foods, each bursting with color and aroma, clearly the work of a skilled chef.


    Ya''er slowly turned her head to look at Lis, who seemed to radiate an endless glow behind him.


    This couldn''t be an angel sent by Lord War God to save our adventure team, could it?


    Lis felt a bit odd under Ya''er''s glowing gray-purple eyes. What''s wrong with the big boss? Does it taste off? It shouldn''t be.


    "Lis, you are amazing!" Ya''er said, nging her te, which was now half empty, down onto the table.


    "If you really want to be a mercenary, why not join my adventure team? You wouldn''t have to do anything but cook, I''ll take care of everything else."


    It wasn''t just because she was greedy; it was really because no one in her team knew how to cook. Every time they went on a mission or adventure, they had to gnaw on hard and unptable dry rations, which was really tough.


    With a pitiful look, Ya''er hoped Lis wouldn''t turn down her only request.


    Before Lis could answer, they heard the sound of the door being pushed open; it must be Ya''er''spanions returning.


    "Ya''er, you''re back already!"


    A loud voice carried over as three people walked into the living room,ughing and talking.


    The leader was a Dwarf dressed in full Armor carrying a hammer half his height. The loud voice must have been his, his rugged face and abundant hair framed by a long beard, a ssic Dwarf Warrior.


    In Bright City, the Dwarf n was rather rare. Generally, Dwarves were moremon in the central kingdoms of the Fanor Continent, especially since the Dwarf Kingdom was situated between the central and western parts of the continent in the Jianuo Mountain Range.


    Following him was an elegant Elvendy with golden hair that barely concealed her pointed ears, clearly an Elf Ranger. Her delicate features were indeed representative of a race known for elegance and beauty.


    If Dwarves were considered rare, Elves almost never ventured into the Human Kingdom.


    Due to their beautiful appearance, Elves were often captured by smugglers and enved, thus most Elves harbored hostility towards Humans, usually only residing in the southern Navia Forest of the continent.


    Thest one was someone familiar, the younger son of Duke Hade''s family, Arsen Hade.


    "We have guests?" The Elf quickly noticed Lis, who was sitting at the dining table with Ya''er, and asked somewhat warily.


    "Ailina,e try some delicious food. This was made by my apprentice Lis, awesome, right?"


    Arsen peeked out from behind.


    Lis, is that the same Lis Kain, Viscount Kain I know of? What''s happening here?


    Lis turned his head and nced at Ya''er, When did I be your apprentice? Howe I don''t know about it?


    Ya''er didn''t care about Lis''s reaction and cheerfully invited everyone to sit down and enjoy the feast before them.


    Arsen pulled out a chair to sit down, looking at the table full of delicious foods with a strange look at Lis.


    Well, this Viscount really can cook, can''t he?

 Chapter 27 - 27 Join! Yaya Adventure Group

    <h4>Chapter 27: Chapter 27 Join! Yaya Adventure Group</h4>


    Ya''er excitedly greeted everyone to sit at the table, introducing her team members to Lis.


    "This is Lunbos Iron Hammer, a ck Iron Dwarf Shield Guard, our team''s vanguard. Despite his old appearance, he''s actually only in his thirties, just reaching adulthood!"


    The Dwarf named Lunbos Iron Hammer had already heartily downed arge mug of barley beer, casually wiping off the white foam that stuck to his beard, and said discontentedly:


    "Hey, hey, Ya''er, it''s not appropriate to talk about me like that in front of others!"


    Ya''er made a face at Lunbos and then started introducing the others.


    "This beautiful big sister here is Alina, an Elf Ranger, our team''s Scout. Sister Alina was a great help when I registered as a mercenary."


    The blonde Elf sitting next to Ya''er nodded at Lis, her demeanor a bit cold.


    "Thest person, Lis, you should have met before, Arsen Hade, like me, is of the Warrior profession."


    Arsen looked at Lis, saying warmly:


    "I''m pleased to meet you, Viscount Kane."


    Since the other person was so polite, Lis also greeted this distinguished descendant of Duke Hade''s family with equal cordiality.


    "Likewise, Arsen Hade. Duke Hade has always been a senior I greatly admire."


    Lis wasn''t just making conversation; Duke Hade was among the most venerated of the Court Nobles, also deeply trusted by His Majesty the King.


    "Eh, Lis, you are a noble? I can''t tell at all!"


    Lunbos said bluntly, seemingly unconcerned if his words were somewhat rude.


    "Just a hereditary court title."


    Lis didn''t mind; the Dwarf n always spoke so straightforwardly, something he had experience with from his previous life.


    Alina also sized up Lis but seemed to carry a hint of hostility in her eyes.


    Ya''er, slightly annoyed, pped the table; she hadn''t introduced Lis yet!


    "This is Lis Kain, someone I knew before, and we ran into each other today at the Mercenary Guild. He''s a Bronze Mage."


    Ya''er looked around with pride, tilting her smooth, rounded face with delight:


    "But from today, he''s my apprentice! I''m impressive, right!"


    Lis helplessly tapped on the table with his index finger, saying:


    "I remember I just wanted to learn a weapon from you, how did I be your apprentice?"


    Ya''er waved her hand nonchntly, "Oh well, it''s all the same, I teach you, which means I''m your teacher, which means you''re my apprentice, no problem!"


    Finally encountering someone capable of saving her stomach, how could she easily let go!


    "Lis made all these dishes, oh, they taste so good. I''ve decided, from now on, when we go out on missions, cooking will be Lis''s job!"


    Lis listened as Ya''er arranged everything about him crystal clear, somewhat helpless.


    Of course, he wouldn''t refuse, a golden opportunity being handed right to him; he couldn''t let it slip past not to honor the memories of his past life.


    But he still felt it strange, as if he had suddenly been sold off.


    Yet, does this count as him officially stepping up to be a leg essory?


    "He''s joining our adventure team, when did this happen?"


    The quiet Elf beauty suddenly spoke up, staring at Ya''er.


    "Haha, ah ha ha..."


    Clearly, this was an impromptu idea by Ya''er, not yet discussed with the team members.


    But as Lunbos continued to chug one mug of beer after another, he didn''t care whether Lis was joining the team or not.


    As for Arsen, it seemed he wanted to say something too, but after thinking it over, he realized he had never seeded in stopping Ya''er''s ideas before, and reluctantly gave up.


    "Oh, Alina sister, the dishes Lis makes are really delicious, you should try them!"


    The Elf nced at the table full of meat dishes, and aside from a simple vegetable and fruit sd, everything else was meat, which left the always vegetarian Alina somewhat speechless.


    What do you want me to try?


    Ya''er seemed to realize the problem too. She embarrassedly feigned ignorance, giggled, and started to coax Alina by shaking her arm:


    "But the dishes Lis makes are really tasty, Ya''er doesn''t want to eat those hard, dry rations anymore. Let''s let Lis join us, please?"


    Alina looked helplessly at the pitiful Ya''er and said helplessly:


    "He''s just a Junior Mage, right? It might be dangerous if he joins us on adventures."


    "I will protect him well!" Ya''er confidently patted her chest and dered.


    Alina felt a headacheing on. She was reluctant to abruptly let someone she barely knew join the team, but seeing Ya''er''s pitiful look, her heart softened.


    Ya''er neverined or showed fatigue during adventures. Although she was stronger than herself, Alina had always treated Ya''er as a younger sister.


    "Alright, alright, stop shaking me; I agree, isn''t that enough?"


    "That''s great!"


    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Without even asking for Arsen''s opinion (status down by 1), Ya''er raised her ss filled with juice and loudly said:


    "Then let''s wee Lis to our adventure team!"


    Lis sincerely showed a pleased expression, toasted with Lunbos with a ss of beer, and invited everyone to start enjoying the feast.


    Ya''er and Lunbos couldn''t hold back any longer and immediately started eating.


    "Mmm~, this is so good!" Ya''er bit fiercely into a piece of specially prepared cold meat with sauce, her eyes widening in surprise.


    Lunbos also couldn''t stop praising Lis''s cooking skills, whereas Arsen''s expression was a bit strange, but his eating pace wasn''t slower than anyone else''s.


    Even Alina was moved by the fruit pudding Lis specially made for her, and her gaze towards Lis softened a bit.


    "By the way, Ya''er, is our team structured as an adventure team?"


    "Oh right, I haven''t introduced you to it yet!"


    Ya''er snatched thest Golden Shrimp Ball from Lunbos''s hand, savored it contentedly, and then began to introduce it to Lis.


    "The type of team we registered is an adventure team, named Ya''er Adventure Group. Themissions we mostly take on are exploratory and mercantile escort kinds, and although there are only four of us... now five including you, our name is quite well known at the Mercenary Guild!"


    Commissions issued by the Mercenary Guild can bepleted individually or in the form of a Mercenary Group, but most high-levelmissions are exclusive to mercenary groups because,paratively speaking, independent mercenaries cannot cover all aspects like a team. One should know that idents can happen anytime on the road whilepletingmissions.


    Based on the type ofmission a Mercenary Group undertakes, there are different ssifications.


    For instance, there are Mercenary Corps that take warmissions, Guardian Groups that mainly ept guardmissions, and so forth.


    The Ya''er Adventure Group is one of the more unique types.


    Generally speaking, bing a mercenary is for earningmissions to enjoy a better life.


    But there''s a group of people who aren''t like that; they are keen on exploring the world''s secrets, discovering unknown and marvelous domains, and enjoy the thrill of navigating through relics and perilous situations, undeterred by the dangers they face.


    Of course, obtaining more precious treasures is also a reward for their bravery.


    Such adventure groups usually undertake national or Mercenary Association issued exploratory domain tasks and long-distance trading convoy escort missions.


    In times withoutmissions, they also proactively venture into unexplored relics and simr ces, spending most of their time traveling.


    However, they probably wouldn''t take on tasks too far from the Royal Capital, right?


    Given Ya''er''s status, the Kingdom likely wouldn''t let her stray too far from the Royal Capital!

 Chapter 28 - 28 Level Up

    <h4>Chapter 28: Chapter 28 Level Up</h4>


    The bustling party ended, and Lis had agreed with Ya''er toe back here tomorrow to practice the long whip, so he prepared to get up and leave.


    "See you tomorrow!" Ya''er waved to Lis.


    "Let me see you out," Arsen said, rising to his feet and giving Lis a meaningful look.


    Lis, keeping hisposure, followed Arsen out of the vi.


    "Is there something you needed, keeping me back specifically?"


    Lis stood on the roadside steps, looking down at the green sprouts emerging from the cracks in the stones beneath his feet.


    "Viscount Kane,"


    Arsen hesitated for a moment, then said to Lis:


    "I suppose you''ve already noticed that Miss Ya''er''s identity is nomon matter."


    Lis remained silent, tacitly agreeing with Arsen''s statement.


    You, the most outstanding youngest son of the duke''s family, look utterly subdued in front of Ya''er. Who wouldn''t notice?


    "I cannot reveal Miss Ya''er''s identity until I have permission, I hope you can understand that,"


    Arsen paused, then added seriously, "I don''t care whether Miss Ya''er''s encounter with you was a coincidence or if there were other reasons, but I hope you won''t do anything that could harm her..."


    Arsen did not finish his sentence, but Lis clearly understood his meaning.


    As for the veiled threat in Arsen''s words, Lis genuinely didn''t care. If it weren''t for the fact that he couldn''t reveal he already knew Ya''er''s true identity, he would have wanted to pledge himself to her as a pre-emptive ally.


    He almost said, "If you would not abandon me, then please allow me to call you my godmother."


    As for harming Ya''er, he thought too much.


    Such a main character of the story, a child of destiny, seems to carry the Lucky Goddess with her, turning all peril into safety. Such fortune is not something ordinary people can challenge.


    "Lord Arsen, I will not do anything that could harm Ya''er. This is my promise as Viscount Kane,"


    Lis solemnly told Arsen.


    "I hope so,"


    Seeing Lis make a noble''s promise, Arsen''s expression softened a lot, for nobles in the kingdom greatly valued their reputations. He nodded and said:


    "Wee to our adventure team! Lis."


    "Thank you, Arsen. See you tomorrow!"


    -----------------


    Back at his mansion, Lis sat at the small table in his bedroom, picking up the chilled fruit tea Rossi had specially prepared for him, pondering the day''s events.


    Meeting Ya''er today was truly unexpected, and even more surprising was how he had just joined her mercenary group.


    It went smoother than he could have imagined!


    It looks like he could really think over his ns for the Sacrificial Festival. With Ya''er''s support, he might find other ways to break through the situation.


    However, Ya''er''s strength must still be just that of a Golden Warrior, and he would have to wait until she made further breakthroughs in the game''s version 2.0te story.


    But such a distant matter didn''t warrant Lis''s nning; he would focus on handling the Sacrificial Festival matters first.


    The issue with Camus must have been someone''s intentional plotting, and good, since they didn''t achieve their objective, they certainly wouldn''t rest easy, and all he had to do was wait for them to reveal their ws.


    Enhancing his strength was still the priority; many things were beyond his reach as a Junior Mage, such as the development n for civilian enchantment products. He would at least have to wait until he advanced to an Intermediate Mage to reproduce those special magic arrays in his mind.


    Although today was full of surprises, his main purpose for going to the Mercenary Guild was indeed fulfilled.


    He registered his mercenary status.


    Thest weapon proficiency training had already been scheduled, and even though the long whip didn''t seem quite suitable for a male, Lis wasn''t picky; any weapon would do as long as he couldplete his armament set.


    He had also unexpectedly joined the Ya''er Adventure Group; so he wouldn''t have to worry too much about future tasks and experience points.


    His teammates were publicly at Silver Level in strength. Even if there might be experience point penalties, the experience he would gain frompleting tasks wouldn''t be little.


    There was also the actual strength of Ya''er, a Golden Warrior. Unlike Welf, who was rather mediocre, Lis felt that given Ya''er''s uniqueness, she might now possess the strength to rival someone of a high Golden Order.


    His own strength was still a bit too low.


    Thinking it over, Lis exhaled and brought up his panel, deciding to allocate all his umted experience points to raising his professional level first. He could put off increasing his skill level.


    -----------------


    [You have spent unallocated experience points[735604 points]!]


    [Your personal level has increased: 30��31!]


    [You gain Strength +1, Agility +1, Intelligence +2, Charm +1, Mysterious +1, Endurance +1]


    ....


    [Your personal level has increased: 33��34!]


    [You gained Strength +1, Agility +1, Intelligence +2, Charm +1, Mystery +1, Endurance +1]


    [You have allocated 10 free attribute points]


    [Your Intelligence Attribute has been enhanced: 76��96! (Attribute Modification)]


    -----------------


    As a series of system messages popped up, Lis felt a wave of refreshment, the slight fatigue of the daypletely cleared, making his mind much clearer.


    Is this the effect of enhancing one''s own attributes?


    The attribute enhancement of a former game character was just virtual numbers; he had no tangible feeling to it.


    Lis called up his attribute panel.


    -----------------


    Name: Lis Kain


    Race: Human


    Level: 34


    Life Value: 1280/1280


    Mana Value: 2000/2580


    Status: Normal


    Experience: 0/210000 (Unallocated Experience Points [15820 points])


    Main Profession: Arcanist (Basic)


    Secondary Profession: None


    Talent: All-Purpose


    Attributes:


    Strength 39


    Agility 40


    Intelligence 96 (Attribute Modification)


    Charm 42


    Mystery 37


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Endurance 39


    Luck 3


    Free Attribute Points 0


    Specialties:


    [Arcane Thought] �� Intelligence Attribute receives a twice value modification, Elemental Affinity +100%, arcane sub-module unlocked


    [Advanced Fatigue Resistance] �� Reduces the degree of negative effect on the body when fatigued, physical recovery speed +50%


    [Rank Suppression] �� You gain additional power enhancements when facing low-rank professionals, current enhancement (10%)


    [Fearless Challenger] �� Damage from rank suppression reduced by 30% on yourself, chance to be exempt from fear, shock, silence, chaos, charm, and other negative statuses


    [Low-level Resilient Body] �� Life Value increases by 10%, enhances minor injury recovery speed, and slightly increases resilience and elemental resistance


    Skills: Magic (Magic Hand, Cleaning Skill, sh Technique...), One-Circle Magic (Fireball Technique, Ice Arrow Skill, Human Charm...), Second Circle Magic (Ice de Skill, Wind Walking Technique, Earth Escape Skill, Repair Moderate Wounds, Levitation...), Three-Circle Magic (Chain Fireball Technique, Elemental Shield, Stinking Cloud, Human Shaping), One-Circle Arcane (Fueling Technique), Three-Circle Arcane (Blue Ball Skill, Ageing Ray), Martial Arts (Furious sh, Shield m, Resistance Enhancement, Secondary All Attributes Enhancement)


    Milestones: [Junior Mage (Bronze Level)], [Strongman''s First Step (Silver Level)]


    Legend Level: 10 (Realm Level �� Court Viscount Legend +10)


    Equipment: Jade Wand, Jade Talisman, Concentration Ring


    (Made a little progress, turned from cannon fodder to slightly stronger cannon fodder!)


    -----------------


    Must say, having the power feels really good!


    Lis nodded in satisfaction. Although it almost depleted all the experience points Lis had painstakingly saved, the full enhancement of his attributes made it worthwhile.


    Besides, he could gain a steady source of experience bypleting mercenarymissions in the future, no longer needing to agonize over whether to improve his personal level or skill level.


    Lis dered, "I want them all!"


    After feeling content, Lis poured all the not-so-cold fruit tea into his mouth, preparing to head to theboratory to start today''s magic research.


    He aimed not only to research new arcane but also to master new Three-Circle Magic.


    Lis wasn''t one of those chosen ones; he had to seize the time, as only through his gradual umtion could he eventually possess the power to master his own fate.

 Chapter 29 - 29 A Comfortable Morning

    <h4>Chapter 29: Chapter 29 A Comfortable Morning</h4>


    ```


    The next day, early in the morning.


    Lis, as usual, got up on time and, after dressing in simple and casual clothes, had Welf confirm that no one was tracking him before he left the mansion through the back door and headed towards Gedo Street.


    Ordinarily, he would have enjoyed breakfast and then engaged in some light exercise in the courtyard and followed by learning some martial arts with Welf and the others for physical training.


    However, today he had arranged to train with Ya''er in the morning, so Lis skipped breakfast in the mansion and brought some ingredients from the kitchen to prepare something to eat with his teammates.


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    But when he thought about it, it was quite interesting. He originally had no intention of joining a mercenary group, as his experience from his previous life meant he nned simply to ept some solo missions andplete them on his own.


    Unexpectedly, he had ended up joining Ya''er''s adventure team.


    This must be considered the protagonist group, right? Even though he did not recall Ailina and Lunbos from his past life''s memories, Arsen Hade wouldter be the leader of the Feis Kingdom''s Golden Lion Knights, a very important and powerful figure.


    Walking on the streets of Bright City that were just awakening, there were already many street vendors busily preparing for the day''s business in the shops on both sides.


    The air was filled with the aroma of freshly baked bread, and already a crowd had gathered in front of the small shops, consuming simple breakfasts that cost two copper coins. Though it was just a few pieces of dark bread and vegetable soup, it was enough to fill the stomach and provide energy for a whole day''s hard work.


    Lis had eaten breakfast at these small shops in his previous life. While the taste was not great, the cheap price was a plus. If it weren''t for the high hunger value of not eating in-game which continuously reduced health, he would have even thought of saving the money for food.


    Though yesterday Ya''er had suggested that Lis could directly move into the adventure team''s vi residence at night, Lis hesitated and then declined.


    After all, many of his magical researches still needed to be performed in theboratory of his own basement, so going home every day was better.


    However, in the future, he might stay over at Gedo Street when necessary, so Lis still chose a room on the first floor of the vi.


    The boys all stayed on the first floor, while Ya''er and Ailina stayed on the second floor.


    Lis moved swiftly and arrived at the vi residence located in an alley off Gedo Street before long.


    He used the key Ya''er had given him the day before to open the door and as he entered the hall, he saw Ailina sitting in a corner of the living room, applying something to her long bow, probably maintaining her treasured weapon.


    Arsen, on the other hand, was sitting at the dining table biting into a slice of white bread with jam while flipping through a thick biography.


    It appeared that Ya''er and the Dwarf Lunbos had not yet risen.


    "You''re here, Lis. That''s early," Arsen said, greeting Lis as he walked through the door.


    "Have you eaten? I have some bread prepared ahead of time."


    Ailina looked up at Lis, said nothing, and continued caring for her beloved weapon.


    "No, I haven''t. But I brought some ingredients and was nning to make something myself. Would you like some too?"


    Lis was somewhat speechless. You, Arsen, are also a young master of Duke Hade''s family, yet you seem tock the demeanor of a genteel noble, so different from how you were at the party the other evening.


    But on second thought, that made sense. After all, Arsen was also a member of Yaya''s adventure team, and there wouldn''t be the luxury of good food and drink whenpleting missions and exploring secret realms outdoors; he must have gotten used to it.


    "Would that be too much trouble for you?" Arsen asked, ncing at the white bread on his te, seemingly realizing something, and asked with a hint of embarrassment.


    "No worries, we''re friends now, and that''s one of the reasons why I joined our team," Lis winked at Arsen, and the two of them smiled simultaneously.


    ```


    They were both nobles from the Feis Kingdom, and the way they were getting along would no doubt seem very improper to those who strictly adhered to noble etiquette, but it must be said that the lightness felt in shedding one''s dignity was indeed pleasant.


    Without asking Ailina, Lis strode into the kitchen, took out the ingredients he had prepared earlier from his storage ring, and began to orchestrate a delightful symphony of cooking.


    ...


    Soon, Lis had the breakfast for several people ready. He made his favorite chocte, banana, and strawberry-vored pancakes, coupled with bacon and eggs and a porridge of nuts and grains, a delicious and nutritious breakfast served fresh.


    After bringing the breakfast out to the table, Arsen couldn''t wait to sit down.


    "Thanks," he said, but before he could finish, Arsen had already picked up a piece of chocte pancake and started eating.


    "Miss Ailina, would you like some as well? I made quite a lot. You should like the banana strawberry pancakes."


    Elves,pared to grains, have a greater preference for all sorts of fresh fruits. Besides a few local varieties, fruits such as bananas are transported to Bright City along with the Gedo River by merchants using special methods, making them rtively expensive and unaffordable for the average citizen.


    The Elf Ailina, thinking of the delicious fruit pudding from the night before, did not decline. She got up, sat down at the table, said "Thank you," and started to savor the delicious meal in an unhurried manner.


    Lis watched as Ailina''s distinctive pointed ears twitched gently; it seemed she also quite liked this vor of pancake.


    "Ahhh~ good morning~." At this moment, Ya''er, yawning, slowly came down from the upstairs, her cute pink pajamas slightly disheveled from a night of restless sleep, exposing her pale and delicate corbone right in front of Lis.


    Lis, unfazed, said to the still-drowsy Ya''er:


    "Hurry up and wash up; I''ve already made breakfast."


    Ya''er then smelled the aroma of the food and immediately woke up from her drowsy stupor.


    "Ah, it smells so good," said Ya''er, eyeing the tempting breakfast on the table before rushing into the washroom. After a series of ttering noises, a neatly dressed Ya''er sat down at the table and began to join Arsen and Ailina in enjoying the feast.


    "What about Lunbos? Should we call him toe eat breakfast?" Lis asked.


    "No need, that guy loves to drink when he''s got nothing else to do, and if he drinks too much, he''ll sleep till noon. Don''t bother with him," Arsen said dismissively, waving his hand.


    "Alright then," Lis said, not making anything of it.


    After breakfast, Arsen took it upon himself to gather the dishes and wash them in the kitchen, his actions betraying an evident familiarity with the task, as if it wasn''t his first time doing so.


    "I''m so full~" Ya''er leaned contentedly on the living room sofa, humming happily, while Ailina looked on somewhat helplessly.


    "Now let''s get down to business," Lis said, patting her shoulder with a somewhat helpless look, Wasn''t it you who asked me toe over early? It''s as if you, the one in charge, have forgotten all about it.


    "Okay, okay," said Ya''er, as she took a white soft whip out of her storage ring and handed it to Lis.


    "This is a whip I bought for practice before. You can use it for now."


    Lis took the whip, and by touching it, he knew it was made from the hide of a special animal, very tough in texture, and by the looks of the craftsmanship, it was likely made by a master.


    Before Lis could get used to the long whip, Ya''er pulled him out to the open space behind the vi, ready to start the day''s training.

 Chapter 30: All Martial Arts Mastery Get Dazed!

    <h4>Chapter 30: All Martial Arts Mastery Get Dazed!</h4>


    "Oh, why are you so clumsy? It''s actually very easy!"


    Ailinained, oblivious to the fact that Lis''s expression was even worse than hers.


    What on earth are you teaching?


    What do you mean by ''like this, like this, and then like that''?


    That is truly too abstract. Could it be that Welf and the others have more of a knack for teaching than this?


    At least more than the current ordinary master?


    Lis held back a disdainful look at Ailina, thought for a moment, and then suggested:


    "How about we do it this way instead, Ailina? You stop exining, and we just practice directly. I''ll learn by copying your moves."


    "That works." Ailina thought about it and agreed, then immediately got into position and began demonstrating how to use the long whip.


    Ailina had tied her jet-ck hair up high with a thin rope today, making her look like a sprightly deer leaping about in the field, her hair flying wildly in the air with her movements, her hand wielding the long whip expertly, not giving away any openings.


    If the system were to rate Ailina''s proficiency with the long whip, it would probably be high-level. She mentionedst night that she had learned this out of curiosity on her own, not to mention her proficiency with her main weapon, which was probably not far from mastering the Legendary longsword.


    "Do you understand now?" Ailina stopped her demonstration and asked Lis.


    "I''ll give it a try��you correct my form on the side," Lis responded, not rejecting the offer and immediately started practicing.


    The two of them began practicing one-on-one in the field.


    Sure enough, this method of learning was significantly more effective than the cryptic lecture from earlier.


    Even though the long whip was a flexible weapon, unlike the ded weapons Lis had learned before, his foundation was solid. As long as he put his mind to mastering the control techniques and force application of the long whip, he improved quite rapidly.


    Seeing that Lis was getting the hang of using the long whip, Ailina picked up her whip and began sparring with Lis to help him master it faster.


    Could one not be in awe of a future Legendary warrior?


    Whether it wasbat skills or reaction time, they both overwhelmingly surpassed Lis''s half-baked skills.


    Even Lis felt that with his former life''s High-level Mage ount, he might not be able to confidently defeat the still immature Ailina.


    However, he now possessed a unique talent, and he was confident in reaching or even surpassing that future Valkyrie.


    The sounds of training echoed from the backyard of the vi from morning until nightfall.


    In the living room of the vi,


    Arsen nced out of the window and saw Lis still practicing the long whip under the light of the Magic Stone Lamp, and he remarked somewhat emotionally:


    "He''s really persistent, isn''t he? It''s dark already, and I just don''t understand why Lis, a Mage, suddenly wanted to learn how to use a long whip. It''s really strange."


    Ailina was not in the vi at the moment, busy with something else, but Lunbos had already gotten up and was joyfully drinking beside the table with food and wine.


    Outside, Lis was sweating profusely; the heat of Bright City in June didn''t subside at all even after the sun had set.


    Lis''s persistence in practicing until the evening was not driven by any reason other than his near-mastery of the long whip��with a proficiency at "Basic 95%". If he were to stop now, given his somewhat obsessivepulsive nature, he suspected he wouldn''t be able to sleep well tonight, preferring instead to push through and fully max out his proficiency.


    [Long Whip Proficiency Increase...98%]


    ...


    [Long Whip Proficiency Increase...99%]


    ...


    [Long Whip Proficiency Increase...100%]


    [Your Long Whip Proficiency Has Reached Intermediate!]


    [Intermediate Whip Control: You have fundamentally mastered the techniques of using the long whip, significantly increasing its power when used]


    Lis stopped, wiped off his sweat, and looked at the system''s notification.


    Is iting? Is iting? Is the big oneing?


    [Drip~]


    [Detection: You have upgraded ten weapon proficiencies to intermediate level!]


    [Activating hidden judgment! Warrior Professional Specialization "All Martial Arts Mastery"]


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    [Beginning judgment]


    [Judgment (1/3): Basic warrior profession... Judgment failed, main profession as Arcanist]


    [Your talent "All-Purpose" is activated, judgment (1/3) sessful]


    [Judgment (2/3): Ten weapon proficiencies reached intermediate... Judgment sessful]


    [Judgment (3/3): Strength attribute greater than or equal to 20 points... Judgment sessful]


    [All judgments sessful, you have obtained the Warrior Professional Specialization "All Martial Arts Mastery"]


    ["All Martial Arts Mastery" �� Strength attribute receives a 2x value modifier, all initial weapon proficiencies fixed at intermediate, highest proficiency weapon''s control level +1]


    (You have a unique talent for using weapons; you can quickly master any weapon. You have gathered a wealth of knowledge and have unique insights into the control of your most proficient weapon.)


    ["All Martial Arts Mastery" effect activated, your current highest weapon proficiency level: Intermediate Wand Control]


    [Your Magic Wand control level has been upgraded to advanced!]


    ["Advanced Wand Mastery": You have fully mastered the use of the magic wand, significantly increasing its power when used.]


    It''s finally mine! "All Martial Arts Mastery"!


    No matter how much sweat was previously shed, the rewards have now been reaped, and they are quite substantial,ying a solid foundation for future development.


    My strength attribute received a 2x enhancement, jumping from 39 points directly to 73 points.


    Along with the increase in the strength attribute, the Life Value also rose from 1170 points to 1510 points.


    Lis patted his chest muscles, feeling much beefier. His Life Value was nowparable to that of warriors of the same level. He was no longer just a fragile Mage!


    This Viscount, though a Mage, is excessively tough?


    Ordinary professionals can have only one basic proficiency specialization with attribute enhancement effects, but Lis has the "All-Purpose" talent, which allows him to break this limitation.


    This was Lis''s first experience of such a leap in attribute enhancement, and this increase wasn''t just a one-time event��it would be even more pronounced as his level rose.


    Simply too strong!


    Truly a Legendary Talent!


    I really am a peerless genius, haha!


    Ya''er, who was nearby, watched as Lis suddenly stopped, stared ahead in a daze, and thenughed.


    Startled, Ya''er called out into the house:


    "Come out quick, Lis has trained himself silly, his brain is overheated!"


    "Stop! What nonsense are you talking?"


    Realizing what was happening, Lis grabbed Ya''er, who was about to call others for help, and said with a straight face.


    "Ah, Lis, are you okay?" Ya''er turned to look at a nonplussed Lis, curiously asking.


    "I''m fine, I''m fine, just got a bit too excited about a breakthrough during training," Lis could only exin.


    "Are we continuing training?" Ya''er asked.


    "No, let''s rest. We have trained enough for today, thank you for your hard work, Ya''er," Lis sincerely thanked her.


    Although Ya''er might not be reliable in theory, her practical help in the training was substantial and she patiently supported him all day.


    "All Martial Arts Mastery" owes five percent of its merit to you, the other ny-five percentes from my extraordinary talent.

 Chapter 31 - 31 Desire

    <h4>Chapter 31: Chapter 31 Desire</h4>


    Since Lis had acquired the "All Martial Arts Mastery" Warrior Professional Specialization, nearly a week had passed.


    During this time, Lis had been very busy!


    Joining the Yaya Adventure Group was unexpected, but Lis seized the opportunity to study and train hard.


    After all, the chance to siphon skills from teammates for free was too good to pass up.


    He gained many practical skills from Ya''er and Arsen, such as Charge, Soul-breaking sh, Broken Tendon, and Thunderous Strike.


    From Lunbos, he learned lifesaving skills like Hold the Line, Shield Wall, Iron Armor, and Physical Enhancement.


    He even managed to snatch the Stone Statue Form race skill from a ck Iron Dwarf.


    "Stone Statue Form: Once activated, immune to effects of bleeding, poison, and disease, increases armor value by 10%. Lasts 8 seconds, cooldown time 3 minutes."


    As for Ailina, after getting to know Lis and realizing he wasn''t the kind of disgusting noble who keeps elves captive, their rtionship improved significantly.


    At Lis''s request, she showed him some Hunter professional skills, such as Tracking, Traps, and Wind Walking Technique.


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Lis sessfully learned them covertly.


    As for the core abilities of taming beasts from the Hunter profession, Lis couldn''t learn them yet. He guessed that he might need to attain the Hunter Professional Specialization first to unlock these skills.


    Compared to the family guards who were all iron-headed warriors, Lis felt he truly couldn''tpare, neither in quantity nor in quality. (Family Guard: Should I leave then?)


    Although everyone was curious about Lis''s request to demonstrate the use of various professional skills, Lis exined that he had rarely encountered other Transcendent professions and wanted to familiarize himself with them to avoid being clueless when facing them in the future.


    Lis did not want to hide this from his teammates, because his "All-Purpose" talent was too significant, and he had to be cautious until he had enough power to protect himself.


    Being able to master skills from another profession was rare enough, but to master all professional skills would obviously indicate something unusual about him.


    Lis nned that, when he acted using his own identity in the future, he could only use Warrior skills, and could just im his profession was that of a Magic Swordsman!


    Skills from other professions, if possible, would not be used for the time being.


    Meanwhile, after Lis had acquired numerous skills and the "All Martial Arts Mastery" Warrior Basic Specialization, the extra experience provided by the "All-Purpose" talent had also increased to 30%.


    The strength of the "All-Purpose" talent was gradually being revealed.


    Today, Lis was practicing with Ya''er again untilte, sweating profusely and covered in dust on the vi grounds, still sparring with Ya''er with a longsword in hand.


    It must be said that Ya''er, destined to be a main character in future stories, was young but her strength and experience far surpassed the forty-something-year-old Uncle Welf! (Welf: Should I leave then?)


    "Alright, that''s enough,e in. Dinner is ready!"


    Seeing the two had stopped, Arsen called out to them from the window.


    The two stopped messing around, put away their weapons, and went back inside.


    Ya''er ran into the house excitedly, shouting,


    "I''m so hungry, what are we having for dinner tonight?"


    "Ordered food from Pascal Restaurant, might not be as good as what Lis makes, but it will do."


    Arsen said with a smile, waving to Lis.


    "You tter me, I''m nowhere near as good as the professional chefs at the restaurant." Lis modestly replied, having cooked many times these past few days, nearly conquering the tastes of several members of the Yaya Adventure Group.


    Arsen waved his hand, not adding anything more. In his view, Lis was indeed strange, being a noble proficient in cooking, and as a mage, practicing closebat with Ya''er.


    But having interacted over the past few days, he found that Lis was a good person, not like some stingy nobles, always knowing a thing or two about many unfamiliar topics, making him easy and pleasant to be around.


    Today, it was unusual for all members of the Yaya Adventure Group to gather together. As everyone enjoyed their meal, Arsen tapped on the table and, once he captured everyone''s attention, cleared his throat and said:


    "It has been a long time since wepleted thestmission, and with our new member, Lis, having joined us, I think it''s time we went to the Mercenary Guild to pick up a new task."


    Being a rare Gold-level adventure team, the Yaya Mercenary Group was naturally an important force forpleting high-levelmissions at the guild. The guild had already sent someone to inquire if Arsen wanted to ept a high-levelmission, moreover, this was also the task assigned to him by his superiors.


    Miss Ya''er had reached a certain level of strength, what mattered more now was enhancing her experience and exposure in various aspects.


    That was also why Miss Ya''er frequently traveled around as a mercenary.


    "Agreed!" Ya''er was the first to raise her hand, clutching a chicken leg. She was already eager, as staying in the city every day was incredibly boring.


    "I have no objections!" Lunbos nced at his mug of ale. The rewards from theirstpletedmission were almost entirely spent on his drinking, so he really needed to earn some more drinking money.


    Ailina lightly tucked a few strands of her golden hair behind her ear with her right hand and gently nodded in agreement.


    Lis, of course, had no objections!


    epting amission=Completing a high-rank task=A vast amount of Experience Points!


    This was too tempting for the current Lis!


    "Okay, then it''s decided," said Arsen, nodding. He was generally in charge of the day-to-day affairs within the Yaya Adventure Group.


    "Shall we go to the guild tomorrow morning then?"


    At this point, Arsen turned to look at Lis and hesitated before saying:


    "I think since it''s Lis''s first time joining our adventure team, we should choose a simpler extermination task this time, to integrate better."


    Lis nodded, as it made sense. After all, he was still only at the Bronze level, while his teammates were all at the Silver level, and Ya''er was even a Gold-level warrior. If the coordination wasn''t good, his presence could even be a detriment to the team.


    Extermination tasks had a higher margin for errorpared to exploring dangerous realms. After all, during explorations, dangers coulde from all directions at any time, which demands a higher degree of understanding among team members. Thus, Arsen''s consideration was quite thoughtful.


    But Lis wasn''t worried about being a burden. He might not dare speak for others, but his practicalbat experience with teammates was quite solid, a result of countless team wipes in his previous life.


    Lis didn''t believe others could have experienced as many deaths as he had; ordinary battles could no longer disrupt his calm and collectedbat mentality.


    Lis''s situation was akin to a skilled cook without rice, possessing mature and skilledbat experience from his previous life butcking corresponding strength.


    His pace in enhancing his strength was still far from sufficient!


    In these recent days of practical training, he was facing a chasm-like difference in strength between himself and Ya''er, who was the main character of the story.


    Even if he used all his strength, he still couldn''t harm Ya''er at all.


    Too weak!


    Lis clenched his right hand as blood surged through his body and his spirit roared incessantly, his longing to enhance his strength had never been so fiery!


    Even more so than the time when he was just reborn as a Viscount and realized the threat of death he would face.


    Yes!


    Since he hade to this vast, heroic world, how could he be willing to fall behind others, to be swept up by the tides of fate, to simply go with the flow?


    Even if it was the main character, it wouldn''t do!


    I am Lis!


    In this life, I must reach the pinnacle of this world, ensuring my name is remembered by all races of this world!

 Chapter 32 - 32 Mercenary Commission

    <h4>Chapter 32: Chapter 32 Mercenary Commission</h4>


    Early the next morning, Lis was already fully armed, standing at the entrance of the Mercenary Guild.


    Having confronted his desires yesterday, he felt even more determined��perhaps that was his path of conviction?


    Lis chuckled at himself, but the determination in his eyes didn''t waver in the slightest.


    The Mercenary Guild''s hall was busier in the morning, with hardly anyone sitting around idly chatting and drinking. Most people were gathered around themission wall, checking and discussing with their teammates about which task would be more suitable to take.


    Lis scanned his surroundings and noticed that Ya''er and the others hadn''t arrived yet. Maybe he should have gone to the vi to find them first.


    But then he thought, let''s wait a bit longer.


    He might be a bit anxious, having arrived a tad early.


    He found a spot near the guild''s entrance to sit down, and Lis began to mentally construct a Magic Model. His recent progress in arcane study hadn''t been significant, as he had devoted much of his energy to training in Martial Arts.


    Now that he had obtained the "All Martial Arts Mastery" specialty and had be proficient with various weapons through sparring with Ya''er, it was time to focus his energy back on arcane research.


    After all, the arcane was his foundation!


    While Lis was pondering how to make a breakthrough in the Protection system of arcane spells, someone gently patted him on the back.


    "Lis, what are you daydreaming about? I''ve been calling you for quite a while," Ya''er''s crisp voice rang in Lis''s ear.


    "Oh, I was just pondering something and didn''t notice."


    Lis turned around and saw the fully armed group of four standing behind him.


    Ya''er was wearing a set of dark red leather armor that emitted a faint glow, indicating it was a precious piece of Enchanted equipment. A ck longsword was sheathed and carried on her back, making her look lively and adorable.


    Arsen, unlike Ya''er, hadn''t chosen light leather armor but was wearing a full suit of white armor, holding a silver Long Spear that gleamed coldly in his hand. He looked dashing, although a bit mboyant.


    Lunbos was dressed in a full set of pure ck Dwarf Shield Guard armor. His armor looked much thicker than Arsen''s, but he seemed to carry it effortlessly, even casually resting a hammer nearly as tall as himself on his shoulder.


    Ailina, on the other hand, wore a standard Ranger outfit. Her slender figureplemented her stunning face, making the surrounding mercenaries turn their heads to look, and not just them��Lis''s gaze lingered for a moment on the fair skin between Ailina''s shorts and boots.


    "Let''s go. First we need to get Lis registered as part of our adventure team, then we''ll check out themissions."


    Arsen waved to Lis, and they all headed to the guild''s registration area.


    As it happened, Lia was again seated behind the counter.


    Seeing the Ya''er Adventure Group approach, Lia took the initiative to ask:


    "Is there anything I can assist you with,dies and gentlemen of the Ya''er Adventure Group?"


    "This is our adventure team''s new member, Lis. Please register his information."


    The formal personnel information of a Mercenary Group is recorded and filed with the Guild. Of course, it''s not mandatory to file it, but without a record, themissionspleted by the Mercenary Group cannot be credited to an individual''s Mercenary Points, and without that, there''s no way to increase an individual''s mercenary level.


    "Is this... Mr. Moriarty?"


    Facing the odd nces from his teammates, Lis couldn''t help but cough awkwardly and said:


    "That is a pseudonym I''ve chosen. Please register me under that name."


    "Okay." Lia hurriedly responded. Being able to join the Gold Level Yaya Adventure Group, this Mr. Moriarty was certainly no ordinary person, and she hadn''t misjudged him.


    The people around them heard that the Yaya Mercenary Group had a new member joining and couldn''t help but curiouslye over to watch Lis.


    Although the name of the Yaya Mercenary Group didn''t sound very imposing,pared to Blood Wolf, Lion, Falcon, and others, mercenaries valued strength more, and all members of the Yaya Adventure Team were of Silver Power or above, which indeed made their reputation resound amongst mercenaries.


    "Is there any other information you''d like to change?" Lia asked.


    After thinking for a moment, Lis said, "Register my profession as a Mage."


    Lis had previously concealed his profession in order to learn Martial Arts without attracting attention. Now that he had acquired the Warrior Professional Specialization, there was no need to hide it. Besides, an Unemployed joining the Yaya Adventure Group would have seemed even more strange.


    "Then..."


    Seeing Lia''s somewhat embarrassed look, Lis didn''t say much and directly took out his Jade Wand from the storage ring.


    With Magic Power circting, the gem at the top of the wand emitted a verdant Magic Radiance.


    Upon seeing this, Lia immediately finished the registration and handed the card to Lis with both hands, saying, "Mr. Moriarty, your information has been fully registered. Please keep your mercenary status card safe."


    Lis took the card, and the surrounding mercenaries looked at this young and handsome Mage, discussing in low voices.


    "No wonder he could join Lady Ya''er''s adventure team. He looks so young, but he''s a Mage."


    "When will our team be able to have a Mage join too?"


    "He''s probably Silver Power, right? So young and already a Silver Mage, impressive, indeed."


    "Of course. Didn''t you see the size of the Advanced Magic Gem on his wand? That''s definitely Gold Level Equipment. If he''s not Silver, could he be Bronze? If that''s the case, I''ll eat my sword right here and now."


    "That''s true. But could he possibly be a Golden Mage? After all, Lady Ya''er is so young and is already a Golden Warrior. I can''t quite tell with this handsome guy."


    ...


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Lis, hearing the surrounding mercenaries'' conversations, couldn''t help but twitch at the corner of his mouth.


    Me, a Bronze Mage, would really be an apology.


    Lis forcefully resisted the urge to let that onlooking mercenary perform the act of swallowing a sword and instead followed his teammates to themission wall to check for suitable tasks.


    [Search Commission: Mr. Smith has run away from home once again (attached with a portrait). The task is to find and bring him back (forced methods can be used), remuneration: 5 Gold Coins, duration: unlimited.]


    [Escort Commission: Escort the Mile Caravan to the Eastern Duke Baird''s Domain. Requires a Mercenary Group of more than ten people. Remuneration: 100 Gold Coins, duration: one month.]


    [Extermination Commission: Hiero Manor outside the city is suffering from an invasion of Tusked Wild Boars. The task is to eradicate all Tusked Wild Boars on the manor, remuneration: 2 Gold Coins for each exterminated Tusked Wild Boar, all spoils go to the Hunters, duration: unlimited.]


    ...


    Lis scanned through severalmissions, and the feeling from his previous life returned.


    He had taken many simrmissions like the third extermination task. Suchmissions were quite generous; a wild boar sold for about 4 Gold Coins, and eliminating one rewarded 2 Gold Coins. In total, that made 6 Gold, thepensation was quite substantial.


    However, not many would take up such a task. Aside from experienced Hunters using traps to capture them, one would need to at least be at Profession Level 10 to deal with Tusked Wild Boars alone, which was equivalent to battling low-level demons.

 Chapter 33 - 33 Departure

    <h4>Chapter 33: Chapter 33 Departure</h4>


    The next morning, amon carriage rocked gently as it left through the east gate of Bright City amidst the bustling crowd, heading to the southeast.


    This was precisely Ya''er Adventure Team''s group of five, with Arsen having rented a carriage to take them to the destination of theirmission.


    After a period of inspection and discussion yesterday, Ya''er and her team had finally confirmed themission they would ept.


    [Advanced Extermination Commission: Baron Zete Toney''s vineyard has been invaded by an unidentified Magic Beast (suspected to be Silver Level), resulting in the deaths of more than a dozen people (including a Silver Level mercenary). The task is to eliminate the Magic Beast and clear all threats from the vineyard. Fee: 1000 Gold Coins, Duration: one week]


    As Lis had predicted, new missions also appeared in the system.


    ---------------


    [Silver Level Mercenary Mission: Magic Beast Extermination]


    [Mission Requirements: Follow the Ya''er Adventure Team to eliminate the Magic Beast causing trouble in Baron Tony''s Domain]


    [Mission Reward: Experience Points 700,000, Gold Coins 100]


    -----------------


    It was indeed a Silver Level task, and the reward for Experience Points was truly substantial, enough to raise one''s level by three.


    Just as he had thought, joining the Ya''er Adventure Team allowed one to take higher-level missions, and this was truly worth holding onto.


    While thinking, Lis leaned against the side of the carriage, sitting on dry straw filled with the scent of sunlight, as many farmers began their busy day in the fields around the road.


    The carriage was not fast, and although the destination vineyard was not very far from Bright City, it still required more than a day''s walk. To conserve energy for any sudden emergencies, Arsen had still opted to rent a carriage.


    It wasn''t that they couldn''t afford a morefortable coach, but such coaches were not suitable for the bumpy dirt roads in the wilderness and were far less convenient and fast than the current light carriage.


    Ya''er and the others were already ustomed to this mode of travel. As for Lis, needless to say, in his previous life, long-distance travel early in the game was mostly dependent on such light carriages, while high-level means like Transmission Arrays were usedter on.


    "Speaking of which, themission fee for the mission we''ve taken is very generous, isn''t it? It''s about half more than the usual Silver Levelmissions," said Lis to Arsen, who was driving the carriage.


    Ya''er was currently leaning on the side of the carriage, observing the nearby farmers at work, while casually waving a twig as thick as a thumb that she had picked up from somewhere.


    Although she was the leader, she generally never managed the affairs of the adventure team, leaving everything to Arsen, the handyborer, to decide.


    "You''re quite aware," Arsen nodded and flicked the reins to steer the carriage forward as he replied,


    "Because this mission is rather special. I asked the guild, and it has previously been picked up by some mercenaries; however, nonepleted the mission, and moreover, a Silver Level mercenary was killed in an ambush by the Magic Beast. So, now few people take this mission, and themissioning party raised the fee for that reason as well."


    "There must be more to it, right?" Lis continued.


    "Right, you also hold a noble title, though without a fief, but you must have realized,"


    Arsen paused, then said, "As a Noble Lord, the people in the domain pledge loyalty to the Lord, who must also ensure the safety of the people within the domain. This is the most basic and crucial duty of a Lord."


    "And as Baron Zete Toney, being the Lord, the severe casualties in the domain that he couldn''t manage properly not only severely affected the normal operation of his vineyard, causing heavy economic losses, but more importantly, it could cause the Royal Family to question his ability to govern his domain."


    "This would be inconsequential if his domain were on the periphery of the Kingdom, but his domain is only a day''s journey from the Royal Capital, Bright City, which is very critical. If he can''t manage it for a long time, he might not be able to retain his noble title and domain."


    "Exactly!" Lis nodded, just as he had spected.


    Gaia World was indeed different from the world Arsen had known in his previous life; not only humans lived here, but also countless intelligent races and magical beasts, as well as wild beasts.


    In order to govern the country better, the state had allottednd beyond the control of the Royal Family to others, which was the origin of the nobility.


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    People living within the noble domains obeyed the Lord, paid taxes, all in return for the Lord''s protection.


    After all, the wilderness was too harsh for ordinary people.


    The existence of Magic Power meant that various extraordinary creatures were widely spread across this world, even within the Human Kingdom. Between territories and cities, all sorts of extraordinary creatures and magical beasts roamed, and even though the kingdom''s army repeatedly attempted to eliminate them, they could only keep the numbers of these creatures at a rtively low level.


    Even the weakest extraordinary creatures, such as goblins, dog-headed men, and slimes, posed a lethal threat to ordinary people.


    So, even though living within the territories required paying hefty taxes, themon people still flocked there, unwilling to leave, perhaps due to the sense of security provided by the walls and the Lord''s army.


    But humans were such a fascinating race: the weak couldn''t defeat even a slime, yet the strong stood at the peak of the gods, overlooking all beings.


    Lis reflected on this, perhaps that was why humans now upied most of the primend in Gaia World. After all, in the Temple of the Gods, the Human God System held the most seats.


    As the carriage slowly progressed, the scenery on both sides of the road became more deste: no people in sight, only overgrown grass and trees.


    Lis and hispanions heightened their vignce. In the wilderness, the most forbidden thing was to be careless and let down their guard; even as a Golden Warrior, how could you be sure there wouldn''t be an Ancient Red Dragon jumping out from the roadside, sending you to meet the God of Dawn with a single breath?


    The chances of that were not high, but never zero!


    Every old mercenary who had survived numerous adventures outdoors remembered this.


    Just as Lis was multitasking, being vignt around him while simting Magic Models in his mind, something happened in the bushes beside the road in front��


    "Ah~"


    Two small creatures suddenly burst out, shouting at Lis and his carriage.


    Arsen pulled the carriage to a halt, not panicked at all; he had already recognized what these creatures were.


    "Lis, this is your first time out of the city on a mission, right? Do you recognize these?"


    Lis certainly recognized them, and was quite familiar; he saw at a nce that these two were not humans.


    Pff~, these were actually one of the mostmonly encountered extraordinary creatures in the wilderness��Dog-headed Men.


    The Dog-headed Men were short, with an ordinary Dog-headed Man standing just about two feet tall. Their skin was scaly, ranging in color from dark brown to ck. They had two light-colored small horns, glowing eyes, and straight tails like rodents.


    Dog-headed Men were timid, cunning, excelled at hiding and ambushing, and tended to torment other creatures. They feared bright light, generally lived in dark areas, such as underground or in densely foliaged forests.


    It was said that Dog-headed Men had a hint of dragon''s blood, which might be why Dragon Vein Mages appeared among them.


    Even though Lis had encountered the creature Dog-headed Men countless times, looking at them from left to right, he couldn''t believe that such an ugly creature could catch the eye of a dragon.


    Perhaps the Dragon n really did have those so-called eyes that discovered beauty.


    Watching the two Dog-headed Men hopping and rushing towards the carriage, Arsen said to Lis:


    "Since you recognized them, how about you try your hand with these two?"

 Chapter 34: Dog-headed Man!

    <h4>Chapter 34: Dog-headed Man!</h4>


    Lis gently jumped down from the carriage and stood in front of it.


    Those two dog-headed men, d in unnamed red leather, didn''t seem to sense the danger, still naively charging with their makeshift spears crafted from branches and stones.


    Ya''er and her teammates watched as Lis prepared to make a move, directing their gaze towards him.


    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    They didn''t doubt Lis''s ability to handle the two dog-headed men; they were simply curious to see how Lis would perform against demons for the first time.


    Although dog-headed men pose a significant threat to ordinary people, that''s mainly because they tend to move in groups. If outnumbered, they generally choose to flee.


    Cases where two isted dog-headed men dare to charge are indeed rare.


    Lis himself seemed rxed and at ease. He didn''t even take out his Jade Wand, just raised his right hand and cast a spell without it.


    "sh Technique!"


    Lis intentionally heightened his Magic Power output, and a blinding light shed before the dog-headed men.


    Living in dim environments for long periods had ustomed their eyes to darkness, so even a Zero Level Magic like the sh Technique could effectively blind them.


    "Wah! Ya!"


    The two dog-headed men were blinded by Lis''s sh Technique, panicked and running around chaotically while howling incoherently.


    Apparently, only the higher-ranking priests and magicians among the dog-headed men could speak themon tongue and some Draconic, while mostmunicated through their calls alone.


    "Fireball Technique!"


    With a flick of his finger, Lis sent two Fireball Techniques, hitting both ugly dog-headed men precisely; they instantly fell silent and turned to ashes in the ze.


    [You caused fatal damage to the target using the Fireball Technique!]


    [You have killed two Dog-headed Men (Ordinary) LV10!]


    [You have gained 200 Experience Points]


    These dog-headed men really give such low Experience! Lisined.


    It couldn''t be helped; after all, dog-headed men were too weak. A tusked wild boar could take on five ordinary ones single-handedly.


    Arsen raised an eyebrow. The sh Technique was nothing special, but it took an experienced mage with seasoned expertise to use it against low-level dog-headed men.


    And there was something unusual about Lis''s Fireball Technique; why did it seem much stronger than the ones he had seen before?


    Seeing Lis walking towards the thicket where the dog-headed men had emerged, Arsen quickly asked,


    "Lis, where are you going?"


    "Dog-headed men usually move in n groups. I''m going to see if their den is here."


    "I''lle with you. Ya''er, you and the others guard the carriage."


    "I want to go too!" Ya''er, who was bored from sitting in the carriage all day, naturally wouldn''t miss this opportunity.


    "Alright then," Arsen conceded somewhat reluctantly, but he figured there shouldn''t be any problems with Ailina and Lunbos watching the carriage.


    The three of them followed the path left by the dog-headed men deep into the thicket. The signs they left were quite clear; even without the Hunter profession, the trio quickly located the den based on experience alone.


    It was at the bottom of a rocky hillock, with a clearly excavated cave leading into the hillside, guarded by two dog-headed man sentries at the entrance.


    "What do you think?" Out of politeness, Lis asked Arsen before taking action.


    "There''s nothing much to say, just charge straight in, these Dog-headed Men pose no threat to us."


    Arsen said offhandedly and then seemed to remember something important. He quickly reminded Lis:


    "Lis, remember not to use Earth Magic after entering the cave."


    "I know."


    Lis certainly knew why, in his past life''s game, there had been a Mage who, for some reason, had a mental short circuit and used the Earthquake Skill while exploring the Underground City, which caused the entire area of the city to copse, resulting in the whole team''s death underground.


    This miraculous blunder was rated as one of the ssic textbook examples of what not to do as a Mage on the yer forums.


    That being said, Lis didn''t think he had to cast any harmful spells; his teammates were simply too powerful.


    Lis only had time to cast Shield Skill on Ya''er and Arsen before the two charged out. The two guards at the entrance of the cave hadn''t even realized what was happening before their heads literally flew off.


    Ya''er and Arsen charged directly into the cave, and with a shake of his head, Lis followed them in.


    When your teammates are too strong and make you look useless, what do you do?


    Your only option is to buff yourself with Shield Skill, Elemental Shield, and Protection Arrow to enhance your sense of participation.


    Walking into the cave of the Dog-headed Men, it''s worth noting that, though they are typically only one meter tall, the cave itself is quite spacious. At least, Lis could walk in upright without worrying about bumping his head.


    The Dog-headed Men, as natural miners, were remarkably skilled at digging caves, and Lis even noticed that they had set up venttion shafts and support columns at intervals, proving their reliability.


    No wonder giant dragons liked to gather a bunch of Dog-headed Men as their favored, having them mine precious ores and gemstones was indeed a smart move.


    This was also the reason why Lis wanted to explore the Dog-headed Men''s caves. In his past life, almost every discovered Dog-headed Men''s nest contained some rare ores, and with extreme luck, one might even find a Magic Gem.


    As a result, many yers tirelessly explored the caves of the Dog-headed Men as if they were opening a blind box.


    Ya''er and Arsen had already disappeared from sight, not really concerned with the potential precious ores inside the Dog-headed Men''s cave. Their sole purpose was to eliminate the threat, as Dog-headed Men were not much of a problem for them, but they could still pose a significant threat to ordinary people passing by, especially since the cave was so close to the main road.


    Lis quickened his pace and headed deeper into the cave, asionally seeing one or two in Dog-headed Men lying on either side of the corridor.


    His panel was constantly popping up with teammate kill information, and he was also sharing in some Experience Points. It was better than nothing.


    Gauging the length of the cave''s corridor to be over a hundred meters, he soon arrived at the end of the cave.


    The end was a rtively open area where the Dog-headed Men had dug upwards by five or six meters, creating a huge space, with additional caves excavated on both walls, where the Dog-headed Men usually rested.


    "Lis,e here quickly and see, there''s a Magician in this Dog-headed Man''s nest."


    Ya''er cheerfully waved at Lis, calling him over to see her new discovery.


    Lis walked over to Ya''er. This cave was directly opposite the tunnel entrance, and the caves on the walls were noticeablyrger than the others.


    At Ya''er''s feety a in Dog-headed Man who was obviously different from the others, d in moreplete animal skin clothing, with a primitive Magic Wand made of bone and wood lying beside it.


    "You''ve already killed him, what''s left for me to see?" Lis said with a touch of resignation.


    "Ah, I forgot. When I saw the lighting from his wand, I just unconsciously chopped him down."


    Ya''er felt a bit embarrassed, as it was her first time encountering a Dog-headed Man Magician, and she hadn''t been able to hold back in the moment.


    "It''s fine, after all, it''s not like there''s much to be said to these creatures."


    Lis waved it off. Even if the Dog-headed Man Magician might have spoken themon tongue, he didn''t see any point inmunicating with these beings; he didn''t need Dog-headed Men to mine for him.

 Chapter 35 - 35 Magic Crystal

    <h4>Chapter 35: Chapter 35 Magic Crystal</h4>


    Lis and Ya''er sized up this rare Dogman Wizard while Arsen was checking and cleaning the surrounding cave walls.


    All the adult Dog-headed Men had been killed by Ya''er and Arsen, leaving only some Dogman hatchlings and unhatched eggs in the cave.


    Yes, Dog-headed Men are oviparous.


    They would ce the eggs theyid in amunal hatching room and wouldn''t distinguish whether they were their own offspring, instead they were raised and educated collectively by the entire settlement, a standard n survival system.


    Arsen killed each young Dogman one by one, even those who hadn''t opened their eyes yet,


    For these creatures that endangered human survival, there was no room for mercy or soft-heartedness.


    If a few hatchlings were spared, with their remarkable breeding rate, it wouldn''t take long for another Dogman nest to appear here!


    Lis took a moment to look over the Dogman Wizard. Although all Dogman Wizards were Dragon Vein Mages, the purity of dragon blood within them was too low to have any value in bloodline refining.


    Lis pulled a longsword from his storage ring and started to rummage through the cave that was obviously the residence of the Dogman Wizard.


    If this tribe of Dogmen had any particrly valuable items, then they should be kept close to their leader, the Dogman Wizard.


    Using the longsword to shift through the cave''s detritus, beneath bones and beast skins, Lis indeed made a new discovery.


    A pile of crystal-clear stonesy together, each roughly the size of a finger, emitting a faint glow.


    Lis used Mage''s Hand to pick up a small piece, held it up close for careful examination, injected Magic Power to test it, and finally determined that it should be a Magic Crystal.


    Although not as valuable as Magic Gems worth tens of thousands, because of their excellent Mana storage and conduction effects, they were often used in Magic Equipment and expensive element research tools; even a small piece in his hand was worth a few hundred Gold Coins.


    The small pile of Magic Crystals in front of him was then worth several hundred Gold Coins. He hadn''t even reached the mission location, and he was already in profit, not a bad turn of luck.


    ncing at Ya''er, this must be the luck that came naturally to the protagonist of the story!


    After all, his own Luck Value was a pitiful three Points!


    After some thought, Lis collected all the Magic Crystals into his storage ring and said to Ya''er,


    "This is our team''s gain. I''ll hold onto it for now, and we can divide it after weplete themission and return to town."


    Ya''er wasn''t interested in it, waving a hand as a gesture to do as he saw fit, instead picking up the Dogman Wizard''s Magic Wand and constantly waving it around, seemingly more interested in some patterns inside the Dogman cave.


    Seeing this, Lis didn''t say much else, made a thorough check of the Dogman Wizard''s cave, and aside from some gold nuggets, found nothing else, so he stood and exited.


    Arsen had already finished cleaning the entire Dogman''s nest, wiped the red blood off his longsword, and sheathed it.


    Seeing Lis walk out, Arsen asked,


    "Lis, is it done?"


    "Hmm, a small gain."


    "Alright, then let''s get out. Once out, you might as well use some Earth Magic to bury this nest."


    "No problem."


    Having said that, the two of them gathered up Ya''er, who was wandering around, and returned to the surface through the passage.


    Upon emerging, Lis couldn''t help but take deep breaths of fresh air, even though the Dogmen had left venttion openings in their nest, that strange smell still posed some trouble for him.


    He took a breath, Lis took out the Jade Wand from the ring, gathered Magic Power, and began chanting the Magic Spell.


    "Stone w Technique!"


    He had not yet learned the Earthquake Skill, a High-Circle Magic, but the Stone w Technique, a three-circles magic he had just mastered, could also destroy the terrain.


    Under Lis''s control, ck three-fingered stone ws kept emerging from the ground under his feet, mming towards the entrance of the Dogman''s cave.


    Bang bang!


    After several loud noises, the entrance to the cave was destroyed, and the small hill above had copsed, burying the entire Dogman den under the shattered rocks.


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Work''s done."


    Lis waved his hand and, after checking that everything was in order, called to Arsen and Ya''er to walk toward the carriage.


    The waiting Ailina and Lunbos on the carriage were relieved to see the three of them return safe and sound.


    It was Ailina who threw away the Dogman Wizard''s wand that Ya''er had picked up��a shabby thing made of bones and branches, just a decoration; she didn''t understand why Ya''er, a little girl, brought this back.


    Ya''er pouted, already used to being lectured by Ailina, and she didn''t resist, climbing onto the carriage feeling wronged.


    The group continued toward the grape ntation in Baron Tony''s Domain. Although they had been dyed by the Dogmen, they could still reach their destination before it got dark if they hurried.


    As the sun set in the west, Lis and hispanions could already see the town of Baron Tony''s Domain.


    Located atop a hill, the town was not veryrge, with a clear stream flowing from the foot of the hill. A castle with dark grey walls stood out atop the hill, surrounded by various low brick and stone houses, showing that Baron Tony''s Domain likely had a poption of around one thousand.


    Looking into the distance, stretches of lush vineyards extended far, yet there were hardly any farmers managing them.


    Seeing the destination right in front of them, everyone became spirited, the fatigue of riding in a carriage all day somewhat diminished.


    As the carriage drew close to the town, a middle-aged man was pacing back and forth in front of it. Noticing Lis and the others approaching, he walked up eagerly to greet them.


    "Excuse me, are you the gentlemen from the Mercenary Guild? I am Steward Ze Man. Mr. Tony has been waiting for you in the castle, please follow me."


    Ze Man knew that these were silver-level powerhouses and didn''t dare to treat them with the same attitude reserved for those menial mercenaries, even though he had been waiting there all day.


    Lis and hispanions got off the carriage, and stable hands of the Baron''s household took care of the carriage, while they followed Steward Ze Man toward the Baron''s castle.


    Lis surveyed the houses on either side of the road, with doors and windows tightly locked; not a single pedestrian was seen in the entire town, except for a few guards left at the castle gate.


    "What''s going on, has the unknown Magic Beast already invaded the town?"


    Arsen also sensed something odd and asked Ze Man.


    "It''s like this, two residents went missing in the townst night, with only bloodstains found. It''s the first time that beast has attacked someone inside the town, so now everyone is too scared to go outside."


    Ze Man said nervously, asionally ncing around corners, fearing the beast might suddenly appear and attack him.


    "Has it gotten this serious?"


    Arsen''s expression grew somber; it was quite rare for a Magic Beast to invade a town and stealthily attack its residents.


    No wonder the town felt lifeless, so deste. If they didn''t act quickly, it might be that traders would stoping to this town altogether.


    For Baron Tony''s Domain, which relied on cultivating and brewing wine, this would be a severe blow.

 Chapter 36 - 36 Passionate Baron Tony

    <h4>Chapter 36: Chapter 36 Passionate Baron Tony</h4>


    Steward Zeman led the group into the castle, which looked to have some years on it. One side of the castle was already covered in lush green ivy, giving off a sense of the passage of time.


    Although this castle was not veryrge, and couldn''tpare to the massive fortresses that upy entire mountaintops, it was neverthelessplete with all the necessary facilities such as walls, stables, and training grounds.


    Lis and the other four members of the party were taken to the castle''s banquet hall, where a sumptuous dinner had already been prepared. Standing before the table was a worried-looking, portly man in luxurious attire.


    "Presumably, you are the famous Yaya Adventure Group; the Magic Beast my territory has encountered this time will wholly depend on you heroes!"


    The man before them was the lord of the territory, Zet Tony, who looked like he hadn''t slept well in days, his heavy dark circles especially noticeable.


    Arsen, as the adventure team''s representative, naturally stepped forward to greet Baron Tony, saying:


    "You tter us, sir. I am Arsen. Since we have epted yourmission, we will naturallyplete the mission properly and help you eliminate that Magic Beast."


    "I know, I know, I''m counting on you all!"


    Seeing Arsen''s assurance, Zet Tony finally breathed a sigh of relief; these past few days had been torturous for him as a Baron.


    "You''ve all had a long and tiring journey today. I''ve prepared dinner and a ce for you to rest."


    Zet, noticing that Arsen showed no intention of introducing the others, didn''t mind and swiftly invited Lis and the rest to take their seats.


    He had prepared this rich dinner in advance and had Steward Zeman greet them in town, all based on the advice of a friend from the Mercenary Guild in Bright City who had helped him issue the task. That friend had especially sent word yesterday that the team taking up his territory''s exterminationmission was not ordinary, and as long as there were no issues, they would definitely be able to deal with the Magic Beast.


    Zet initially had his doubts about his friend''s words, after all, there had been Silver Level mercenaries who''d pledged with certainty that they couldplete the task, only for one of them to end up not evening back alive.


    But the messenger''sst sentence had dispelled all of Zet''s doubts.


    Among the mercenaries who hade was a Golden Warrior!


    A Golden Warrior was a one-in-ten-thousand powerhouse; just swearing fealty to His Majesty the King would earn him an immediate title as a Court Baron!


    That was far superior to inheriting a title from his uncle, as he had done.


    Thinking about the sizable sum of money he had paid to hire a Golden Warrior, Baron Tony wasn''t feeling quite as pained about the cost.


    The Golden Warrior must be this man named Arsen, who seemed to be the leader of their group!


    Such an aura, truly befitting of a Golden Warrior!


    He certainly looked much stronger than the little girl who kept looking around curiously next to him!


    With this in mind, Zet''s tone in speaking to Arsen became even more courteous.


    Lis and the others also took their seats at the dining table. The main courses for dinner were stewed fish and roasted steak; although it couldn''tpare to the fare in Bright City, for this rtively remote town, Baron Tony had gone to great lengths.


    All of them declined Baron Tony''s offer to sample the local grape wine, including the Dwarf, Lunbos, who was typically quite fond of alcohol. After all, they were about to face danger and couldn''t afford to have their reflexes dulled by alcohol.


    However, Ailina did seem to enjoy the local grapes quite a lot. They weren''t the sour type used for wine-making; the locality must also have nted some ordinary sweet grape varieties, which tasted quite good, carrying a distinctive vor of sunshine and rain.


    "Baron, may I ask if you could introduce us to the situation in your territory?"


    Arsen saw that everyone had nearly finished their meal and rest, so he spoke to Baron Tony.


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Ah," the Baron sighed, recalling the events as he introduced them to the group.


    "That was two weeks ago one evening, when my steward reported to me that some of the goats, which the vigers were grazing near the vineyard on the eastern side of my domain, had disappeared, and many of the vineyard''s structures were damaged."


    "At first, I thought it was the Tusked Wild Boars or wild wolves, so I sent my Guard Captain with some men to check it out, but then the trouble began."


    "The Guard Captain came back with an arm missing, and out of the three men who went with him, only one returned."


    "My Guard Captain had just advanced to Silver Warriorst year, so I knew at once that I couldn''t deal with it myself and had to ask a friend to post amission at the Mercenary Guild."


    "In the past few days, quite a few mercenaries came to eradicate this Magic Beast, but many failed to find it. Then, that very night, a Silver Level mercenary was stealthily killed by the Magic Beast, and many mercenaries were scared off and abandoned the mission."


    "You are myst hope. If this can''t be resolved, I''ll have no choice but to report to the King and request a military extermination."


    Baron Tony said helplessly, really not wanting to rm the Kingdom. If it came to that, he might not even be able to keep his Baron title.


    Not reporting was also not an option��if the Magic Beast kept ravaging his domain without a solution, putting his own safety aside, the entirety of hisnds might deteriorate rapidly, and then what would be the point of being a Lord?


    That''s why he bit the bullet and offered one thousand gold coins as a reward��this was the annual surplus from the ntations of his domain after all.


    Upon hearing this, Lis and Arsen had a fairly good grasp of the situation.


    Arsen then asked the Baron:


    "What kind of Magic Beast is it, and what does it look like? Have these things been confirmed?"


    "Not sure, because this beast appears only at night. Those who came back alive didn''t see it clearly, they say it''s a ck, four-legged monster, simr to leopards or wolves."


    "Where exactly has it attacked the townsfolk and the mercenaries?"


    "At first, all attacks happened near the ntation on the eastern edge of the domain, butst night, there were attacks inside the town. Everyone is petrified. Today, they all stayed home, afraid to leave. I had the guards call all people living outside the town back, and now they''re all staying in the castle, except for the guards at the castle, everyone else is patrolling the town."


    Hearing this, Lis nced at Baron Tony, not expecting this Lord to be so responsible for his people, making proper arrangements.


    "Understood. Leave the rest to us, Baron. You can rest assured," Arsen assured the Baron.


    The Baron also repeatedly instructed Arsen and others to ensure safety. If even Golden Warriors couldn''t handle this, then he really had no solution left. Was he supposed to pray that the beast would leave on its own?


    Arsen gathered everyone and said:


    "You should all have heard about the Magic Beast the Baron described. What do you all think it might be?"


    "It sounds like a beast that''s mainly active at night. I think there''s a good chance it''s some kind of leopard beast, like the Night Leopard or the Shadow Leopard, though it could also be a Horror Wolf," Ailina analyzed, her background as an Elf Hunter made her familiar with various types of beasts.


    The group nodded in agreement, finding Ailina''s perspective quite credible.


    "I have some thoughts as well," Lis interjected.

 Chapter 37 - 37 Division of Labor Investigation

    <h4>Chapter 37: Chapter 37 Division of Labor Investigation</h4>


    "I don''t think it''s likely to be a wolf-type Magic Beast, as they usually live in packs. However, it''s clear that this time, only one Magic Beast attacked the humans, and there were no signs of multiple beasts active," said Lis, speaking analytically. In his former life, he had hunted numerous wolf-type Magic Beasts and was intimately familiar with them, as they generally lived as a group in the wild and upied a territory, seldom wandering about alone.


    "Lis and Ailina make sense," Arsen agreed, then continued,


    "Moreover, from the previous patterns, the Magic Beast this time seems to be of the Silver Level. If it were a Gold Level Magic Beast, the earlier encounter would not have resulted in only one mercenary''s death."


    After a brief discussion, Arsen spread out a simple map that the butler had brought over and pointed to an area to the east of the castle.


    "This is the area where the previous attacks and the death of the Silver Level mercenary urred, and each time it''s always at night, so tonight we''ll start with a simple patrol to see if we can spot any traces of this beast," he exined and gestured over the map,


    "I will take responsibility for this area, Ya''er, you handle the other half."


    Ya''er nodded consciously, knowing she just needed to follow the ns, and she didn''t need special attention just because she was a young girl. If she really encountered that Magic Beast, the one that should be worried would be the beast itself.


    "Ailina, you need to patrol further towards the vineyard area to see if you can find any traces of the Magic Beast," he instructed.


    Ailina had no objections; exploring and tracking in the wild were things an Elf Ranger excelled at.


    "Lunbos and Lis, you two stay in the castle. The safety of the residents in the castle and the town tonight is in your hands. Also, keep an eye out for the signal and provide timely support if you see it."


    N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Whoever encounters the Magic Beast should prioritize their own safety and immediately signal. Everyone else must respond immediately upon seeing the signal without dy."


    After detailing everyone''s tasks for the evening, Arsen thought it over but still felt slightly uneasy and emphasized again to Ya''er:


    "Ya''er, don''t chase after the Magic Beast if you encounter it; even if you are strong enough, getting lost at night could be very troublesome."


    Ailina also nced over. Visibly displeased, Ya''er quickly nodded earnestly again, looking sincere as if she was about ready to swear an oath to the God of Dawn.


    It seems Ya''er has frequently been involved in outrageous antics before.


    Lis thought amusingly, mentally taking notes. This could be juicy material for the future Valkyrie��definitely worth a forter.


    The book could be titled "My Adventures with a Young Valkyrie!"


    It would be a case of hanging a goat''s head but selling dog meat.


    "Lis, you too, it''s your first time on a mission with us, so ensure to stay safe and stick with Lunbos throughout," Arsen advised after addressing Ya''er.


    "Lunbos, you keep an eye on Lis too, given that he''s a Mage!"


    Arsen had just finished warning Ya''er, then he turned and began instructing Lis.


    Lis nodded genuinely, suddenly feeling that Arsen really was not having it easy, acting practically as a full-time nanny for Ya''er Adventure Group!


    And why did he need special attention? With the Warrior Professional Specialization Strength Attribute adjusted, his Life Value was not any less than that of his peers with the same level of warrior.


    Plus, with a bunch of Magic Shields and Martial Arts effects, Lis felt he was now pretty tough.


    But as of now, they still couldn''tpare with Arsen and his ilk, who were at the silver level, especially since they were closebat professionals with attribute points heavily invested in strength and resilience.


    Subsequently, Ya''er, Arsen, and Ailina, equipped themselves and headed towards the outskirts of the town under the night sky.


    Lis, on the other hand, went to the highest part of the castle with Lunbos to easily observe the surroundings of the town, in order to be ready to receive signals and rush to the rescue.


    The night grew deeper, a bright silvery moon hung in the western sky, and the town below fell into silent darkness, with only the asional glimmers of firelight moving nearby, probably from Baron''s guards diligently patrolling.


    Lunbos and Lis stood on the castle''s top at the lookout tower, quietly observing their surroundings.


    With the keen eyesight of professionals, they could see everything around them clearly, even just by the dim moonlight.


    There was a moment of silence between them before Lis broke it, saying,


    "I heard that the wine from Baron Tony''s Domain is quite famous in Bright City. After we deal with that magic beast, we should really enjoy ourselves."


    Dressed in heavy armor, Lunbos thought for a moment and replied with a rough voice, "Let''s not. I''m not used to wine, give me a stout ale instead."


    That made sense. For dwarves,pared to wine, they naturally preferredrge mugs of ale that they could drink heartily.


    Afterward, Lis and Lunbos continued to keep an eye on their surroundings while chatting sporadically about everything from fine wines to gourmet food, from goblins to giant dragons... The two hit it off immediately, chatting about everything under the sun.


    "Lis, you''re not bad!" Lunbos pped Lis on the shoulder and said,


    "Besides thatd Arsen, you''re the most unique noble I''ve met. I''ll have a full suit of armor crafted for you at the dwarves'' workshop in Bright City as a wee gift. It''ll be much better than what you''re using now."


    It seemed Lunbos had some connections with the dwarves'' workshop in Bright City, which I remembered was called... Iron Hammer Workshop, true to the dwarfs'' style.


    But indeed, forging weapons and equipment was a strong suit of the dwarves, from ore mining, metal smelting, to equipment crafting �C the dwarves had unique skills in all these areas. Dwarven-made weapons and equipment were particrly popr among other races, hence dwarf workshops were almost in every major city across the continent.


    "Thanks a lot, big brother Lunbos. I''ll call on you when I need it,"


    Lis immediately responded politely, seeing a good opportunity and not wanting to miss out �C one could always return the favor by gifting Lunbos some fine liquorter.


    Lunbos waved it off, treating it lightly as it was no big deal for him. It would just take some of his drinking time. At worst, he could ask a few of his fellow dwarves to help out and treat them to a few drinks at the tavern, killing two birds with one stone.


    As the two were chatting, a stream of light suddenly shot up into the sky from a mountain far on the eastern side of the castle, creating a conspicuous glow. This must have been a signal from someone in the adventure team.


    "Work''s here, let''s go!" Lunbos said, picking up his war hammer and jumping right off the thirty-meter-high castle wall,nding steadily on the ground, causing dust to rise. The stout and resilient dwarf body easily absorbed the fierce impact.


    Lis couldn''t do that kind of stunt �C with his current body strength, such a jump would leave him dead or with a broken bone.


    But being a mage, there were always more solutions than problems.


    Three-circle Magic "Flying Technique!"


    Lis also floated gently down from the castle and quickly followed Lunbos towards the location from where the signal had been emitted.


    Don''t ask why he used his legs despite being able to fly; it was because the speed of the three-circle Magic "Flying Technique" was as slow as a normal person walking.


    Until they mastered the six-circle Magic "Light and Agile Flying Skill," mages did not have the capability for aerialbat. Flying up only made them live targets, a blood-soaked lesson passed down by generations of mages.

 Chapter 38 - 38 Moon Spirit Leopard

    <h4>Chapter 38: Chapter 38 Moon Spirit Leopard</h4>


    By the time Lis and Lunbos arrived at the location where the signal was emitted, Ya''er and Arsen had already reached there before them.


    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The signal was sent by Ailina, who nodded to acknowledge Lis and Lunbos''s arrival.


    "It was here that I encountered the magic beast, or rather, nearly got attacked by it," she said.


    Ailina pointed at the top of arge rock in front of her and continued,


    "The magic beast was perched up there, it must have noticed me already and probably nned to strike when I passed by."


    "When I first began my search in this area, my hunter''s instinct was constantly alerting me, and it was only after careful observation that I discovered its location."


    "Once the beast realized I had spotted it, it immediately turned and left. I sent a signal and tried to pursue it but failed to catch up, so I had no choice but to return here and wait for you."


    "How despicable of that magic beast to try and ambush Sister Ailina."


    Ya''er puffed up in anger, swinging her little fists as if she would rush to beat the beast the moment it appeared in front of her.


    Arsen wasn''t as impulsive; after all, Ailina was standing right in front of them, clearly unscathed and without having engaged with the beast.


    "Ailina, did you get a good look at that magic beast? What kind was it?"


    There seemed to be some hesitation in Ailina, but she bit her silver tooth and said,


    "I did. It was a... Moon Spirit Leopard."


    The Moon Spirit Leopard, that exined theplexity of Ailina''s expression.


    Lis understood now; he had previously found it strange why Ailina was so hesitant to name the magic beast, and now it made sense.


    Arsen quickly caught on as well, while Ya''er and Lunbos still looked innocently puzzled.


    The Moon Spirit Leopard? What is that magic beast? Why did Ailina look so odd?


    It was clear that these two were not particrly gifted in their studies.


    Lis, with his abundant past-life experience, naturally knew what the Moon Spirit Leopard was, especially since the main storyline of the game''s version 3.0 took ce in the elves'' homnd��Navia Forest��and it was there that he came into contact with many hidden details rted to the elves.


    Included among those was information about the Moon Spirit Leopard.


    The Moon Spirit Leopard is an extremely rare type of leopard magic beast that frequents the night, covered in pitch-ck fur that shimmers with a moonlike glow, hence the name Moon Spirit Leopard.


    Most importantly, the Moon Spirit Leopard is believed to be a messenger of the Elf God System: the Moon and Guardian Goddess Fenrir, and also the bestpanion and assistant to the Elf Hunters. Virtually all Moon Spirit Leopards live within Navia Forest, and every Elf Hunter considers it an honor to earn the recognition andpanionship of one.


    That reveals just how esteemed the Moon Spirit Leopard is in the hearts of the elves and Elf Hunters!


    As a distinguished Silver High Rank Elf Hunter, Ailina was certainly well-aware of this, but the realization that the invader in the territory was one of them made her somewhat reluctant to ept the duty her team had to hunt it down.


    "Is there a chance you might have seen it incorrectly?"


    Lis asked Ailina, after all, it seemed somewhat unrealistic that a Moon Spirit Leopard would appear deep within the Human Kingdom''s territory, killing many residents.


    "No," Ailina took a deep breath, steadying her somewhat tumultuous emotions.


    "My mother''spanion was a Moon Spirit Leopard; it was with me as I grew up. I could not have mistaken it."


    Arsen appeared somewhat helpless; he noticed that Ailina didn''t want to harm the Moon Spirit Leopard. If they had encountered it during a regr adventure, he naturally wouldn''t have initiated an attack and might have even helped Ailina tame it.


    As for the mission, Arsen wouldn''t care too much even if they failed, since the missionmission wasn''t desperately needed by the team.


    However, the problem now was that the Moon Spirit Leopard in Baron Tony''s Domain had already killed more than a dozen of the Domain''s residents and had been feeding on humans, turning into a fierce beast. If left alone, it might cause even more serious consequences.


    After pondering for a moment, Ailina''s expression finally firmed up, and she bit her lip and said,


    "Since it has eaten humans, it can no longer be an emissary of Goddess Fenrir. We should send this Moon Spirit Leopard to the Goddess''s Divine Country."


    For Elves, consuming any humanoid beings was uneptable.


    Moreover, Ailina had already felt the intense malice emitting from the Moon Spirit Leopard when it ambushed her; it had be impossible for the leopard to be an ally of Elves, and naturally, she abandoned the thought of taming it.


    Arsen, too, breathed a sigh of relief. It was best for Ailina to think this way; they wouldn''t have to worry about amodating a teammate''s feelings during the hunt.


    Seeing Ailina''s resolve, Lis asked,


    "How strong is this Moon Spirit Leopard?"


    Frowning thoughtfully, Ailina replied,


    "An adult Moon Spirit Leopard should possess Gold Level strength, and a very few can break through to Legendary. But this Moon Spirit Leopard seems to have only Silver High Rank strength. It probably didn''t receive Goddess Fenrir''s blessing in the Navia Forest and couldn''t break through its strength bottleneck."


    "That''s manageable; it hasn''t exceeded our expectations," Arsen said, relieved to understand the species and strength of the magic beast. This meant the hunting mission was already halfway aplished; all that remained was finding and sessfully hunting it down.


    "Ailina, you''re the most familiar with the habits of the Moon Spirit Leopard. Do you have an effective solution?" Arsen turned to Ailina and asked.


    "Generally, Moon Spirit Leopards are active at night, adept at hiding and ambushes, and their strength dips significantly during the daytime."


    "If a Moon Spirit Leopard has received the Goddess''s blessing, it will gain the Moon Spirit''s protection, and its daytime strength won''t be affected. However, it''s clear that this leopard hasn''t received it."


    "So the most appropriate time for the hunt is during the day?" Arsen asked.


    "Right," Ailina nodded. "Even though it''s only Silver High Rank, its speed and stealth are formidable at night, and its perception is strong. It will be very difficult for us to corner it."


    "But people from the Baron Domain say that it doesn''t appear during the day. Can you find it then?"


    "I can try. Moon Spirit Leopards typically don''t have a fixed territory and usually roam about. However, this one has stayed in this Baron Domain for quite some time, so it should have a fixed hiding ce. Tomorrow, I can try tracking its traces during the day," Ailina said, outlining her n clearly.


    "Alright, let''s head back to rest for today, then. We''lle back tomorrow morning to find this Moon Spirit Leopard!" With Ailina''s advice in mind, Arsen made a decisive call to continue the search for and to hunt the magic beast the next day.


    Ya''er and Lunbos didn''t have any objections; they were content with following the n.


    Lis even more so. When on a mission, it''s most important to follow the n. If one doesn''t stay put and instead strays from the team, runs around causing trouble, or recklessly fails in a quest, who would want to team up with you next time?

 Chapter 39 - 39 Investigation

    <h4>Chapter 39: Chapter 39 Investigation</h4>


    Early the next morning, Lis and four others enjoyed breakfast at Baron Tony''s castle, where they savored fruit pudding Lis had prepared in advance, before setting out on today''s task.


    For some reason, Lis noticed that the taste of hot dishes stored in the storage ring would turn a bit odd when taken out to eat, but cold dishes like pudding and ice cream seemed unaffected.


    "Ah, let''s set off!" Ya''er, leading the group, eximed cheerfully.


    "Right, let''s give it our all," Lis nodded and agreed, and the others didn''t react much; they were already ustomed to Ya''er''s spirited demeanor.


    The group arrived at the spot where they had encountered the Moon Spirit Leopard yesterday. Ailina gently leaped onto the giant rock where the leopard had stood the night before and began to look around.


    The other four also embraced the spirit of participation and started to look for any traces left by the Moon Spirit Leopard.


    After Ailinapleted her investigation, everyone gathered around.


    "There are several w marks on the rock, and some of the trails are not so fresh. That Moon Spirit Leopard must frequently move around here,"


    Ailina said, then pointed towards the east side of the rock,


    "He left in that direction yesterday. Fortunately, some scent is still lingering; I should be able to follow it."


    As the scout of the team and an Elf Hunter, Ailina indeed possessed unique tracking methods that enabled her to pinpoint targets in the wilderness.


    Lis remembered that Elf Hunters could use the "Animal Communication" spell to obtain desired information from surrounding small creatures like birds and rabbits.


    Even after advancing to Legendary level, they could obtain the "Inquire Nature" spell from the Prophetic line, capable of extracting wanted information from any animate or inanimate being, including forests or stones��its effectiveness was quite incredible.


    The others hadn''t discovered any useful information, only confirming that the nearby vineyard had indeed suffered damage from a magic beast.


    The group followed Ailina towards the east, and Lis cast the "Light Body Skill" spell on everyone, making their movement more efficient and swift.


    After following the tracks towards the eastern border of Baron Tony''s Domain for quite a while, Ailina suddenly halted.


    "What''s wrong?" asked Arsen from behind.


    "It''s a bit odd?" Ailina appeared puzzled, "The Moon Spirit Leopard suddenly changed direction here, almost turning back towards the south of the domain."


    After discussing briefly and having no other leads, they decided to keep following to see if they would discover anything new.


    But surprisingly, the traces of the Moon Spirit Leopard took another significant turn in the southern part of Baron Tony''s Domain, heading toward the west of the domain.


    How fortunate to have an Elf Hunter along��a scout''s abilities far surpassed those of a human elevated to the Hunter profession. Otherwise, they themselves might not have been able to find this magic beast and would have wasted time in vain.


    Since the traces left by the Moon Spirit Leopard were sporadic and intermittent, Ailina had to expend significant effort, even using the "Animal Communication" spell several times to gather information from nearby small animals. It wasn''t until midday that they finally reached a small stone hill on the western side of Baron Tony''s Domain following the tracks.


    This hill, filled with rocks, was one of the few in Baron Tony''s Domain, not even a hundred meters high, bare with few trees and shrubs and had many jagged rock crevices that made good hiding spots.


    Since the area was unsuitable for grape cultivation, had no special minerals, and was nearly ten kilometers away from the nearest town, very few of the domain''s residents ever passed by here.


    "Sister Ailina, is it here?" Ya''er asked.


    "It should be, the scent of the Moon Spirit Leopard is very strong here; this must be where it hides during the day."


    Ailina pointed to a small stream running by the hillside, where a fresh paw print was visible on the moist ground beside the water.


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "It must have drunk water here, no doubt about it."


    "Good," Arsen said, then began organizing the task at hand.


    "Ailina, you and I will lead at the front; the task of scouting is up to you. Be vignt for any traces of the Moon Spirit Leopard, and don''t let this creature ambush us from the shadows,"


    "Understood."


    "Ya''er, you and Lis walk in the middle of the group. Take care to protect Lis and provide support to others when necessary."


    "Got it!"


    "Lis, before we set off, cast beneficial magic and protection magic on everyone. Keep an eye on maintaining the spell effects, and most importantly, take good care of yourself!"


    "Understood."


    "Lunbos, you''re at the very back of the group. Remember to be alert and watch your back," said.


    "I know."


    "Lastly, everyone must beware��the Moon Spirit Leopard is extremely skilled atunching surprise attacks from the shadows. We must all be careful."


    Arsen emphasized thisst point and readied himself to head toward the mountain.


    Everyone took out their weapons and held them ready; Ailina stored her longbow and switched to a short sword, as the bow was not very useful in this type of exploration.


    Lis also took out his jade wand and began casting beneficial magic on the group.


    "Spirit Armor Technique!"


    "Secondary Deflection Field!"


    "Resist Energy Damage!"


    "Bear''s Tenacity, Cat''s Grace, Bull''s Power, Fox''s Cunning, Owl''s Wisdom!"


    "Precise Strike!"


    He applied various beneficial and protective spells to the group members. Lis breathed a sigh of relief; although a mage''s spells were not as potent as a priest''s divine arts in terms of enhancement and protection, they were significantly valuable to the Yaya Adventure Group, which formerly had neither a mage nor a priest.


    "Not bad, Lis��I can definitely feel an increase in my strength," someone remarked.


    Lis hadn''t cast every beneficial spell on everyone, for if he had, his mana would have beenpletely drained before any battle had even urred.


    To Lunbos, he had cast Spirit Armor Technique, Secondary Deflection Field, Bear''s Tenacity, and Bull''s Power.


    For Ailina and Arsen, he had cast Spirit Armor Technique, Precise Strike, Bull''s Power, and Cat''s Grace.


    As for Ya''er and himself, naturally, he had applied every possible spell. Lis was well aware of the art of preparation.


    Arsen tested the effects of the spells Lis had cast, finding them quite satisfactory. Clenching his longsword, he addressed the group:


    "Let''s move out."


    The group formed a tight unit and moved slowly up the small hill, vigntly observing their surroundings, especially the shadows where the Moon Spirit Leopard was most likely to hide.


    As they carefully explored every corner of the small hill, not overlooking any potential hiding spots, Lis, who had enhanced himself with advanced magic and Prediction Magic from the three-cycles, suddenly sensed something and looked toward the area indicated by his heightened senses.


    Not far from the group, within the shadow of a rock, a pair of bright yellow eyes was intently watching them.


    There it was��the Moon Spirit Leopard!

 Chapter 40 - 40 Instantaneous Battle

    <h4>Chapter 40: Chapter 40 Instantaneous Battle</h4>


    "Over there!"


    Lis pointed at the Moon Spirit Leopard''s location and warned his teammates.


    Guided by Lis''s hint, Arsen and the others spotted the Moon Spirit Leopard, and Ailina immediately charged towards the target.


    As the most agile member of the squad, it was her responsibility to restrain the Moon Spirit Leopard. However, since it was daytime, the leopard''s stealth abilities were significantly reduced, and her speed was not affected. Ailina was confident she could hold the Moon Spirit Leopard back.


    By holding it off for just one minute, her teammates would be able to catch up with her and kill the fearsome Magic Beast together.


    The Moon Spirit Leopard, hidden in the shadows, realized it had been exposed when it saw the group charging in its direction. Without any hesitation, it turned tail and ran. The rugged rocks around it didn''t impede its movements at all; with a light touch on a stone, it leaped down from the hilltop and ran towards the base of the mountain.


    The threat these few humans posed to it was far greater than those who had chased it before. Instinct warned the Moon Spirit Leopard that it must not be entangled with these people.


    Seeing the Moon Spirit Leopard so decisive, not even pausing for a moment to fight, Arsen and the others cursed under their breath and hastened their steps towards the leopard.


    However, their speed was clearly no match for the Magic Beast; only Ailina the Hunter and Ya''er of the Golden Rank could barely keep up.


    "Increase speed!"


    Following Lis''s chant, a Spell of Spirit Light caught up with Ailina and Ya''er, and their bodies moved much faster.


    "Well done." Ailina couldn''t help but give Lis a thumbs up and hurriedly elerated towards the Moon Spirit Leopard.


    Once within her attack range, Ailina stowed her short sword into her storage ring and drew her longbow, which glowed with an emerald light.


    "Thorny Net!"


    Apanied by a streak of green light, an arrow cut through the air towards the Moon Spirit Leopard on the run.


    The Moon Spirit Leopard seemed to sense the attacking from behind and with a nimble leap into the air, it dodged Ailina''s shot.


    But Ailina''s arrow was clearly not so simple. The long arrow fell to the ground beneath the Moon Spirit Leopard, and with a sh of green light, a of dark green thorny vines burst from the ground, forming a wide that enveloped the Moon Spirit Leopard.


    The Moon Spirit Leopard, unable to gain traction in midair, was helplessly caught in the thorny. Although the thorns couldn''t harm its tough skin and it quickly shredded the with its sharp ws, the brief dy was enough for the group to close in on the beast.


    Ailina was the first to approach, swinging her longbow and shooting three arrows towards the Moon Spirit Leopard.


    "Marked Shooting!"


    "Shock Shooting!"


    "Binding Shot!"


    Ailina''s three consecutive shots aimed not at inflicting significant damage on the Moon Spirit Leopard but at controlling the beast as much as possible while waiting for support from her teammates.


    The Moon Spirit Leopard that had just escaped the thorny failed to evade Ailina''s three arrows. They struck it squarely on the backside facing her, eliciting a painful roar from the beast, clearly slowing its movements.


    It seemed the Moon Spirit Leopard realized it couldn''t escape from Lis and his team''s hunt today. It turned around, its amber eyes seemingly veiled in ayer of blood as it gave up running and charged directly towards Ailina.


    The reduced speed appeared to be negated as the Moon Spirit Leopard entered a berserk state, with a ck shadow rapidly assailing Ailina.


    "Be careful!"


    Ya''er, who was just slightly behind, called out.


    Ailina didn''t panic, skillfully performing a Hunter''s lifesaving Divine Skill, "Jumping Skill." Pale blue Wind Elements swirled around the Elf, her body leaped high backwards, avoiding the Moon Spirit Leopard''s assault while bending her bow to shoot at it.


    "st Shooting!"


    The Moon Spirit Leopard dodged the arrow by a swift move to the right and continued its charge towards Ailina, having realized that if it didn''t take care of Ailina, escape from this pursuit would be impossible.


    The Hunter''s tracking and control capabilities were too strong!


    However, the Moon Spirit Leopard''s ns were about to be thwarted. Ya''er finally arrived on the scene in the nick of time, drawing her ck longsword and shing at the iing Moon Spirit Leopard.


    Bang!


    The Moon Spirit Leopard was sent flying back even faster than when it had arrived,nding on the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust.


    Even though the Moon Spirit Leopard was a Silver High-level Magic Beast, only a hair''s breadth from the Golden Rank, Silver Level was still Silver Level. That fine line was like an insurmountable chasm, firmly holding it back, leaving it no chance to resist a Golden Warrior.


    Not to mention that Ya''er, who was striking, was one of the best among Golden Warriors, and she almost effortlessly sent the Moon Spirit Leopard flying.


    N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Ya''er didn''t waste words, she simply picked up her sword and charged towards the Moon Spirit Leopard.


    At this moment, the roles of attack and defense had been reversed!


    Ya''er approached the Moon Spirit Leopard and delivered an utterly ordinary diagonal sh.


    The Moon Spirit Leopard, however, sensed a whiff of death in Ya''er''s simple attack and didn''t dare to take it head-on, managing to dodge to the side with its advantage in speed to avoid Ya''er''s strike.


    Ya''er''s brow furrowed slightly; although the Moon Spirit Leopard was a Silver Level Magic Beast, it was just that bit faster than herself, a Golden Warrior, which was really annoying.


    If the Moon Spirit Leopard knew what Ya''er was thinking, it might have cried out loud.


    I am a high-level Magic Beast specialized in agility, just a bit faster than you in this aspect because your main attribute is strength. What more do you want?


    But Ya''er, destined to be a Legendary Warrior in the future, naturally had countermeasures up her sleeve.


    "Charge!"


    A faint white light shed over Ya''er''s body, and she hurtled towards the Moon Spirit Leopard at an incredibly fast speed.


    Before the Moon Spirit Leopard could react, Ya''er, who had already closed the distance, raised her longsword with delicate blue lightning gathering at the de.


    "Thunderous Strike!"


    The Moon Spirit Leopard had almost no time to respond before it took the full force of this hit. Even the tough hide couldn''t stop Ya''er''s sharp shing; a huge wound spread from the upper limb of the Moon Spirit Leopard to its abdomen, with dark red blood gushing out unchecked.


    The grievously injured Moon Spirit Leopard seemed to want to struggle, but the sporadic shes of thunderous lightning paralyzed its entire body, making itpletely immobile.


    Ya''er, who had taken down the Moon Spirit Leopard in just two moves, hummed in satisfaction, sheathed her longsword, and cheerfully ran over to Ailina to make sure her Elf Sister hadn''t been injured during the chase.


    It was only then that Lis, Arsen, and Lunbos managed to catch up, looking somewhat helplessly at the Moon Spirit Leopard lying on the ground, nearly at its end.


    Feels like we''re not really needed here, huh?


    "That''s you guys, I did make a move."


    Lis nced at Arsen, openly expressing his disdain for his shirking behavior.


    "What are you looking at!"


    Arsen punched Lis on the shoulder and walked towards Ailina and Ya''er.

 Chapter 41 - 41 Another Discovery

    <h4>Chapter 41: Chapter 41 Another Discovery</h4>


    Seeing that the Moon Spirit Leopard had lost all ability to resist, Arsen shook his head and said to Ailina,


    "Do you need my help?"


    "No need!"


    Ailina bit her lip and rejected Arsen''s kind offer. At this moment, she seemed to have lost the resolute determination she had as a Hunter during the battle and only her frail elfin side remained.


    The Moon Spirit Leopard was already lying on the ground, so weakened by excessive blood loss that it barely had any energy to move, allowing Ailina to slowly approach it.


    Ailina squatted down beside the Moon Spirit Leopard, her slender hand gently stroking its head, tenderly as if she was treating her own dear kin, with the green light in her hand slowly seeping into the leopard''s body.


    "Rest in peace, all your suffering will now be far from you, may you find forgiveness and peace in the Goddess''s Divine Country."


    It seemed the Moon Spirit Leopard could feel Ailina''s kindness and sorrow; it stopped its final struggles, its bright amber eyes quietly gazing at Ailina, and Lis even felt a profound sadness emanating from its eyes.


    What''s happening? Why am I feeling this way?


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Lis couldn''t help but wonder; after all, this was a Magic Beast that had hurt people, right?


    Just when everyone thought this Magic Beast hunt was finally over, the Moon Spirit Leopard suddenly mustered itsst ounce of strength to raise its head and let out a roar towards the small hill behind the group.


    Just when Lis and the others thought the Moon Spirit Leopard was making a final stand, its massive body fell heavily to the ground, and thest spark of spirit in its eyes dissipated at that moment.


    Arsen breathed a sigh of relief, put down his raised weapon, and stepped forward to pat Ailina on the shoulder as a gesture offort.


    Ya''er also squatted beside Ailina, whispering words offort. For an Elf Hunter, killing one of their sacred beasts and bestpanions from their tribe was indeed too cruel.


    Lis was somewhat curious; he felt no sorrow for the death of the Moon Spirit Leopard, so he simply walked over to squat in front of the deceased Magic Beast, taking a closer look at its sleek ck form.


    Something was amiss!


    After a brief nce, Lis noticed that there seemed to be something around the leopard''s neck.


    Lis also squatted next to the Moon Spirit Leopard, reached out his hand to feel, and discovered an ice-cold, hard object hanging on the leopard''s neck.


    Parting the ck fur, a ck chain cor came into sight before Lis, with the lower link part already broken, suggesting it must have been a special cor.


    It appears the lineage of this Moon Spirit Leopard is not simple; it''s likely not a roaming Magic Beast, but one that had been captured, domesticated, and then escaped. No wonder it appeared thousands of kilometers away from the Navia Forest, deep within the territory of the Feis Kingdom.


    Lis did not alert Ailina but instead waved Arsen over.


    Upon seeing Lis''s cautious demeanor, Arsen came over and was surprised as well; he too saw the ck cor around the leopard''s neck.


    He also realized that there was a problem with the origin of this Moon Spirit Leopard.


    The two of them then began to check the Moon Spirit Leopard''s body without showing any rm.


    The pungent smell of blood wafted up, but Lis ignored the gaping wound on the leopard''s abdomen, inspecting the other parts of the body carefully.


    Indeed, many scars were found all over the Moon Spirit Leopard''s back, numerous, and they seemed to have been recently healed.


    s, it looked like the Moon Spirit Leopard might have just escaped from captivity, it''s a mystery why it came to Baron Tony''s territory.


    No wonder it attacked Humans; it seems it was not just out of the need for food but rather more out of revenge against Humans.


    Lis shook his head, there always seemed to be some people, whether blinded by greed or malice, who would do such unthinkable deeds.


    Forget capturing and imprisoning Moon Spirit Leopards; those ruthless traders wouldn''t even spare their own kin, or how else could such a massive ve market thrive?


    Of course, human nature isplicated, and Lis isn''t some Holy Mother, naturally, he wouldn''t let this single incident unsettle him.


    Even so, the plight of this Moon Spirit Leopard made Lis suspicious. To go to great lengths to bring a precious and powerful Magic Beast like the Moon Spirit Leopard into the heart of the Feis Kingdom, Lis felt as if he could already smell the scent of conspiracy.


    "Divine Revtion" presented a game storyline of immense depth. Kingdom scheming, demon plotting, and divine resolutions��all these things were still lurking beneath the surface, quietly waiting for a catalyst to emerge.


    Even Lis, who had experienced it all, couldn''t foresee all the future events that had transpired.


    This was a real world where countless secret conspiracies abounded, with everyone scheming for their own benefit.


    However, Lis didn''t want to get overly involved in these matters, and he didn''t do anything beyond his capabilities. This was how Lis conducted himself.


    But considering what had happened, perhaps Ailina would be even more radical?


    Lis left the task of exining their troublesome discovery to Ailina to Arsen and lifted his head to gaze at the hill where the Moon Spirit Leopard had been hiding just a moment ago.


    Something felt off. The behavior of the Moon Spirit Leopard was odd, as if it held some special significance.


    Lis pped his hands, dismissing his concerns. Why think so much when he could simply go and check?


    "I''m going to take a look around on the hill to see if there''s anything to discover," he said to the others.


    The rest of the group didn''t take it to heart. The Moon Spirit Leopard had already been vanquished; there shouldn''t be any danger.


    But the cautious Arsen still asked Lunbos to apany Lis.


    Without further ado, Ya''er helped Ailina clean up the site while Lis and Lunbos made their way toward the hill.


    When the two reached therge rock where the Moon Spirit Leopard had been spotted, they searched around but found nothing particrly unusual.


    No, that wasn''t right!


    Lis cast a "Flying Technique" on himself and hovered in the air, carefully observing every concealed corner.


    The Moon Spirit Leopard''s den wasn''t here.


    That didn''t make sense. If the Moon Spirit Leopard had been here for a long time, how could it not have prepared a resting ce for itself?


    Thinking it over, Lis decided to try a new spell with a mindset of seeing if it would work.


    "Life Detection Skill!"


    It was Second Circle Magic that could detect the position and strength of living beings within the spell''s range. The only downside was that it couldn''t detect creatures stronger than the caster, which was why Lis hadn''t used it before.


    With an invisible ripple spreading outwards, Lis soon finished scanning the entire hill.


    Lis closed his eyes, and the information returned by the Detection Spell formed an image in his mind.


    Tiny points of white light twinkled on the simted hill in Lis''s brain. These were weak and dim lights, belonging to creatures like birds and rodents, which possessed no extraordinary power.


    Soon, Lis noticed a faint blue light at the back of the hill, which must belong to a being with extraordinary power, yet it felt feeble.


    This had to be the ce!


    Lis descended from the air and signaled to Lunbos. The two headed toward the location Lis had discovered.


    Atst, Lis found a small cave hidden amidst a low thicket of bushes on the far side of the hill��strictly speaking, it was a crevice formed by ovepping rock walls.


    The irregrly shaped entrance was camouged in the shadow of the bushes, and without knowing the exact location, it would have been difficult to find.


    Lis held his breath and crouched as he entered, his eyes adjusting to the darkness within, he saw the creature he had detected, and was somewhat surprised.


    Could it be... like this?

 Chapter 42: The Moon Spirit Leopard Cub and the Soul Returning Ceremony

    <h4>Chapter 42: The Moon Spirit Leopard Cub and the Soul Returning Ceremony</h4>


    Lis and another person quickly returned to the base of the mountain.


    With Ya''er and Arsen''s help, Ailina had already tidied up the corpse of the Moon Spirit Leopard, and was just waiting to use the Elf Ritual to send it back to the Elf Goddess''s Divine Country.


    Arsen had also taken two of the Moon Spirit Leopard''s ws and some fur as proof ofpleting the subjugation task.


    At this moment, Lis approached, cradling something in his arms.


    Walking up to Ailina, who still seemed a bit sad, Lis extended the ck bundle wrapped in cloth in front of Ailina.


    "Look, guess what I''ve found?"


    Ailina, somewhat puzzled, took the small thing that Lis handed over, took one nce at it, and suddenly froze in ce.


    A cute little head emerged from the cloth; its eyes were still tightly shut, and its ck little body squirmed nonstop within the fabric. Its pink little paws were struggling restlessly as if the unfamiliar environment made it a bit panicky, constantly "hmm-hmming" in distress.


    "Is this... a Moon Spirit Leopard cub?"


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Arsen, who was beside them, also saw the little one, which clearly looked like a miniature version of the adult Moon Spirit Leopard lying on the ground nearby!


    "Wow, so cute!"


    Ya''er''s eyes lit up as she stared at the little creature. Girls just can''t resist these fluffy beings.


    "Lis, where did you find it? I want one too!"


    Ya''er, remembering Lis who was the originator of this, quickly asked.


    "I noticed that the Moon Spirit Leopard let out a final roar toward the mountain which was strange, so I went to take a look around and didn''t expect to actually find something."


    Lis waved his hand and said, "I can''t help you find another one like this. We''ll talk about it another time if we have the chance."


    "Ah, alright then," Ya''er sounded a bit disappointed but she quickly ran over to Ailina''s side, wanting to hold the Moon Spirit Leopard cub.


    Ailina did not pay attention to Ya''er''s coquettish behavior and held the little one tightly in her arms. It seemed to sense the familiar aura of Nature and calmlyy in Ailina''s arms, bing much more sedate.


    Ailina looked up, her eyes slightly red.


    "Thank you, Lis. I don''t know how to express my gratitude."


    Ailina crouched down, holding the cub in one hand and gently stroking the fur around the neck of the Moon Spirit Leopard''s mother with the other.


    "Arsen has told me everything, and it seems like this child''s mother must have suffered a lot."


    Standing up, Ailina gently ced the Moon Spirit Leopard cub on her shoulder and looked at Lis with eyes filled with profound gratitude.


    The Moon Spirit Leopard cub, as if sensing something as well, kept quiet and stayed obediently on Ailina''s shoulder.


    "When Arsen told me the truth of the matter, I was angry and filled with hatred," she continued, "Humans are just like some elders say��out of mere selfish desires, they destroy and desecrate all that is beautiful, as if they are forever tainted with an indelible darkness and filth."


    "But Lis, you, Ya''er, and Arsen have made me realize a lot."


    "There are despicable vers, and then there are respectable people like you, Ya''er, and Arsen."


    "Thank you, Lis, you will always be my dear friend."


    Ailina''s words were gentle yet firm as she slowly approached Lis, lifted her delicate chin, and lightly kissed him on the forehead.


    Lis was a bit taken aback; he felt he had only given a small help and hadn''t expected Ailina to be so grateful.


    It was at that moment that the system panel popped up with a new message.


    ---------------


    [You havepleted the milestone, "Dear Friend of the Elf n!"]


    [ "Dear Friend of the Elf n": Your deeds have won you heartfelt thanks from the elves, who now consider you a true friend. Your charm attribute points +10, and the initial goodwill of all elf factions towards you is raised to friendly (excluding Dark Elves). Under certain conditions, you may use goodwill to request aid from the elves.]


    ---------------


    This milestone reward is pretty powerful!


    I never expected such an unexpected gain!


    Originally, when giving the Moon Spirit Leopard to Ailina, Lis had no other purpose in mind.


    First, Ailina was his teammate, and it seemed inappropriate for him to want to keep the Moon Spirit Leopard for himself at this time.


    Second, Ailina had said that if it didn''t undergo the baptism, the Moon Spirit Leopard''s future strength would only be that of the Silver Level and it would consume a lot of Lis''s precious resources, which was not suitable for him.


    Lis wasn''t an absolute egoist; he thought that giving the Little Moon Spirit Leopard to Ailina was the best choice.


    Even though Lis hadn''t intentionally sought to receive this, he wouldn''t refuse it either.


    "Thank you, Ailina, you are also my friend forever,"


    Lis earnestly said to the elf Hunter before him, whose cheeks were slightly reddened with shyness.


    "Ohhh~"


    Ya''er made an unclear noise on the side, nosily squeezing next to Ailina and also wanting to be kissed.


    Ailina, not amused, pushed Ya''er''s approaching little head away and became serious, saying:


    "Everybody, please step back a bit, I''m about to prepare the Soul Returning Ceremony of the Goddess."


    Lis raised an eyebrow; a Soul Returning Ceremony, to return the soul of the Moon Spirit Leopard to the Goddess''s Divine Country.


    Generally speaking, the souls of the believers of the All Gods do not enter the Netherworld after death but are guided into the Divine Country of the All Gods to be reborn or directly be Prayers. This was a way for the Gods to strengthen their Divine Power, but it was also what the believers hoped for, believing it would grant them eternal life and happiness.


    In special cases, if a soul couldn''t return to the Divine Country of the All Gods, someone could conduct the Soul Returning Ceremony to open the gate to the Divine Country and guide the lost soul.


    Of course, this required the consent of the Divine Country''s owner, and Goddess Fenrir certainly wouldn''t deny the soul of a Moon Spirit Leopard.


    Ailina was likely to prepare the Soul Returning Ceremony of the Moon and Guardian Goddess Fenrir.


    Lis and others stepped aside, waiting for the ceremony to begin.


    Ailina stood in front of the Moon Spirit Leopard and took out the Holy Emblem representing the Goddess Fenrir from the storage ring.


    An emerald-green shield-shaped emblem engraved with a pristine silver moon!


    She then took out the morning dew, a branch from the Tree of Life, and an emerald-green gemstone infused with a unique Life Power.


    After all the ceremonial items were ready, Ailina knelt down gently on both knees, closed her eyes, and with her hands sped earnestly recited:


    Great and benevolent Goddess Fenrir,


    You are the embodiment of the night''s silver moon!


    You are the protector of the elves!


    You are the protector of Rangers!


    All praise, gratitude, and honor are bestowed upon You!


    Here your believer prays to You with sincerity,


    please open the gates,


    and let this wandering child return to Your warm embrace!


    With Ailina''s prayers, a gentle silver and green intermingling radiance emerged from the ritual offerings and formed a hazy, ethereal silver door in the air.


    Merely watching from not far away, what seemed a feeble force, imbued Lis with a sense of the Holy that he couldn''t resist. Even though he felt no threat, there seemed to be a heavy pressure on his shoulders.


    Is this what Divine Power feels like?


    Even though in his past life he had witnessed the incarnations of gods fighting several times, in this life it was his first time to witness the disy of a god''s vast power with his own eyes, and simply the slightest trace of it rendered him motionless.


    Lis''s mind was racing with thoughts, yet his eyes remained intently fixed on the scene of the ceremony before him, not daring to miss a moment.

 Chapter 43 - 43 New Moon Blessing

    <h4>Chapter 43: Chapter 43 New Moon Blessing</h4>


    In Ailina''s prayers, the ethereal door in the air slowly opened inward.


    Through the door, Lis could faintly see a vibrant, lush green vast forest beyond it.


    As the door fully opened, a faint white mist-like apparition appeared on the body of the Moon Spirit Leopard.


    This must be the spirit of the Moon Spirit Leopard summoned forth.


    The soul of the Moon Spirit Leopard floated in the air, its ethereal face casting a lingering look at the Little Moon Spirit Leopard on Ailina''s shoulder before leaping into the heavenly gates of the Divine Country in the sky.


    Hum~


    Suddenly, a loud reverberating sound erupted as the two doors, flickering with a mysterious glow, slowly drew together and closed.


    Lis and the others breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that the Soul Returning Ceremony was over.


    Just as the door summon by the Soul Returning Ceremony was about to close, a few silver beams of light suddenly appeared from behind it and fell straight from within the door.


    Thergest of these silver beams enveloped both Ailina and the Little Moon Spirit Leopard on her shoulder.


    Before Lis and the others could react, the remaining beams also fell one after the other, directly striking into their bodies.


    Lis only felt a sh of silver light before his vision, and then felt nothing more, after carefully checking his body, he discovered a silver crescent mark had appeared on the back of his left hand.


    Before Lis could decipher the newly appeared mark on his hand, a system notification appeared in front of his eyes.


    -----------------


    [You have received the blessing of the Moon and Guardian Goddess Fenrir]


    [ "You have acquired the specialty [Silver Moon Protection]"]


    [ [Silver Moon Protection]����A blessing from the Moon and Guardian Goddess Fenrir''s Divine Power. Under the moonlight, physical and Mana recovery speed +50%, All Attributes temporarily increase by 15%]


    ([Silver Moon Protection] specialty hidden effect, your chances of mastering Moon, Guardian, Night, Hunting, and other extraordinary domains increase by 30%)


    ...


    [You have touched the might of the gods]


    [Your analysis of Divine Power: 1%]


    -----------------


    Wow! So powerful!


    Lis caressed the crescent mark on his left hand, so that silver beam just now was Goddess Fenrir''s power?


    The so-called divine blessings refer to a god''s bless of their devout followers or beloved beings, granting them powers from the gods, which often manifest as some form of continuous buffing status.


    The [Silver Moon Protection] Lis had just received was particrly special, only activating under moonlight but with correspondingly more potent effects.


    Not to mention the increase in physical and Mana recovery speed, the amplitude of the boost in all attributes reached a staggering thirty percent, truly terrifying, akin to Lis leveling up nearly ten levels.


    As for the Divine Power analysis progress, there was no such notification when Lis acquired Divine Power in his former life; he could only set it aside for explorationter.


    Lis nced at his left hand, deciding not to wash it for the next month; perhaps being imbued with the essence of the gods might change his pitifully low Luck Value.


    Ya''er, Arsen, and others also gradually woke up, each wearing a look of joy on their faces, seeming to have gained many benefits from the goddess''s power as well.


    "Ya''er, how do you feel?" Lis asked, looking at the visibly excited Ya''er.


    "It''s great, I feel like my strength has increased quite a bit! Do you want to try?"


    Ya''er waved her little fist, showing her arm to Lis.


    Lis looked at the tender, jade-white arm before him and quickly shook his head, well aware of the terrifying power hidden within.


    No kidding, Ya''er alone could have leveled the small hill where several people were, it just would have taken some time.


    While Lis and the others were joking around, the silvery glow on Ailina and the Little Moon Spirit Leopard gradually faded, and they woke up from their special status.


    "Sister Ailina, how are you feeling? Are you alright?"


    Ya''er immediately came to Ailina''s side, voicing concern, though her eyes remained fixed on the Little Moon Spirit Leopard on her shoulder.


    It seemed like the little kitty had also be much more spirited! Ya''er thought to herself.


    N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "I''m okay." Ailina didn''t notice Ya''er''s subtle gestures, and nodded to her teammates who gathered around, indicating that her status was fine.


    "Was that the power of the Goddess just now?" Arsen asked. Even though he had a faint guess, he, being always cautious, still spoke up to inquire from Ailina.


    "Yes, it was Goddess Fenrir''s reward to us." Ailina''s face showed adoration and aspiration, "The Goddess was very pleased that we returned the soul of the Moon Spirit Leopard to its home."


    She then gently cradled the Little Moon Spirit Leopard in her arms. The little one, having been through this ordeal, seemed to view Ailina as its closest person and calmly stayed there, slowly falling asleep.


    While gently stroking the Little Moon Spirit Leopard, Ailina said, "This little one has also received the Goddess''s baptism and protection, it will surely be stronger than its mother in the future."


    Good grief!


    How much does the Moon Goddess like the Moon Spirit Leopard, she must not have spared any divine power on this little operation!


    Lis silently criticized in his mind, but as the Moon and Guardian Goddess Fenrir were among the strongest in the Elf God System with Medium Divine Power, they probably wouldn''t mind this consumption.


    Moreover, as he too had obtained tangible benefits, he should probably praise the generosity of the Moon Goddess.


    After muttering a few words quietly to himself, he heard Arsen arranging on the side:


    "Since everything''s settled, let''s pack up and prepare to head back."


    The team agreed without objection, Ailina summoned vines with her elf magic, covering the body of the Moon Spirit Leopard.


    When unable to return to their homnd, elves use this method to return the bodies of their magic beastpanions to nature.


    The adventure team returned to Baron Tony''s castle, informed him that the magic beast troubling his domain had been sessfully subdued, and presented him with the proof they had specifically kept.


    Baron Tony was naturally overjoyed, repeatedly thanking Arsen and the others, and even insisted that they rest at the castle for the night before setting off the next day.


    However, the adventure team decided to return to Bright City right away, as they had a Little Moon Spirit Leopard to take care of. It was better to return to base sooner.


    Watching the adventure team''s carriage slowly disappear from sight, Baron Tony, who had personally escorted them to the town''s edge, sighed with admiration.


    With a Golden Warrior in their team, the efficiency was so good, it was worth even a higher price!


    I should have employed this Yaya Mercenary Group from the start. All that time wasted by those useless mercenaries, it all costs money!


    "Master, shall we go back now?"


    Steward Ze Man asked on the side, now that the magic beast causing disorder in the Baron Domain had been subdued, they, as ordinary people, breathed a sigh of relief. Ze Man''s face looked much better.


    "Go back? What are you talking about!" Baron Tony said sternly, "Hurry and inform thosezybones to get to work in the vineyard right away."


    "Those days without work, it''s all my money being wasted, you understand!"


    "And those people, tell them to leave fast. Although the issue is resolved, they caused quite amotion. If not for that lord, I would have handed them over to the Golden Lion Knights Order and the Dawn Church already!"


    "Get them out of here! I''m annoyed just by seeing them!"


    Baron Tony ranted and even kicked Ze Man''s rear.


    Meekly, Ze Man bowed and departed to inform that strange merchant troupe that had stayed for half a year at his master''s ce.


    "Hope nothing else goes wrong?"


    Baron Tony stood still, anxiously looking towards his own vineyard. Why was it so difficult to be just an ordinary baron?

 Chapter 44 - 44 Old Jack

    <h4>Chapter 44: Chapter 44 Old Jack</h4>


    When they returned, the carriage was much faster than when they left, and Lis and his group finally managed to enter Bright City before the city gates closed.


    "I''m going off to drink, don''t wait for me!"


    Lunbos, with agility not seen in his usual demeanor, jumped off the carriage, greeted Lis and the others, and then disappeared in a sh.


    It seemed he really was craving a drink.


    Arsen shook his head and didn''t say anything. As long as Lunbos didn''t drink during a mission, he was free to do as he pleased at other times��after all, a Dwarf''s constitution wouldn''t suffer from it.


    N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Ya''er didn''t pay attention, happily rubbing her face against the Little Moon Spirit Leopard in her arms,pletely ignoring the little cat''s stretched-out pink ws struggling for freedom.


    After her persistent begging and cooing along the way, Ailina finally agreed to let her take care of the Little Moon Spirit Leopard for a while.


    "From now on, you''ll be called Little ck!"


    Ya''er held the Moon Spirit Leopard up in front of her eyes and joyfully bestowed the new name on the little leopard.


    Ailina helplessly watched the Little Moon Spirit Leopard struggling in Ya''er''s hands. Unsurprisingly, this little one would be herpanion from now on, but Ya''er had just given it a new name.


    It should have been something like "Dark Night Sacred Leopard" or "Moon Shadow Assassin"!


    (Little ck: I don''t want it at all!)


    When the carriage reached near Feis Street, Lis also jumped down and said goodbye to Ya''er and the others.


    Ya''er just waved her hand and then turned around to cuddle with the little ck cat again.


    Arsen, who was driving the carriage, turned around and said to Lis:


    "We''re going to the Mercenary Guild to hand in the task tomorrow morning. Do you want toe? It''ll be a good time to divide the task payment among us."


    "No need," Lis thought for a moment, "I also have some matters to handle. Keep the payment for me for now."


    Casually, he tossed a bag containing Magic Crystals to Arsen and said, "This is from that raid on the Dog-headed Man''sir, worth hundreds of Gold Coins. Count this in as well."


    Arsen caught the tossed bag and then threw it back to Lis, saying:


    "No need, the loot obtained during the mission is personal and doesn''t need to be divided by the team. Keep it,"


    "All right then, see you around."


    Lis nodded, and since there was such a rule, he certainly wouldn''t refuse. After all, even though he was a Lord Viscount, he was still somewhat short on funds at the moment.


    These Magic Crystals were also worth hundreds of Gold Coins, and more importantly, were needed for his own magical research.


    -----------------


    "Ah~~~"


    The next morning, Lis woke up from the soft,rge bed andzily stretched.


    Even though the subjugation mission had only taken two days, most of that time had been spent in the carriage. Despite his body being much stronger due to his training, the journey was somewhat exhausting.


    After washing up, he went to the dining room to enjoy a sumptuous breakfast meticulously prepared by his master chef, and Lis happily patted his stomach.


    Ever since he made some pastries for Ya''er in his own kitchenst time, his chefs had realized that Master Lis''s culinary skills far surpassed theirs. Although it felt a bit odd, they humbly asked him for guidance.


    Lis was naturally happy to teach his own chefs, since many times he was toozy to cook himself. If the chefs could cook better, he could also eat more happily.


    Like the modified egg pancake in front of him, Lis had especially told the chef to make a t pancake griddle, and after a series of processes, it already had a seven or eight out of ten vibe from his previous life. Lis preferred it cooked a bit longer, biting into the soft and crispy pancake, simply too delicious to describe.


    Housekeeper Joyce was still standing behind Lis, quietly standing there.


    Having not seen each other for two days, Joyce, with slightly grayed temples, still wore his unchanged ck suit, his elegant demeanor seemingly as unchanging as his attire, giving him an even more natural aristocratic air than Lis, who was more down-to-earth.


    Joyce''s eyes shifted to Lis, a dull Spirit Light swirling within them.


    "You''ve progressed quickly and are about to break through the High-level Bronze tier. Moreover, this sensation... is it a blessing from the gods, or one from the gods of the Elf God System, because of that Elfpanion?"


    Lis''s current strength was clearly visible to Joyce, who was well aware of Lis''s experience joining the adventure team.


    Contemting in his mind, Joyce''s expression remained as usual, not nning to do anything.


    Lis didn''t even know that the housekeeper standing behind him was a Legendary-tier powerhouse.


    If Lis knew, he wouldn''t just embrace... no, he would cling to both legs!


    After breakfast, Lis habitually went to the yard to stretch and exercised his body, and rehearsed the Royal Swordsmanship with his longsword once more.


    Although his strength wouldn''t decrease due to the panel, tactile sensation, battle instincts, and other consciousness-level elements wouldn''t be reflected in the panel.


    So even though he had already acquired "All Martial Arts Mastery," he still needed to practice regrly, considering it a physical exercise.


    After his exercises, with Rossi''s assistance, Lis changed into a fresh set of clothes and then set off with Welf towards their destination for the day.


    -----------------


    Langai Street


    Lis stood in front of the brick cottage he had visitedst time.


    It had been a month since hisst visit, and the surroundings remained the usual dpidated streets and muddy wastewater, but the surreptitious nces that had been cast his way were missing.


    Indeed, this time Welf was with him; those who managed to survive in this chaotic area were sharp-sighted. How would they dare to risk their lives to spy on a clearly high-ranking noble with an advanced guard?


    Shaking his head, a month had passed, and ording to that young girl, Old Jack should have returned.


    "Ding Dong~"


    The familiar iron gate, the familiar knocking sound, but this time, there was finally a response.


    "Who''s there? Do you think I''m deaf, knocking so loudly?"


    A fierce voice came from behind the door, and Lis said nothing, quietly standing in front of the door waiting.


    ng~


    The door was suddenly pulled open from inside, and out walked a man who looked to be over fifty.


    His slender form made it hard to believe that the loud voice just now hade from this body, the typical Kingdom old man''s appearance but somewhat ferocious; with sparse brown hair and a leather jacket stained with sshes of alcohol and grease, it was hard to discern its original color.


    At first nce, he was just an unkempt old man, nothing special about him.


    But Lis knew that this man named Old Jack was not simple.


    In his previous life''s game, this Old Jack was a hidden NPC. Despite his temperamental nature, he was very popr among Bright City region''s yers.


    Because this was a Secret Store!


    Old Jack was the owner of this store, selling rare Magic Items and Equipment notmonly seen elsewhere, so even with his quirky temper, that meant nothing to the yers'' enthusiasm.


    Lis came specifically for a special treasure in Old Jack''s possession.


    "Excuse the intrusion, Old Jack. A mutual friend rmended this ce, and I came to buy some items."


    Upon hearing this, Old Jack scrutinized the handsome young man before him, said nothing, stepped aside to open the door wider, and gestured for Lis and Welf toe in.

 Chapter 45: In Hand

    <h4>Chapter 45: In Hand</h4>


    Langai Street, Old Jack''s grocery store


    Although this young man imed he was referred by someone, Old Jack remained on high alert.


    Although it was their first meeting, this young man seemed a bit strange to Old Jack.


    Looking at Lis''s ordinary attire, the halo of Magic Elements surrounding him revealed to Old Jack that he was a rare Mage.


    But the calluses on certain parts of his hands indicated he was ustomed to wielding weapons like Longswords.


    Strange!


    Moreover, one must know that the clientele of his shop often consisted of members from underground gangs, yet this handsome young fellow did not exude the slightest bit of the bloody and ferocious aura.


    Especially... the guard behind him.


    A Golden Warrior, huh? It seemed not only his Strength but also his status was extraordinary!


    In an instant, numerous thoughts flickered through Old Jack''s mind, but he did not tell Lis and hispanion to leave.


    Being able to run a store in the chaotic andwless environment of Langai Street and maintain it for so long meant that Old Jack had the ability and confidence to protect himself.


    Even if this was a rare Gold Level Warrior, in the confined space of the house where they could hardly maneuver, a prepared mind against an unprepared one could be fatal.


    Welf was unaware that Old Jack was sizing him up with ill intentions, and he followed Lis, curiously examining the myriad of items that filled the surroundings.


    The floor was cluttered with various pieces of Equipment like Longswords, armor, iron spears, etc., the weapons stained with dark blood, proving theirplex origins.


    The materials hanging on the right wall were all derived from various Magic Beasts: the white fur of a Snow Wolf, the ws of an Earth Bear, the single horn of a Split Rock Rhinoceros, and even what Welf suspected to be Dragon Skin from a Two-legged Flying Dragon. Besides these, there were many other Magical Beast Materials that Welf did not recognize, most likely none of them cheap.


    No wonder the young master wanted toe here; there seemed to be some trick to this shop ��?��! Ah!


    Lis paid no attention to Welf''s curiosity, as he himself had been astonished during his own first visit, but sadly, with his meager funds, all he could do was drool over them.


    However, his purpose this time was not to buy any Equipment or weapons; the Jade Mage Set he currently wore as Gold Level gear was more than sufficient for him. His actual target was a piece of Secret Treasure Old Jack had in his collection.


    Of course, now this treasure was merely an ordinary brooch.


    Old Jack took a seat on a broad-backed chair against the wall and said gruffly:


    "Since you were referred by someone, you surely know the rules. Pick whatever you fancy, no bargaining!"


    Lis didn''t mind, as Old Jack''s demeanor had softened quite a bit from earlier, perhaps giving him some face for having Welf with him.


    To think that in his past life, some yer had been driven to attack by Old Jack''s vicious tongue, losing their life, which revealed Old Jack was a Gold Level Shadow Assassin.


    "Welf, see if you like anything, I''ll have a look by myself first."


    Lis instructed Welf and then began to rummage through a pile of misceneous items on his own.


    These were the jumbled and disarrayed items piled in the corner of the room; Old Jack could not recognize many of the entric goods, so he simply threw them there for people to pick through at random.


    Each item was priced at 100 Gold Coins, like a lottery, with what one got depending entirely on their eye for detail and luck.


    "A Magic Ring? ...Just an ordinary stone, though."


    Lis tossed aside a ring that emitted a faint light, a counterfeit that was quite deceptively crafted.


    "Is this an aphrodisiac or an aphrodisiac?"


    Lis held a crystal potion bottle of ambiguous pink color, revealing half a bottle of unknown liquid inside.


    After searching for a while, Lis finally found his target.


    A dark gray brooch with a four-leaf clover pattern.


    This was the one, exactly the same as the one in the picture posted online in his previous life.


    Lis took the brooch into his hands, thought for a moment, and also picked up the potion bottle containing the aphrodisiac.


    Sometimes these things are much more effective than poisons.


    "I''ll take these two, two hundred Gold Coins."


    N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Lis ced the bag holding two hundred Gold Coins on the table in front of Old Jack.


    Old Jack opened it, nced inside, and then tossed the hefty bag directly into the cab behind him.


    As for what Lis had taken from him, Old Jack didn''t really care; getting good goods is a mark of your keen eye, but if you end up with junk, don''t me others.


    All these were swag from fencing goods that were quite cheap to obtain!


    Perhaps the two hundred Gold Coins he spent had some effect, Old Jack''s attitude improved ever so slightly.


    "Anything else you need? I can get my hands on quite a few good items here," Old Jack offered.


    Lis shook his head. Apart from the brooch, nothing else here held much attraction for him.


    Perhapster, when he started researching Magic Rune, he woulde back here for some rare Magical Beast Materials.


    So, Old Jack closes up shop from time to time, probably to stock up elsewhere.


    Just as Lis was about to leave, the door to the house was gently pulled open and a soft, slightly mushy voice came from outside:


    "Uncle Jack, I''vee in, and I''ve brought something tasty for you."


    Ashley walked in carrying a basket and suddenly saw that there were two strange men in the room besides Uncle Jack.


    But this young man looks kind of familiar, doesn''t he?


    Ashley was curious, but a bit shy, she immediately kept her head down and walked straight to Old Jack, ced the basket containing bread and vegetable soup on the table, then hid behind Old Jack''s wide chair, stealthily taking in the somewhat familiar looking Lis.


    Isn''t this the Little Easter Egg? Indeed she''s still just as cute.


    Yearster, in a side quest rted to the assassination of Kingdom Nobles, yers eventually discovered that the killer was a curvaceous and attractive female assassin who liked to wear skin-tight leather. Inter main quests, this female assassin made several appearances, yet no one knew her origins.


    But the power of the LSPs is terrifying. The identity of this beautiful assassin was finally uncovered by the yers��it was the little girl who would asionally be seen at Old Jack''s in Bright City in the early stages of the game.


    This topic was hot on the yer forums for a while; Lis remembered clearly that someonepared the screen-captured image of the young Ashley with the photos of the dashing and elegant female assassinter on, which had all the gentlemen proiming that one should "look at a person with new eyes after three days."


    As Ashley was an extremely popr character among the yers, the plotline where yers could encounter the young Ashley at Old Jack''s was affectionately referred to as "Little Easter Egg" by the yers.


    However, at this time, the Little Easter Egg had not yet shown signs of bing a Professional, and Old Jack probably hadn''t officially taken her in as his apprentice yet.


    "Hello, little girl. By the sound of it, you were the one who warned me behind the windowst time, thank you for that."


    Lis thanked Ashley warmly; after all, mingling with an important character in the plot could have its benefits.

 Chapter 46 - 46 Acadia’s Lucky Brooch

    <h4>Chapter 46: Chapter 46 Acadia''s Lucky Brooch</h4>


    "Ah, are you the big brother fromst time?"


    Ashley poked her little head out with a touch of curiosity. She had sneaked a peek through the crack in the windowst time, no wonder she found the figure vaguely familiar!


    "Yes, my name is Lis. What''s your name?"


    "My name is Ashley..."


    Just as Ashley was about to say her name, she was interrupted by Old Jack''s gruff voice.


    "Are you done shopping? If you''re done, then hurry up and leave, don''t get in the way of my business!"


    Lis nced around the grocery store, which had no other customers besides himself, shrugged his shoulders, and realized Old Jack didn''t want him to have much contact with Ashley right now.


    But that was alright; it wasn''t urgent. There would be other opportunities.


    Lis smiled at Ashley as a way of saying hello, then he directly took the things he had just acquired and walked out of the cramped little house.


    After Lis and Welf had both stepped out the door, Old Jack mmed the door shut with a bang and turned to gently instruct Ashley:


    "In the future, when strangers talk to you, don''t just tell them everything, got it?"


    "Oh~"


    Ashley obediently nodded her head. That big brother didn''t seem like a bad person at all, much nicer to look at than those who often came to Uncle Jack''s shop looking fierce and malevolent.


    Old Jack nced at Ashley, pondered for a moment, and finally made up his mind.


    The first time he saw Ashley, who lived across from him, and sensed her extremely high affinity with the Shadow ne, he knew this little girl was a natural-born assassin.


    Lately, Old Jack had been hesitating about whether or not to formally take Ashley as an apprentice.


    After all, to be a true assassin, one must face harsh and cruel training, kill on the edge of a knife, and have blood on their hands��these were unavoidable.


    It was hard for him to let such an innocent and cute little girl face these things.


    He never had children of his own, and Old Jack had already been raising Ashley as if she was his goddaughter.


    However, Ashley''s interaction with Lis made Old Jack realize that he couldn''t protect her forever; she would eventually have to deal with other people and face the storms of the outside world on her own.


    Let her decide for herself then.


    Old Jack looked solemnly and seriously at Ashley and asked:


    "Ashley, do you want to be an assassin?"


    "Uncle Jack, what is an assassin?"


    "It''s a profession like warrior, mage, and others; I am an assassin."


    Ashley''s eyes gleamed upon hearing this: "Like those people in the stories, who defeat evil dragons and protect everyone?"


    "That''s right."


    Old Jack hesitated for a moment before responding, for power is neither good nor evil; its wielder determines whether to use it for harm or for good in a split second.


    After pondering for a while, Ashley said softly yet firmly:


    "I want to learn, so I can protect Aunt Anna and Uncle Jack!"


    Old Jack didn''t expect Ashley to answer like this; a hint of softness bloomed on his somewhat fierce face, like a chrysanthemum unfolding.


    "Good, I''ll have a word with your Aunt Anna. From now on, youe to me every morning, and I''ll teach you how to be an assassin!"


    "Mhmm!"


    Ashley excitedly nodded her adorable little head, as if she were afraid Old Jack might change his mind.


    Unbeknownst to Lis, his encounter with Ashley had made Old Jack decide to take her on as a disciple ahead of time.


    He didn''t want to waste a single moment and, after returning straight to his mansion, he locked himself in the basement.


    He took out the Clover Brooch he had obtained from Old Jack and examined it carefully in his hand.


    Although the brooch now appeared dusty and inconspicuous, it would be a rather famous treasure among yers in the future.


    Secret Treasure: Acadia''s Lucky Brooch


    This was an extremely rare item capable of increasing a character''s Luck Value.


    The initial Luck Value of game characters fluctuates between three and seven points, which cannot be increased through leveling up, and there are very few specialties and item effects that can enhance a yer''s Luck Value.


    Luck Value rtes to the yer''s fortune in the game, such as the equipment drop rate when defeating monsters; of course, more importantly, in some special environments or skill judgments, the level of Luck Value is required.


    For example, opening treasure chests, the critical strike rate of special skills, and so on.


    But Lis discovered that his own Luck Value was a pitifully low three points, so he immediately thought of this Secret Treasure.


    This brooch contained the power of the now-fallen God of Destiny, n Bell, though it hadn''t reached Divine Artifact Level and was just a special Secret Treasure.


    Now looking dusty and unremarkable because its power was still dormant, not yet revealing its special qualities.


    Lis naturally knew how to awaken this Secret Treasure; it merely required stimtion and guidance by power of the same level.


    He took out a small vial of clear liquid emitting a soft white glow, and Lis grinned, feeling a bit of heartache.


    This was Advanced Holy Water he had bought along the way from the Dawn Church, costing a hundred Gold Coins for just a small vial, which was simply daylight robbery.


    But he had no choice but to buy it, as this was the cheapest item containing a trace of Divine Power that Lis could afford; even lower levels of Holy Water contained only the essence of Divine Power.


    Lis ced the Clover Brooch on the table and carefully dripped a small vial of Holy Water onto it.


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    At first, there was no reaction, but suddenly the Holy Water on the brooch began to boil, and a faint ripple spread outward.


    Upstairs in the mansion, the butler, Joyce, furrowed his brow and clenched his right hand, confining the invisible ripples radiating from the brooch within the bounds of the mansion.


    "What is the young master up to again? It was the Elf God''s blessing before, and now it''s the power of which deity!"


    Joyce was puzzled; ever since bing an Arcanist, the young master had started to change.


    But having checked in secret, Joyce found nothing wrong with Lis''s soul or body.


    Well, being active is a good thing. Which powerful individual bes strong without making a peep?


    Joyce shook his head and stopped caring.


    Down in the basement, Lis was unaware that his butler had shielded the Divine Power ripples for him and was focused on observing the changes of the brooch.


    It was as if it was shedding its seal, the dusty gray was king off bit by bit, revealing its silver-white base color.


    In a few minutes, the transformation finally stopped, and a brand-new silver-white Clover Brooch appeared before Lis.


    Lis held the brooch in his hand and opened his system panel to check the effects of this Secret Treasure.


    ---------------


    [Secret Treasure: Acadia''s Lucky Brooch]


    [Description: A treasure granted by the God of Destiny, n Bell, to his Divine Favored, Acadia. Legend has it that it can bring good fortune to the bearer, but destiny is fickle, and Misfortune seems to always follow.]


    [Effect: Luck Value +3. Once a month, you can enter the Lucky state, where all judgments involving Luck Value are automatically seeded for 5 seconds, after which you will enter an unlucky Fellow statesting for three days.]


    ...


    [You have touched the mighty power of a deity]


    [Your analysis progress of Divine Power: 3%]


    ---------------

 Chapter 47 - 47 Conspiracy

    <h4>Chapter 47: Chapter 47 Conspiracy</h4>


    "Hiss��so powerful."


    Lis gasped in awe as the temperature around him rose slightly.


    In his previous life, he had only heard that this was a secret treasure that increased Luck Value. He had seen a picture of it on yer forums, but the owner had never posted its specific effects, only a simple description.


    Unexpectedly, the Luck Value actually increased by a full 3 points, which made Lis''s Luck Value look much more impressive.


    In his past life, the best effect Lis knew of for increasing luck was the Talent "World Tree''s Favor," which only increased it by two points.


    Could it be said that it was indeed the only item rted to the God of Destiny mentioned in the game before?


    As for the lucky effect, there was rted information in the past.


    Lis knew that the simplest application was inbat, where it could make every strike heunched fortuitously hit a weak spot, dealing critical hits every time.


    ording to yer Luck Values, the critical hit rate for each attack fluctuates between ten to twenty percent.


    The effect of the Lucky One was equivalent to granting Lis a one hundred percent chance to trigger critical hits for five seconds!


    Beyond that, in these five seconds, many incredible feats could be achieved.


    For instance, with just a piece of wire, one could open a treasure chest secured with a high-level magical lock.


    For example, even without knowledge of the subject, just throwing magic potion materials together and mixing them could produce excellent potions.


    However, this effect should also be limited. First, there are limits to what good luck can aplish.


    An ordinary person with incredible luck could defeat a low-level professional (for example, a Red Dragon suddenlyes flying in and kills the opponent with a breath of dragon fire), but they could definitely not defeat a deity.


    Second, ording to the description, every time you use the Lucky One effect, there will be a three-day unlucky fellow state afterward.


    This was not mentioned by the owner in the past life.


    Lis seriously suspected that the more lucky he was in the Lucky One state, the more unlucky he''d be in the unlucky fellow state.


    Is this what destiny amounts to?


    Fortune is but the shadow of misfortune; misfortune is the foundation on which fortune rests.


    But no matter what, this secret treasure was extremely powerful, and now it was his.


    Wearing the Clover Brooch on his chest, it even looked pretty good.


    He casually invested all the newly gained experience points into raising his personal level.


    Lis shuddered as the exhrating sensation of leveling up five times in a row involuntarily made him tremble.


    "Comfortable!"


    -----------------


    Name: Lis Kain


    Race: Human


    Level: 39


    Life Value: 1880/1880


    Mana Value: 3180/3180


    Status: Normal


    Experience: 0/260000 (Unassigned Experience Points [52,100])


    Main Profession: Arcanist (Basic)


    Secondary Profession: None


    Talents: All-Purpose (Legendary)


    N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Attributes:


    Strength 83 (Attribute Modification)


    Agility 45


    Intelligence 106 (Attribute Modification)


    Charm 67


    Mystery 47


    Endurance 44


    Luck 3 (+3)


    Free Attribute Points 0


    Specialties:


    [Arcane Thought]�� Intelligence Attribute receives a doubled numerical modification, Elemental Affinity +100%, arcane submodules unlocked


    [Advanced Fatigue Resistance]�� Reduces negative physical effects while in a state of fatigue, Stamina recovery speed +50%


    [Rank Suppression]�� You gain an additional power bonus when against lower-tier professionals, current bonus (10%)


    [Fearless Challenger]�� Damage from rank suppression to oneself is reduced by 30%, with a chance to exempt from fear, shock, silence, chaos, charm, and other negative statuses


    [Low-level Resilient Body]�� Life Value increases by 10%, improves light wound recovery speed, and slightly enhances one''s resilience and elemental resistance


    [All Martial Arts Mastery]�� Strength Attribute receives a doubled numerical modification, all weapons start at Intermediate proficiency by default, the control level of the weapon you are most proficient in +1


    [Silver Moon Protection]�� Divine protection from the Moon and Guardian Goddess Fenrir. Under the moonlight, Stamina and Mana recovery speeds +50%, All Attributes temporarily increase by 15%


    Skills: Magic (Magic Hand, Cleaning Skill, sh Technique...), One-Circle Magic (Fireball Technique, Ice Arrow Skill, Human Charm...), Second Circle Magic (Ice de Skill, Wind Walking Technique, Earth Escape Skill, Repair Moderate Wounds, Levitation...), Three-Circle Magic (Chain Fireball Technique, Elemental Shield, Stinking Cloud, Human Fixation...), One-Ring Magic (Fueling Technique), Three-Ring Magic (Blue Ball Skill, Ageing Ray), Martial Arts (Furious sh, Shield m, Resistance Enhancement, Secondary All Attribute Enhancement)


    Milestones: [Junior Mage (Bronze Level)], [Strongman''s First Step (Silver Level)], [Friend of the Elf n]


    Legend Level: 10 (Realm Level - Court Viscount Legend Level +10)


    Equipment: Jade Wand, Jade Talisman, Concentration Ring, Secret Treasure: Acadia''s Luck Brooch


    ---------------


    After basking in his rewards for a while, Lis immersed himself in today''s arcane research.


    A month had passed, and as the Sacrificial Festival drew nearer, the sense of urgency in Lis''s heart grew heavier, leaving him with not much time.


    ---------------


    Just as Lis obtained the secret treasure brooch, in a hidden base in Bright City,


    Located underground, this secret chamber was lit by the flickering of dim candlelight. A person d in a ck cloak stood quietly in the center, as if waiting for someone.


    After a short while, another figure wrapped tightly in clothing entered, standing before the person in ck.


    "How''s the task I gave youing along?"


    "It hasn''t beenpleted yet."


    The neer removed their hood and turned out to be Camus, who had previously shed with Lis at the Royal Magic Academy.


    "Such a simple task and you haven''tpleted it? I didn''t even ask you to kill that Viscount, just to test his bottom line."


    The person in ck was very dissatisfied. If it were not for the fact that Camus and Lis were ssmates, the task would never have been assigned to him. After all, it was rted to the most crucial step in the adult''s n.


    "Just give me a little more time! Lis barely ever leaves his house; I can''t find an opportunity. Last time when I cornered him in the academy, nothing I did could provoke him, leading directly to his Golden Warrior Guard taking action."


    Camus felt unfairly treated, unable toprehend why a mighty Golden Warrior would serve as a bodyguard to a declining Viscount. Was there something so attractive about that Lis?


    "I don''t care, if it dys the adult''s n, you know what the consequences are."


    The person in ck replied, the nd words thick with threat.


    Camus''s face changed color as he said through gritted teeth,


    "As long as you have someone tie up that guard, I''ll handle Lis myself and definitely figure out what he''s hiding."


    The person in ck looked at Camus as if looking at an idiot:


    "What are you thinking? The reason you were sent to probe was exact to avoid rming anyone. Even if this mission fails, we would not consider deploying a Golden Rank professional."


    The person in ck didn''t bother with further discussion, simply saying in the end,


    "The Sacrificial Festival is in two months, I''ll give you half a month more. If you still can''t aplish it, the personing to see you next time won''t be me."


    After saying that, the person in ck walked straight out of the room, mming the door shut with a bang.


    Only Camus was left in the chamber, his face so dark with rage it might drip water, his fists clenched so tight his nails nearly drew blood.


    He had thought it was going to be a simple task, yet here he was in this predicament.


    Lis!


    It''s all your fault!


    Then don''t me me!


    Determined, with a somewhat crazed look on his face, Camus too left the chamber.

 Chapter 48 - 48 Important Intelligence

    <h4>Chapter 48: Chapter 48 Important Intelligence</h4>


    The next morning, Bright City witnessed a thorough downpour after a long absence, with bursts of thunder, leaving only Bender in the stable to calm the spooked horses.


    In the dining room, Lis, dressed in pajamas,zily ate lunch.


    Having pulled an all-nighterst night, Lis had slept in and had only just gotten up.


    He didn''t me himself; if there was any me, it was only because sleeping on a rainy day was toofortable, giving an inexplicable sense of security.


    Just as Lis was indulging in the delight of a roast chicken specially prepared by his personal chef, Joyce ced a letter on the table.


    Lis flipped through the thick, leather-bound envelope. It had no name on it, leaving him unsure of who had sent it.


    Before Lis could ask, Joyce proactively replied:


    "Young Master, this is a letter sent by Master Mora''s people; they said you''d know what''s inside."


    Was it the intelligence he asked Mora to collect for himst time? It had finally arrived!


    Lis had no appetite to slowly savor his meal any longer. After wolfing it down to satisfy his hunger, he took the envelope to the underground researchb.


    Clearing a space on a table filled with variousb instruments and draft papers, Lis sat down and tore open the envelope to review the intelligence Mora had gathered for him.


    The various kinds of intelligence were neatly organized and recorded on different formats of paper, showing how diligently Mora had worked on his task.


    "Changes in important officials of the Kingdom? There''s no big change there!"


    "Migration shifts of Magic Beasts in the Kingdom''s wilderness and changes in merchant routes? Also not useful."


    "Recent activity routes of thete Count Sharon''s widow? What is this, Mora sneaking something in!"


    ...


    The intelligence prepared by Mora for him was diverse, such as the merchant routes that were as t as a pancake��information that Mora''s Guild had uncovered at great cost. If sold to peddlers in urgent need of intelligence, it could even fetch arge sum of money.


    However, none of that was of any use to Lis. What he wanted to know wasn''t this kind of information.


    At the end, he found the most meticulous and important piece of intelligence��a statistical summary of the price fluctuations ofmodities in Feis Kingdom and several neighboring countries.


    For most people, this was a beacon for making money and getting rich, but Lis was not interested in those details.


    Amidst the dense array of data, Lis quickly found the information he was looking for.


    Within Feis Kingdom''s territory, the prices of staplemodities such as grain, metal ores, weapons, and salt had risen slightly over the past six months, each increasing by five to fifteen percent from the same periodst year.


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Meanwhile, the prices of luxury goods and real estate had declined slightly.


    Several countries near Feis Kingdom had experienced simr situations, but their price fluctuations were less than those of Feis Kingdom.


    Following the intelligence, there was a suggestion from Golden Vine Flower Commerce''s intelligence personnel, advising to increase the proportion ofmodities like grain and equipment carried by merchant caravans.


    Setting down the intelligence, Lis stroked his chin, his eyes filled with a profound expression.


    This was getting interesting!


    The continent had been peaceful for a long time, so even though Golden Vine Flower Commerce had noticed these unusual price movements, they didn''t consider the possibility of war.


    Looking at this, whether it was grain, weapons, metal ores, or salt, all were critically important war preparation materials.


    If the fluctuations in grain prices could be due to seasonal factors, then the changes in the prices of weapons and metal ores made no sense.


    But Lis saw things differently. Even though he wasn''t much of an economist, knowing the inevitable oue of war breaking out, he could easily guess the reason behind the price increases of these war materials.


    Someone was secretly purchasing and stockpiling these significant strategic materials!


    Furthermore, based on the degree of price movements, the main purchasing and stockpiling activities appeared to be taking ce inside Feis Kingdom, which in turn affected the prices of materials in neighboring countries.


    This was rather terrifying!


    The movement of funds had directly impacted the prices ofmodities like grain and weapons��what an astronomical amount of money it must be!


    And such secretive purchasing activities had not even raised suspicion in Golden Vine Flower Commerce, one of the top five guilds in the country.


    This��


    ```


    Without the cooperation and support of the Royal Family''s upper echelons, Lis didn''t believe anyone could pull off such a feat!


    So, was that assassination during the Sacrificial Festival orchestrated by the upper echelons of the Kingdom?


    Could it be the King?


    Lis thought it unlikely, if the King really wanted to wage war, there would be absolutely no need to provoke a dispute through such an assassination during the Sacrificial Festival, which greatly damaged the Royal Family''s face and prestige.


    The King could easily use a minor border friction as a pretext for war if he wished.


    Suddenly, a spark of inspiration shed through Lis''s mind!


    Yes, unless the King didn''t want to wage war, but someone needed to create an irresistible cause, forcing the Feis Kingdom''s King tounch an invasion.


    To divert domestic conflicts through warfare, to vent the dissatisfaction of the Nobles angered by the assassination!


    Lis pieced together his thoughts bit by bit, and his eyes shone brighter and brighter.


    So now the most important thing was to figure out who within the Kingdom wanted to push for invasion and the reasons for triggering the war.


    Lis nced at the intelligence in his hand again; the information sent by Mora was very useful to him��he had to thank him properlyter.


    Then, where to inquire about the Kingdom''s upper echelon news?


    Quickly, an image of a person emerged in Lis''s mind.


    Darn it, how could he have forgotten him!


    ---------------


    Gedo Street, Yaya Adventure Group''s headquarters


    The rain outside continued pouring down, and in such weather, people stayed at home to rest, rarely venturing out in the downpour.


    After all, in this era, a minor cold could take a person''s life.


    The members of the Yaya Adventure Group also enjoyed the rare leisure time,zing around in the vi.


    Lunbos still drank the beer that was as precious as Life itself, munching on snacks; the previous expedition had replenished his funds for buying alcohol.


    Arsen was maintaining his Longsword and armor, carefully applying a special grease for lubrication and maintenance.


    Ailina and Ya''er were sitting side by side on the couch.


    "Oh, Ailina sister, let me hug Little ck again, I''ll be gentler this time."


    Ya''er looked at the ck Cat nestled in Ailina''s arms with puppy eyes and spoke in a pitiful tone.


    "That''s what you saidst time."


    Ailina nced at Ya''er,pletely unresponsive to her coquettish behavior.


    "How stingy, when I get my own, I won''t let you y with it!"


    Ya''er turned her head away huffily,ining without good humor.


    Just then, Lis pushed the door open and walked in, overhearing Ya''er''s words, his lips inadvertently curving into a smile.


    Forget about it, that irritable Red Dragon, how did you manage to get the most ferocious of the Five-Colored Dragons to be your mount?


    Was it through physical persuasion?


    Seeing Lise in, Arsen put down his sword and asked,


    "What''s the matter, Lis,e over in this bad weather, got an urgent issue?"


    "It wouldn''t be about the reward for thest mission, would it?"


    Arsen joked.


    "Indeed, no, I have something I''d like to ask for your help with."


    Lis shook the raindrops off his raincoat and said to Arsen.


    ```

 Chapter 49 - 49 The Complex Situation in the Kingdom

    <h4>Chapter 49: Chapter 49 The Complex Situation in the Kingdom</h4>


    "You need to see me?"


    It seemed that with Lis''s serious expression, there must have been something important. Arsen nodded slightly and stood up.


    "To my room?"


    "Yes."


    Lis set aside his raincoat and followed Arsen straight to his room.


    Although Ya''er and the others were curious, they had no intention of eavesdropping. If Lis had wanted to share with them, he wouldn''t have gone to the room.


    Arsen''s room was on the first floor of the vi, on the east side. Inside, besides the simple bed and wardrobe, there were many different styles of longswords and armor neatly arranged on a rack to one side.


    Seeing that Lis was looking at the weapons and armor, Arsen said,


    "This is a little hobby of mine. I like to collect these, some are forged by dwarven masters, others I''ve had purchased from other countries."


    Lis nodded, having appraised them, it was a hobby that cost a bundle. He finally saw a semnce of a rich young master in Arsen.


    "Let''s not talk about that. What''s the matter that you sought me out with such formality?"


    Arsen changed the subject, moved two chairs, and gestured for Lis to sit.


    "You know I rarely interact with other nobles, so if I have something to ask, I can onlye to you."


    Lis slowly spoke, having thought of Arsen beforehand.


    As a young lord of Duke Hade''s family, the most prestigious nobles in the Feis Kingdom, he certainly had a grasp of the kingdom''s top echelon.


    As a member of the adventure team, after interacting with Arsen, Lis felt that this future Golden Lion Knight Commander was trustworthy.


    "What do you want to know?"


    Arsen was curious about what mattered that couldn''t be learned through other means and had to be asked of another noble.


    "It''s like this, do you know, within the kingdom''s nobility, who, just maybe, would wish to provoke a foreign war?"


    Lis carefully chose his words and spoke slowly to Arsen.


    Arsen was surprised to hear this, and even the typicallyposed youngest son of Duke Hade''s family nearly lost hisposure.


    "Do you realize what you''re asking?"


    Lis''s expression didn''t change as he looked up intently at Arsen and said,


    "I am quite sure of what I am saying. Can you tell me?"


    Arsen raised his right hand to rub his temple, feeling somewhat of a headache. He had not expected Lis to ask such a sensitive question.


    To be honest, through recent contact and understanding, he himself felt that Lis was a person well worth befriending. Most of the rumors heard about Viscount Kane seemed to be impractical and fabricated.


    He was a low-profile andposed genius!


    If Lis needed his help, of course, he was willing to offer whatever help he could.


    That was the tradition of the Hade family.


    Make fewer enemies, make more friends.


    But help wasn''t to be offered in this manner!


    This kind of talk, if carelessly spread, could bring serious trouble for the Hade family.


    But... Lis probably wasn''t someone so tactless.


    Arsen lifted his head to look at Lis''s determined gaze, pondered for a moment, and said,


    "Can I know why you''re bringing this up?"


    N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Lis nodded and spoke up with the exnation he had prepared earlier:


    "To be honest, I''ve received information from other sources that there might be people who want to incite a war between our Kingdom and another, so I want to know who within the Kingdom might be inclined to do such a thing."


    "Is that so?"


    It wasn''t that Arsen didn''t believe Lis, but this continent had been peaceful for a long time. Under the mediation of the Church of the Gods, any conflicts or disputes between Kingdoms were resolved well in advance, and there hadn''t been anyrge-scale aggressive wars for quite some time.


    The most recent minor conflict had been a skirmish involving a thousand troops on the border between the Feis Kingdom and the Norton Kingdom in the west, several years ago.


    However, Lis was aware that, despite the mediation by the Church of the Gods over the years, the umting disputes and each Kingdom''s demands for development had be like an ever-expanding powder keg,cking only the final spark to ignite.


    On Arsen''s side, he was aware of some Nobles'' dissatisfaction. They felt that their own development had stalled for years and were desperate for a new opportunity for enhancement.


    Arsen hadn''t taken some pieces of information seriously before, asints from Noble lords weremonce about things like ack of novelty in recent operas or how their children weren''t as excellent as themselves.


    But Lis''s mention of the possibility of war today was something Arsen hadn''t considered, forcing him to reassess the actual likelihood of war breaking out.


    Lis spoke with a very certain tone:


    "The situation is indeed as such, I have reliable intelligence, but I cannot tell you the source of the information, for reasons you understand."


    Arsen nodded his head; this could involve the Kane family''s heritage and resources, naturally, he couldn''t be told everything.


    Thinking of this, Arsen couldn''t sit still any longer, he stood up and began pacing back and forth in the room, quickly considering the situation in his mind.


    After a while, when Lis thought Arsen was still undecided, he was about to add fuel to the fire.


    Just then, Arsen stopped pacing, stood in front of the window with his back to Lis, seemingly admiring the July thunderstorm outside.


    Arsen, facing the window, seemed to be talking to himself, but his voice clearly reached Lis''s ears.


    "Duke Rame of the Eastern Territory has always imed that the Kingdom should have its own seaport and shouldn''t let those Bodici make a fortune off the Kingdom''s vast amounts of Gold Coins."


    "Finance Minister ifu Jite has stated that tax revenue growth can''t keep up with the Kingdom''s expenditures and that a new source of finance must be found."


    "The number of Court Nobles grows everrger, increasing the burden on the Royal Family, while the Nobles'' desire and demand to own territories is bing increasingly intense."


    ...


    Goodness, Arsen knew quite a bit.


    Lis listened and made a mental note. Among these people, there might be the instigators behind the scenes.


    Arsen turned around and said to Lis seriously:


    "These matters can only be known by you; you should know the trouble it would bring if it gets out."


    Lis was well aware that speaking carelessly before things were clear would only cause trouble for himself and might alert those orchestrating from behind the scenes.


    "I understand, thank you, Arsen."


    Arsen thought for a moment then carefully said:


    "You need to handle this matter carefully. If there is any other news, you cane to me."


    In Arsen''s view, since Lis, a marginal figure in the Nobility, could obtain such critical information, it seemed that the power he concealed was not simple. He was worth getting to know more deeply.


    Moreover, Arsen had just realized that these pieces of information he had not cared much about, when connected together, suggested that the clouds of war were looming over not just the Feis Kingdom but the entire continent.


    It seemed that he needed to make a trip back, to discuss this matter with his father.


    After all, as the King''s confidant, his father ought to know more than he did.


    Lis nodded; Arsen''s words were like a promise to him, offering limited help in this matter, which was an unexpected joy.


    After all, Arsen was not a Transcender and couldn''t be as certain as Lis that war was inevitably going to break out.


    "I''ll keep an eye on the things you mentioned, and I''ll inform you if there''s any new information."


    "Alright, then I should head back now!"


    Lis put on his raincoat, greeted Ya''er and the others, and then headed out into the rain.

 Chapter 50 - 50 Assault!

    <h4>Chapter 50: Chapter 50 Assault!</h4>


    Kane Mansion


    Upon returning from Arsen, Lis went straight to the undergroundboratory as soon as he entered the door.


    After locking the door, Lis needed a quiet space to organize the important information he had just received.


    He recorded all the names, statuses, and demands on paper, tapping the wooden table with the index finger of his right hand, silently calcting in his mind.


    What Arsen had said indeed had made many things clear to him.


    It seemed that the war was inevitable, the only differences being when it would break out and what would spark it off?


    Looking at the information Arsen had provided on paper, Lis felt a headacheing on, given the sheer number of people involved.


    The Duke of Rame from the Eastern Territory certainly had enough strength to push all these things in secret, but at most, he could only cause trouble at the border. To control everything in the capital, Bright City, Duke Rame''s strength alone was not enough.


    As for the Kingdom''s Minister of Finance, Lis meant no disrespect, but the old man without any titles or power was just a mouthpiece for someone behind him.


    Regarding the many Court Nobles, their demands indeed had great influence, but Lis knew that the leader among the Court Nobles was Duke Hade.


    If Duke Hade had wanted to arrange this, Arsen would not have told him this news in the first ce.


    Such a headache!


    Since it couldn''t be any of the people Arsen mentioned, then who could it be?


    Who had the capability to n an assassination during the Royal Capital Festival and enough strength and wealth to manipte the prices of the Kingdom''s food and weapons?


    Who in the world could it be?


    Where else could he obtain intelligence?


    Lis shook his head, troubled by a headache, feeling as if he had missed something.


    Suddenly, an idea shed in his mind, and Lis pped his thigh.


    Right, how could he have forgotten this person.


    Camus from the academy!


    He had felt there was something off about this person before, and now it seemed likely he could obtain information about the identity of the mastermind from him.


    What to do?


    Should he have Welf tie Camus up and bring him back?


    That would be too extreme. What if it startled the person behind him and got himself killed prematurely?


    Take it slow, take it slow...


    There was still time; the Sacrificial Festival was two months away.


    He needed to n this out carefully.


    As Lis was considering how he could extract the information he wanted from Camus''s mouth, he was unaware that Camus was being pressed and would soon be seeking him out proactively.


    ---------------


    A few dayster.


    Lis had spent several days locked at home delving into arcane studies, not stepping out the front door or beyond the second, as if he had returned to the days of his previous life when he was obsessed with gaming.


    Therefore, hardcore gamers like Lis were quite suited to bing Mages.


    Both were homebodies, capable of sitting still and grinding through an all-nighter without feeling a thing.


    However, today Lis came out of his seclusion; Arsen had sent someone to inform him that he should make a trip to the vi on Gedo Street.


    Perhaps there was additional news regarding what was discussedst time?


    After changing out of his clothes, which were sttered with a myriad of colors from arcane experiments, and making himself presentable, he was ready to step out.


    As usual, he had Welf check to make sure there was no one watching the mansion before giving him the hand signal that he didn''t need to follow, and slipping out confidently through the back door.


    After several days of torrential rain, the whole of Feis Street had been refreshed, and there was still a moist smell in the air.


    Next time he wondered whether he should develop an arcane spell for rain avoidance; previously, in his rush to find Arsen, even a raincoat had not been enough to keep out such heavy rain, and he had returned almostpletely drenched.


    In the past few days, Lis had developed several new arcane spells and was feeling quite pleased with himself. His confidence was through the roof, to the point where he even considered finding Arsen for another sparring session.


    Hehe~


    Just as Lis reached the corner of the alley, ready to turn towards Gedo Street,


    suddenly, a figure d in a ck cloak shed out of the adjacent alley and sprinted to a spot five meters in front of Lis.


    The figure sped their hands together, then mmed the right hand on the ground. A magic array exuding white light withplex Magic Runes enveloped both Lis and the cloaked figure.


    The person in the cloak was ecstatic, thinking, "I''ve finally caught you alone, Lis!"


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    They had been squatting in alleys far from the mansion for several days to avoid detection by the Golden Warrior.


    Lis, recognizing the familiar setup on the ground, suddenly turned pale.


    "Damn, a Short Distance Oriented Magic Transmission Array?"


    Although he had been open to giving potential enemies a chance, he hadn''t expected them tounch a deadly attack right away.


    Even the alerts from the system popping up went unnoticed by Lis, as he dared not waste a moment. Who knew where this transmission could take him.


    Moreover, there was simply no chance of escape once the Array locked onto a target, even if one immediately fled beyond Bright City, they would be pulled right back toplete the teleportation.


    A sh of green light, and the Jade Wand appeared in Lis''s hand. A Wind de was swiftly cast towards the cloaked figure.


    Without waiting to see if the Wind de was effective, three dangerous blue fireballs materialized beside Lis and hurtled towards the figure.


    Then, casually tossing aside the Jade Wand, a sh of Spirit Light brought forth a longsword gleaming with an intimidating cold light into Lis''s hand.


    This was the longsword specially prepared for Lis by Welf after he achieved the "All Martial Arts Mastery" specialty. Although unenchanted, it was sharp and solid enough for Lis''s current use.


    Lis raised the longsword and brought it down fiercely towards the white Magic Rune on the ground.


    Stones flew about as the longsword in Lis''s hand made a small cut in the Magic Rune, whose width was that of a centimeter.


    There was hope!


    Lis''s eyes brightened at the sight. It appeared that the Teleportation Array was only protected by basic Rune enchantments, and he might have a chance to break through it before it activated!


    It seemed to be a low-level Teleportation Array, with an activation time of at least fifteen seconds. He should be able to make it!


    While trying to destroy the Array''s Magic Rune, the preemptive Magic Attacks he had released were also closing in on the cloaked figure.


    The leading Wind de collided with a preemptive Protection Magic cast by the figure, shattering without causing even a ripple.


    However, Lis hadn''t been counting on a single Wind de to disrupt the assant; the real test woulde from the following three Blue Ball Skills.


    The first blue fireball met the cloaked figure''s Magic Shield. The fireball exploded, and blue mes spread along the Shield''s edges, quickly shattering the first line of defense.


    What''s going on? Isn''t he just a Junior Mage?


    How could a single blue fireball so easily break through the Magic Shield cast by oneself, an Intermediate Mage?


    Something''s not right!


    But the cloaked figure had no time to ponder further.


    A single Elemental Shield remained in front of them, nowhere near enough to stop the two remaining blue fireballs!


    Unfortunately, they needed to keep the Teleportation Array running and couldn''t spare the effort to cast another spell.


    Biting their lip, the figure reached into their storage ring and took out two Magic Scrolls, reluctantly channeling Magic Power into them to activate the pre-recorded spells.


    "Four Rings Magic: Advanced Elemental Shield!"


    "Four Rings Magic: Advanced Protective Field!"


    The fact was, the "Advanced Protective Field" had poor efficiency against Magic Attacks, but the cloaked assant was beyond caring. Having gone to the expense of setting up the costly Teleportation Array, failure toplete the mission would leave them without any options. A single Four Rings Magic Scroll wasn''t much inparison.


    Under the intense gaze of the cloaked figure, the second blue fireball struck thest Elemental Shield. The low-level spell was practically useless, and the Shield sted apart with a boom.


    The blue fireball, with its momentum unfazed, mmed into the newly-formed Advanced Elemental Shield.


    Boom!

 Chapter 52: You... are an Arcanist?

    <h4>Chapter 52: You... are an Arcanist?</h4>


    Feis Street, a quiet alley.


    Fortunately, the surroundings were all high walls, and no unrted people came to gather around, or else I would have to worry about how to cover things up.


    Lis rubbed his arms. Although the fight just now had not caused any injuries, the sudden consecutive use of three "Blue Ball Skill" and one "Catastrophic Explosion" had subjected his body to violent magic power shocks.


    It was also thanks to the attribute adjustments of his strength attribute that his physical strength had increased greatly.


    If he could acquire the specialty of a Martial Monk profession and raise his resilience attribute points as well, he estimated that he could withstand a hundred such shocks without his body feeling a thing.


    After all, Martial Monks pursue the transcendence of the body, focusing all their abilities on their fists, feet, and bodies.


    Which Martial Monk specialty is best suited for me, by the way?


    Lis moved his body to alleviate the pain while searching through the rubble where the core of the original Teleportation Magic Array had been.


    "Where is it... Ah, got it!"


    Lis picked up a spherical crystal the size of a nail from the pile of rubble,pletely transparent and colorless, with a faint ck dot visible in the center of the crystal.


    As expected, it''s still here, a Space Crystal!


    As the name suggests, a Space Crystal is a crystal containing the power of space, and the ck dot inside the crystal is the physical manifestation of spatial energy.


    No one knows how these crystals are formed, but people have learned to harness the spatial energy within them through continuous exploration.


    Nearly all Transmission Arrays are built around a Space Crystal as their core.


    Because Camus had not activated the Transmission Array normally, Lis came to see if the Space Crystal in this Magic Array was still there.


    After all, the majority of the value of a Teleportation Magic Array lies in this Space Crystal.


    Lis, feeling quite delighted, ced the Space Crystal inside his ring and returned to the mansion apanied by Welf.


    As for Arsen, he would go there after he was done with everything else; it wouldn''t make a difference to wait a little longer.


    Originally, he had been considering how to capture Camus, but now things had taken a turn for the better, with him delivering himself to his door.


    This kid, really knows how to behave!


    ---------------


    Undergroundboratory of the Kane Mansion,


    Lis had the guards tightly bind Camus to a chair, then waved them off to leave.


    After all, there were some things he didn''t want them to know.


    Looking at Camus, who had a huge lump on his head and was still unconscious, Lis nodded.


    Poor guy!


    Lis recited a spell with a pleasant mood:


    Three-Circle Magic "Sealing Mark"!


    After confirming that the magic power inside Camus had beenpletely sealed by a grey special mark, Lis cast another spell.


    One-Circle Magic "Awakening Technique"!


    A light green light fell on Camus, and the effect was significant. Soon, Camus started to react.


    "Ugh��, it hurts!"


    Camus opened his eyes in confusion, the throbbing pain on his forehead and the tight binding of leather rope, all too vivid reminders of the dire situation he was in.


    "Lis!"


    As Camus''s eyes opened and saw Lis, he nearly passed out again.


    He had intended to use the Short Distance Oriented Magic Transmission Array to teleport himself and Lis to a prepared secret base, probe him, and then release him.


    He had already thought of an excuse: it was to take revenge for Lis taking his assistant position and to stand up for his brother!


    Though it wouldn''t overturn his death sentence for attacking a noble, it probably wouldn''t make Lis suspicious enough to affect the bigger ns of their lord.


    For this, he had even made mental preparations topletely abandon his achievements from decades of hard work at the academy and to live incognito for a long time under their lord.


    But who could have imagined!


    This Lis simply didn''t y by the rules!


    Which Bronze Mage could so easily break through the Protection Magic of a Silver Mage like himself?


    Which Bronze Mage could recognize an extremely rare Short Distance Directional Transmission Magic Array at a nce?


    Which Bronze Mage would actually wield a longsword that could directly sever the magic runes of an Array?


    "I lost, Lis."


    Camus quickly regained hisposure and spoke to Lis, who stood opposite him.


    "This time, it''s my fault. I just had some resentment and wanted to take it out on you, nothing more."


    Seeing that Camus still wanted to hide the truth, Lis wasn''t in a hurry. He picked up a chair from the side and sat down as well.


    "Enough of the lies. Don''t you see the situation you''re in now?"


    Lis crossed his legs, propped his chin with his left hand, and said with a smile:


    "Even if I believed your story, just the crime of attacking a noble is enough to get you killed several times over."


    Camus''s face turned pale, and he fell silent for a moment before he lowered his head and said:


    "I didn''t expect you to be hiding so deep. A Bronze Mage? Heh..."


    "So what will it take for you to let me go?"


    Lis spread his hands and said casually:


    "I don''t have any demands. Tell me, who sent you to trouble me?"


    Camus''s expression remained the same, asking in surprise:


    "What are you talking about? Who else could it be? It''s just me."


    Lis stared at Camus intently, making him feel somewhat uneasy inside.


    "You don''t want to admit it? No problem, I''ve known for a while now."


    Lis paused, then spoke softly:


    "You think it would be easy to kill me during the Sacrificial Festival?"


    Camus still feigned confusion, but a storm was already brewing inside him.


    To be honest, he himself had no idea what the master was plotting by testing Lis, and he only had faint suspicions. Seeing the certainty on Lis''s face, it seemed that he had long since known about the master''s secret schemes.


    How could this be possible?


    Lis, he''s just a Court Viscount...


    No, that''s not right!


    Lis couldn''t possibly be that simple. Spending years in the academy doing nothing significant, he used enviable resources but aplished little.


    Now it seems all of that was just his disguise.


    To have endured the disdain and mockery from everyone for so long...


    This man is too terrifying!


    If Lis could hear Camus''s thoughts right now, he would probably be embarrassed enough to make him stop his deification act.


    "There''s no need to pretend anymore. I knew that day in the school."


    The Lis standing before him now smiled like a viin, squatting in front of Camus.


    To Camus, the smile on his face was clearly that of a demon, marked with pitiful taunt.


    Taking a deep breath, Camus instead asked a question that seemed unrted:


    "You... have you be an Arcanist?"


    This question had been nagging at Camus ever since the battle, and even though he had his suspicions, he couldn''t help but voice his inquiry.


    "No."


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Lis denied without any hesitation.


    He certainly didn''t have the bad habit of a viin who doesn''t take advantage of their strengths but instead exins their capabilities.


    Seeing the name "Arcanist" didn''t even register a surprised reaction on Lis, Camus had his answer.


    Extraordinary spell power, strange spell effects, and a terrifying knowledge base��is this the horror of an Arcanist?


    How did he get involved with such a monster?


    That''s the path many Golden Mages pursue, and yet here it is, alive and right in front of him.


    An Arcanist under twenty?


    Bernie, known as the greatest talent the academy had seen in years, couldn''tpare, could he?

 Chapter 52: You... are an Arcanist?

    <h4>Chapter 52: You... are an Arcanist?</h4>


    Feis Street, a quiet alley.


    Fortunately, the surroundings were all high walls, and no unrted people came to gather around, or else I would have to worry about how to cover things up.


    Lis rubbed his arms. Although the fight just now had not caused any injuries, the sudden consecutive use of three "Blue Ball Skill" and one "Catastrophic Explosion" had subjected his body to violent magic power shocks.


    It was also thanks to the attribute adjustments of his strength attribute that his physical strength had increased greatly.


    If he could acquire the specialty of a Martial Monk profession and raise his resilience attribute points as well, he estimated that he could withstand a hundred such shocks without his body feeling a thing.


    After all, Martial Monks pursue the transcendence of the body, focusing all their abilities on their fists, feet, and bodies.


    Which Martial Monk specialty is best suited for me, by the way?


    Lis moved his body to alleviate the pain while searching through the rubble where the core of the original Teleportation Magic Array had been.


    "Where is it... Ah, got it!"


    Lis picked up a spherical crystal the size of a nail from the pile of rubble,pletely transparent and colorless, with a faint ck dot visible in the center of the crystal.


    As expected, it''s still here, a Space Crystal!


    As the name suggests, a Space Crystal is a crystal containing the power of space, and the ck dot inside the crystal is the physical manifestation of spatial energy.


    No one knows how these crystals are formed, but people have learned to harness the spatial energy within them through continuous exploration.


    Nearly all Transmission Arrays are built around a Space Crystal as their core.


    Because Camus had not activated the Transmission Array normally, Lis came to see if the Space Crystal in this Magic Array was still there.


    After all, the majority of the value of a Teleportation Magic Array lies in this Space Crystal.


    Lis, feeling quite delighted, ced the Space Crystal inside his ring and returned to the mansion apanied by Welf.


    As for Arsen, he would go there after he was done with everything else; it wouldn''t make a difference to wait a little longer.


    Originally, he had been considering how to capture Camus, but now things had taken a turn for the better, with him delivering himself to his door.


    This kid, really knows how to behave!


    ---------------


    Undergroundboratory of the Kane Mansion,


    Lis had the guards tightly bind Camus to a chair, then waved them off to leave.


    After all, there were some things he didn''t want them to know.


    Looking at Camus, who had a huge lump on his head and was still unconscious, Lis nodded.


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Poor guy!


    Lis recited a spell with a pleasant mood:


    Three-Circle Magic "Sealing Mark"!


    After confirming that the magic power inside Camus had beenpletely sealed by a grey special mark, Lis cast another spell.


    One-Circle Magic "Awakening Technique"!


    A light green light fell on Camus, and the effect was significant. Soon, Camus started to react.


    "Ugh��, it hurts!"


    Camus opened his eyes in confusion, the throbbing pain on his forehead and the tight binding of leather rope, all too vivid reminders of the dire situation he was in.


    "Lis!"


    As Camus''s eyes opened and saw Lis, he nearly passed out again.


    He had intended to use the Short Distance Oriented Magic Transmission Array to teleport himself and Lis to a prepared secret base, probe him, and then release him.


    He had already thought of an excuse: it was to take revenge for Lis taking his assistant position and to stand up for his brother!


    Though it wouldn''t overturn his death sentence for attacking a noble, it probably wouldn''t make Lis suspicious enough to affect the bigger ns of their lord.


    For this, he had even made mental preparations topletely abandon his achievements from decades of hard work at the academy and to live incognito for a long time under their lord.


    But who could have imagined!


    This Lis simply didn''t y by the rules!


    Which Bronze Mage could so easily break through the Protection Magic of a Silver Mage like himself?


    Which Bronze Mage could recognize an extremely rare Short Distance Directional Transmission Magic Array at a nce?


    Which Bronze Mage would actually wield a longsword that could directly sever the magic runes of an Array?


    "I lost, Lis."


    Camus quickly regained hisposure and spoke to Lis, who stood opposite him.


    "This time, it''s my fault. I just had some resentment and wanted to take it out on you, nothing more."


    Seeing that Camus still wanted to hide the truth, Lis wasn''t in a hurry. He picked up a chair from the side and sat down as well.


    "Enough of the lies. Don''t you see the situation you''re in now?"


    Lis crossed his legs, propped his chin with his left hand, and said with a smile:


    "Even if I believed your story, just the crime of attacking a noble is enough to get you killed several times over."


    Camus''s face turned pale, and he fell silent for a moment before he lowered his head and said:


    "I didn''t expect you to be hiding so deep. A Bronze Mage? Heh..."


    "So what will it take for you to let me go?"


    Lis spread his hands and said casually:


    "I don''t have any demands. Tell me, who sent you to trouble me?"


    Camus''s expression remained the same, asking in surprise:


    "What are you talking about? Who else could it be? It''s just me."


    Lis stared at Camus intently, making him feel somewhat uneasy inside.


    "You don''t want to admit it? No problem, I''ve known for a while now."


    Lis paused, then spoke softly:


    "You think it would be easy to kill me during the Sacrificial Festival?"


    Camus still feigned confusion, but a storm was already brewing inside him.


    To be honest, he himself had no idea what the master was plotting by testing Lis, and he only had faint suspicions. Seeing the certainty on Lis''s face, it seemed that he had long since known about the master''s secret schemes.


    How could this be possible?


    Lis, he''s just a Court Viscount...


    No, that''s not right!


    Lis couldn''t possibly be that simple. Spending years in the academy doing nothing significant, he used enviable resources but aplished little.


    Now it seems all of that was just his disguise.


    To have endured the disdain and mockery from everyone for so long...


    This man is too terrifying!


    If Lis could hear Camus''s thoughts right now, he would probably be embarrassed enough to make him stop his deification act.


    "There''s no need to pretend anymore. I knew that day in the school."


    The Lis standing before him now smiled like a viin, squatting in front of Camus.


    To Camus, the smile on his face was clearly that of a demon, marked with pitiful taunt.


    Taking a deep breath, Camus instead asked a question that seemed unrted:


    "You... have you be an Arcanist?"


    This question had been nagging at Camus ever since the battle, and even though he had his suspicions, he couldn''t help but voice his inquiry.


    "No."


    Lis denied without any hesitation.


    He certainly didn''t have the bad habit of a viin who doesn''t take advantage of their strengths but instead exins their capabilities.


    Seeing the name "Arcanist" didn''t even register a surprised reaction on Lis, Camus had his answer.


    Extraordinary spell power, strange spell effects, and a terrifying knowledge base��is this the horror of an Arcanist?


    How did he get involved with such a monster?


    That''s the path many Golden Mages pursue, and yet here it is, alive and right in front of him.


    An Arcanist under twenty?


    Bernie, known as the greatest talent the academy had seen in years, couldn''tpare, could he?

 Chapter 53: It’s actually... him?

    <h4>Chapter 53: It''s actually... him?</h4>


    Lis saw that Camus seemed to have guessed something, but he said no more, considering he was as good as dead today anyway.


    "Then speak, you are a clever man after all."


    Realizing that he had provoked a formidable enemy and was facing a situation with little to no chance of survival, Camus gave a wry smile and shook his head.


    He was even toozy to care about why Lis knew about the Lord''s n and still asked about the Lord''s specific identity.


    "Don''t want to say, or can''t say it?"


    Lis looked at Camus with interest and directly asked.


    Unfortunately, he didn''t know the necessary Death Magic, or else he would have directly extracted his soul for questioning.


    Camus seemed utterly disheartened by Lis''s questioning, nodding his head inplete despair.


    So it was the second type, he wondered, was it the priestly vow of silence or the mage''s Secret Sealing?


    Whichever it was, both were Gold Level strength, and not something he could forcibly break right now!


    However, he could try a more cunning approach...


    "Is the person instructing you King Morton Fis?"


    Camus shook his head.


    Good!


    Lis''s eyes lit up, surmising that the restrictions on Camus were only to prevent him from disclosing some specific information, not the broad kind of restriction that forbade revealing any rted information whatsoever.


    But even with a weaker restriction, obtaining the desired information would still require some tricks.


    "Is it Duke Hade?"


    Shake of the head.


    "Is it Duke Rame?"


    Shake of the head.


    "Is it Tred Milvian, the leader of the first and second army legions of the Kingdom?"


    Shake of the head.


    "Is it the president of the first Guild, Feis Guild, Crosia Lacy?"


    Shake of the head.


    ...


    Lis rubbed his temples, even though Camus, greatly shaken and dispirited, was quite cooperative, none of the personages he had thought of were the culprit.


    No rush, no rush.


    Think it through carefully.


    Who else could he have missed?


    Lis paced back and forth in his study, pondering who else among the Kingdom''s high echelon could be a suspect.


    Suddenly, a sh of insight struck Lis, and he immediately turned to question Camus:


    "Is it Second Prince Yatean Fis?"


    Camus, who had been shaking his head continuously, suddenly stiffened, staring motionlessly at Lis.


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Looking at Camus''s reaction, Lis''s eyes sharpened instantly, knowing he had found the answer he sought.


    Yatean Fis!


    The image of a serious, gold-haired, imposing middle-aged man emerged in Lis''s mind.


    Yes!


    This exined it all. He had enough strength and status to influence various factions within the Feis Kingdom, to concentrate resources for preparing all sorts of materials, to affect the Kingdom''s decision-making, to plot the ignition of a war!


    In his past life, Lis knew of this man; as the most outstanding and highly acimed prince among the Kingdom''s heirs, he had also yed a significant role in theprehensive war on the Fanor Continent that followed.


    So when the Blood Rose Princess Taya Fis suddenly appeared on the scene to ascend to the throne, it caused quite a stir, perplexing many.


    However, when Taya Fis demonstrated her Legendary Warrior strength, all the controversies swiftly vanished.


    In this world, strength is everything!


    As an extremely rare noble descendant turned into a Legendary powerhouse, it wasn''t Taya who needed the position of Feis Kingdom''s queen.


    It was the entire Feis Kingdom that needed Taya to be the Queen!


    Yet new doubts surged into Lis''s mind.


    Why would Yatean Fis do these things?


    If the matter of him secretly plotting to assassinate nobles were exposed, that would not be a trivial issue.


    He would be abandoned by the entire noble ss!


    Could it be...


    So, as long as he wasn''t discovered, it would be okay?


    Who could have imagined such a seemingly upright person would do such unorthodox things.


    Lis looked up at Camus, whose face was painted with gloom, and asked,


    "Do you have anything else you want to say? I''ll give you time."


    Camus opened his mouth, gave a wry smile, and swallowed back any plea for mercy he might have had.


    As a wise man, Camus, of course, knew that he wouldn''t be leaving this ce alive himself.


    After all, he truly knew Lis''s trump card now.


    But at the cost of his own life!


    How had he, such a cautious and patient person, fallen into Lis''s hands?


    It seemed that after submitting to his lord, he had lost the caution and patience he formerly possessed!


    A deep bitterness welled up in Camus''s heart, but contemting these matters was useless now.


    Lord Yatean, it seems you have truly chosen the wrong person!


    Seeing that Camus had nothing more to say, Lis didn''t bother wasting any more words on him, and started chanting a spell.


    Three-Circle Magic, "Death Ray"!


    A grey-white ray directly hit Camus, who didn''t have any resistance, and he fell limply onto the chair, as if his entire body had fallen apart.


    Under the influence of Death Spirit Energy, his skin turned pale and his bodycked any signs of life.


    Lis, killing for the first time since his rebirth, did not waver in the slightest, as if he was already very ustomed to it.


    Afterward, Lis cast several "Burning Hand" spells topletely eradicate Camus''s body, leaving not a trace behind.


    Naturally, Lis had already taken Camus''s storage ring, but inside there were less than a hundred Gold Coins and an intermediate Magic Wand; the rest was just assorted items.


    It seemed that, in targeting him, Camus had truly emptied all his savings.


    Lis didn''t care about these spoils of war; after all, to gain knowledge of the real identity of the person behind the curtains from Camus was already the greatest gain.


    ---------------


    Gedo Street, Adventure Team Vi


    The guard specially dispatched came to inform Arsen that Lis suddenly had some urgent matters and couldn''te over today.


    Arsen didn''t mind, as it wasn''t anything particrly urgent. It was just that after discussing with his father, there were some matters he wanted to confirm with Lis.


    Arsen remembered the scene from his father''s study from the day before.


    "Father, these are the things that Viscount Lis Kain told me about, and I think they are very likely to happen."


    Duke Fusis Hard, with white hair and a somewhat aged and gentle face, but still looking very spirited, sat behind a wide brown chestnut desk, not looking toward Arsen, but rather was lowering his head and fiddling with a fine quill pen.


    The minute patterns on the quill seemed to have a unique attraction.


    Knowing this to be his father''s habit when thinking, Arsen stood by quietly waiting.


    After a while, the elderly Duke Hard finally seemed to have appreciated all the patterns on the quill and slowly began to speak,


    "Arsen, do you think that what our Viscount Kane says is true?"


    This tone clearly wasn''t one of doubt.


    Arsen organized his thoughts and said,


    "It should be true. The information I told Lis, they were snippets I''d heard before that seemed unrted, but if you consider the possibility of a war breaking out, then..."


    "Mm."


    Fusis merely gave a nomittal hum, leaving it unclear if he agreed with Arsen''s view.


    In truth, he too had his suspicions, for as the leader of the court nobles and the confidant of the king, Duke Hard had ess to far more information than Arsen or Lis.


    But the question was, who was it that wanted to touch this hot potato?

 Chapter 54 - 54 Unlucky Lis

    <h4>Chapter 54: Chapter 54 Unlucky Lis</h4>


    "If someone is indeed pushing for war behind the scenes, who do you think it could be?"


    Fusis asked calmly.


    "Father, I..."


    Arsen shook his head. In fact, after hearing Lis''s information, he had not slept all night, pondering over who could be the one to propel such acts of war.


    He had run through all the possible names in his mind but could not pinpoint any likely suspect.


    "Alright, stop guessing,"


    Fusis said with a smile, taking a fine southern cigar out of the brown wooden box and carefully using silver scissors to snip a smooth notch in it.


    After lighting the cigar with a match, Fusis didn''t rush to put it to his lips. Instead, he just held it in his hand, quietly observing the bluish-grey smoke from the burning cigar wafting through the air, and asked:


    "Why do we need to prevent the war?"


    "Because many people will die?"


    Arsen said uncertainly, having never been on a real battlefield.


    "Indeed, there are no wars without casualties, but you also need to see what can be gained."


    "Just as you and Lis discussed, the Boditch Kingdom to the east, with its inept ruler and corrupt officials��if not for the Church of the Gods, our kingdom would have conquered it long ago."


    "If our kingdom can acquire an eastern seaport, do you understand what that means?"


    Fusis looked at his most outstanding youngest son, hinting at the implications.


    "It would be very beneficial for the kingdom''s development, but..."


    Arsen spoke with a tinge of uncertainty.


    "You see, the kingdom needs war to seek change; some sacrifice is eptable, and the Church''s attitude has shifted."


    Duke Hade suggested.


    "So, Father, are we just going to stand by, or even promote the outbreak of the war?"


    "Of course not."


    Fusis stood up and walked to the window of the study, speaking slowly:


    "Our Hade family has the absolute trust of His Majesty the King. Why is that?"


    Then, without waiting for Arsen to answer, Fusis continued:


    "Because we always follow behind the King, obeying hismands. Do you understand?"


    "Yes, Father,"


    Arsen hesitated, then asked softly:


    "So His Majesty the King does not wish to start a war?"


    Fusis did not answer, instead continuing:


    "Therefore, what His Majesty the King does not wish to see is exactly what we must prevent."


    "The current question is, how will theypel His Majesty to agree to war?"


    Arsen thought carefully and shook his head as well.


    Fusis paced back and forth in the study before looking up at Arsen and saying:


    "Since it was Viscount Kane who mentioned this to you, go and see if he has any other information."


    After a pause, Fusis said with a smile:


    "And make sure to properly express the Hade family''s gratitude and sincerity. After all, it''s interesting that such a young fellow would disclose these kinds of secrets to you."


    ---------------


    Arsen shook his head; discussing serious matters with the old man always gave him a headache. It wasn''t very clear to him, and it didn''t tire him out.


    Watching Ya''er rolling on the living room sofa with the Little Moon Spirit Leopard, his temples began to throb.


    Why did His Majesty the King entrust the care of the Princess to me?


    These past six months had felt more exhausting than ever before.


    "Arsen, Arsen, what are you looking at?"


    Ya''er, perched on the sofa, lifted her head with suspicion and, noticing Arsen watching her with an odd look, asked.


    "Nothing, I''m just thinking that the Little Moon Spirit Leopard is about to be bullied to death by you."


    "Not at all! Little ck always likes me a lot."


    Ya''er hugged the Little Moon Spirit Leopard tightly, oblivious to its utterly spent expression.


    With Ailina not at home, it could not escape Ya''er''s clutches.


    "Arsen, what are we having for lunch? I''m hungry!"


    ```


    "Alright, alright."


    Arsen resignedly stood up and headed out to buy lunch at a nearby restaurant.


    Thinking about the special food he needed to bring for Little Moon Spirit Leopard, Arsen couldn''t help but sigh deeply.


    I really don''t want to be a nanny!


    ---------------


    Meanwhile, at Kane Mansion


    Lis walked out of the basement with an impassive expression and said to Welf and the others waiting outside:


    "That was just a thief who tried to kidnap me. I''ve killed him. Understand?"


    "Understood, Master Lis."


    Welf and the others hurriedly responded.


    "Well, if anyone asks, that''s what you''ll say."


    Lis nodded his head and lifted his foot to go upstairs.


    Suddenly, Lis missed a step and couldn''t maintain his bnce, crashing headfirst into the hard wall beside him.


    "Young Master!"


    Welf, shocked by the sight, hurriedly helped Lis up, but identally, due to an uncontrolled strength, "crack", dislocated Lis''s right arm.


    Lis''s temples twitched as he sharply inhaled a breath of cold air.


    With a bump on his head and a dislocated arm, he was in too much pain to utter a single word.


    Seeing this, Welf immediately stopped moving and was full of question marks.


    As a Golden Warrior, how could he not control his own strength?


    Moreover, Master Lis had trained for a long time; how could he dislocate an arm from a simple helping hand?


    After a few seconds of bewilderment, Lis, who had regained consciousness from the pain, quickly signaled Welf and the others to step back with his uninjured left hand.


    Holding back a breath, he pressed down on his dislocated arm, bit his teeth tightly, and applied force.


    "Click!"


    Lis''s eyebrows furrowed tightly, his face somewhat pale, but even so, he dared not let Welf and the others help.


    He had already realized where the problemy.


    Looking at the status panel notification


    ---------------


    [Unlucky Fellow Status: Remaining duration 70 hours 10 minutes]


    ---------------


    How miserable. How am I supposed to get through three more days?


    Lis had not expected that Acadia''s lucky brooch would have such a swift and negative effect, almost causing him to pass out.


    What to do, now I''m even afraid to move!


    Lis was somewhat troubled, sensing danger everywhere��it was the kind of feeling that walking on a staircase could lead to its copse or stepping onto the second-floor ceiling could cause it to fall.


    I can''t just stand here all the time, can I? Who knows if a brick is going to fall off the ceiling and hit me on the head next.


    Feeling the burning pain on his forehead, Lis took a deep breath and cautiously started to climb the stairs.


    One step, two step, three steps...


    With every step, Lis dared not be careless and focused all his attention on controlling his body and observing his surroundings.


    Welf and the others watched Lis''s strange movements but dared not speak up after what had just happened, fearing it would startle the young master and cause greater trouble.


    What usually took only a minute to climb, Lis now took a full ten minutes, stopping with each step to check for any loose bricks above his head or damage to the stairs under his feet.


    Finally reaching the hall, Lis heaved a sigh of relief, as if a burden had been lifted.


    As long as I''m careful, I can still avoid mishaps!


    Just as Lis was contemting where to go and wait out the effects of the Unlucky Fellow,


    "Ah, Young Master! I made a toast fruit pie as you instructed, please have a taste!"


    The maid Rossi, seeing Lis standing there, joyfully ran toward him with a steaming hot fruit pie.


    There seemed to be a puddle of water on the floor that hadn''t been wiped up, and Rossi''s feet slipped, the fruit pie flying out of her hands under Lis''s horrified gaze.


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Luckily, it flew towards Lis.


    "Unlucky, unlucky, unlucky, unlucky!"


    ```

 Chapter 55 - 55 Camus is really a good person!

    <h4>Chapter 55: Chapter 55 Camus is really a good person!</h4>


    The third day at the Kane Mansion.


    Lisy on his bed, staring nkly at the ceiling.


    God knows how he had endured these past three days.


    Standing there as a maid smeared his face with scalding hot fruit pie, he tried to use magic to block it but encountered the rarest elemental dispersion ident.


    Now, he was aplete package of internal and external injuries.


    Even eating wasn''t peaceful, choking every three bites, and most absurdly, even drinking water could make him choke. Lis started suspecting that he might have mutated somehow.


    Fortunately, the subsequent misfortunes were rtively mild, like stubbing his little toe or getting slightly burned.


    However, to be cautious, Lis had not engaged in arcane research or physical exercise for those three days. At a time like this, any small mishap could be life-threatening; he didn''t want to end up missing an arm or a leg.


    During these days, Lis had mostly been lying in bed meditating, since there was nothing else to do and Arsen had been informed. Practicing meditation, gathering some experience points was always good.


    Lis leaped from the bed and stood on the floor, ncing at the leg of a nearby chair with lingering fear.


    It reminded Lis that no matter how well you exercise, your little toe remains vulnerable.


    "Right, I think there are some system notifications I haven''t checked yet."


    Lis called up the system panel.


    -----------------


    [Limited Challenge Quest Triggered]


    [Objective: Defeat Silver Mage Camus]


    [Rewards: Will be based on taskpletion]


    ...


    [You dealt a lethal injury to the target using Death Ray!]


    [You have in Silver Mage Camus LV51!]


    [You gained 200,000 experience points]


    ...


    [Your victory over the Silver Mage Camus, in an underdog battle, haspleted the limited challenge quest]


    [Judgment: Cross-level Challenge...Judgment passed, rewards increased]


    [Judgment: All-out Battle...Judgment passed (70%), slight increase in rewards]


    [Judgment (Hidden): Formidable foe of the same profession...Judgment passed, rewards significantly increased]


    [Task Completion 200%, Reward Distribution in Progress...]


    [You gained 600,000 experience points]


    [You gained 200 gold coins]


    [You gained the specialties [Intermediate Fire Element Affinity], [Casting Genius (Basic)], [Concentration]]


    [You gained the skill [Advanced Elemental Shield]]


    [You have reached the milestone [Strongman''s Second Step (Gold Level)]]


    [You gained the blueprint [Short Distance Oriented Magic Transmission Array (Basic)]]


    -----------------


    Holy smokes, it''s a gold mine!


    Huge burst ah!


    Lis''s eyes nearly popped out with the brilliance��the rewards for single-handedlypleting a limited challenge quest were just too sweet.


    Lis now wished he could extract the system from inside him and nt a big kiss on it!


    "Ha ha, thank goodness I didn''t open the panel during the unlucky fellow effect, or the rewards drawn would have been rubbish."


    Lis thought somewhat idealistically as he happily clicked to check each reward.


    -----------------


    [Intermediate Fire Element Affinity]��Your affinity with Fire Element particles has further increased, granting you a 30% damage bonus when using Fire Magic, while also providing immunity to Fire Poison, Fire Element Infection, and other negative effects.


    [Casting Genius (Basic)]��You possess a unique talent in the domain of casting spells, reducing spell casting time by 10%, increasing spell power by 10%, and slightly speeding up your spell learning and mastery.


    [Concentration]��Challenging experiences have tempered your mind. In states of meditation and arcane research, your mana recovery rate increases by 20%, and it bes easier for you to reach a state of focused concentration, free from distracting thoughts.


    [Advanced Elemental Shield]��A Four Rings Spell, which forms an elemental shield around you, blocking damage equal to (300% Intelligence + 10% Mana Value), while the shield''s value is proportionately increased by the caster''s Elemental Affinity. Cooldown time: 2 minutes, Cost: 5% Mana Value.


    [Strongman''s Second Step (Gold Level)]��A proof of strength, you have surpassed your enemies based on your own power, advancing significantly on the legendary path. Reward: 20 free attribute points, 20% probability to resist negative statuses.


    [Short Distance Oriented Magic Transmission Array (Basic)]��Records a special Magic Array blueprint, which allows you to learn the magic array recorded in it, or use it as a one-time tool.


    -----------------


    Worthy of a Silver Mage''s rewards, these are far more excitingpared to the rewards from Dison''s mission, each significantly enhancing my own strength.


    [Intermediate Fire Element Affinity] and [Casting Genius (Basic)] obviously need no further boration, as they directly enhance the power of Lis''s fire-rted spells, manifesting every mage''s spell-casting talent.


    Speaking of which, all of Lis''s Elemental Affinities are currently low-level. There''s a long road ahead.


    [Casting Genius] is a specialty capable of directly enhancing mybat power, especially the effect that reduces spell casting time is quite useful even at a basic level.


    [Concentration] is a rather special specialty. It seems like the one Camus acquired during his devoted study when he first entered school, enhancing his efficiency in meditation and spell research.


    This specialty definitely deserves a thumbs up for Camus''s diligence, and Lis acknowledges that such a specialty would be tremendously helpful in his own arcane research.


    [Advanced Elemental Shield] is a must-learn skill for every Silver Mage due to its very practical and powerful effects ��this saves Lis the trouble of learning it.


    [Strongman''s Second Step (Gold Level)] and [Short Distance Oriented Magic Transmission Array (Basic)] are effects that are very straightforward, and Lis really likes them.


    Oh, Camus is such a good person!


    I should have spoken more gently back then.


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Lis felt somewhat guilty,pletely unaware of how excessive it was topletely clean out Camus.


    (Camus: Get lost!)


    Opening the panel again, Lis delightedly admired the fresh and hot specialties and skills, gathered his thoughts, and began to ponder his current situation.


    This time, learning from Camus that the perennial mastermind behind the scenes was Second Prince Yatean Fis of the Feis Kingdom was indeed a surprise to Lis.


    After all, since the elder prince died identally, Second Prince Yatean, as the heir to the kingdom, should not be involved in such highly sensitive matters at this time.


    A smooth transition and assuming the throne should have been the princes''s main focus.


    As for the subsequential counterattack by the Rose Princess, that waspletely beyond anyone''s control.


    The fact is, before Taya emerged, Yatean''s position as the crown prince was incredibly stable, and he had already begun helping the aging king manage some of the state affairs.


    Because of this, although the prince did not control powerful factions directly, his influence was substantial enough to impact nearly half the kingdom.


    For instance, the Feis Kingdom''s top guild, the Feis Guild, being a private property of the Fis family, had robust financial and influential power that could affect the prices of majormodities like food and weapons without arousing suspicion from others.


    The prince was usually quite low-profile, which is why Lis initially did not consider this prince.


    Moreover, after the total war had ended, Prince Yatean ceased to appear in public.


    But why is he targeting me, arranging for Camus toe and test me specifically?


    With his current power and influence, there surely was no need to worry about anyplications in the assassination, right?


    Could there be more to the assassination during the Sacrificial Festival?


    Lis''s fingers drummed lightly on the table, alternating the motion.


    Although there were still many inexplicable aspects, Lis felt he was getting closer to the truth!

 Chapter 56 - 56 Future Direction

    <h4>Chapter 56: Chapter 56 Future Direction</h4>


    ```


    Although there are still many unanswered questions, I feel that I am getting closer and closer to the truth of the matter.


    Lis furrowed his brows, set aside his considerations about the Second Prince, and turned his attention to the improvement of his own strength.


    Recently, havingpleted a Silver-Level exterminationmission and coupled with the Experience Points awarded for triumphing over Camus beyond his own level, I have umted enough to raise my level to above 40.


    This has exceeded my expectations, and it seems that before the Sacrificial Festival begins, I should be able to break through Level 50 and be a Silver Mage.


    Moreover, I have acquired many powerful Skills and specialties, and the nned Secret Treasure, Acacia''s Luck Brooch, has smoothlye into my possession.


    By all rights, there shouldn''t be anything for me to worry about now, should there?


    But indeed there is one issue before me, and it is crucial for my future.


    That is the arcane subsystem!


    As I develop more and more of my own exclusive arcane spells, I also gradually deepen my understanding of the entire arcane subsystem.


    Lis is certain that his arcane subsystem,pared to what the yers in my previous life had, has undergone significant changes.


    In my previous life, yers used the arcane subsystem more as a matter of luck, randomly adjusting the Magic Runes and Elemental Particles in the Magic Model to cobble together new Magic Models.


    One could say it involved no technical content at all; almost every new arcane spell was developed by sheer fluke.


    But Lis discovered that the arcane subsystem he possessed was not the same; could it be because he came with it to the real "Divine Revtion" game world?


    In the past few times he developed arcane spells, Lis distinctly felt that each Magic Model had its own intrinsic patterns, not as disorderly and haphazard without any internal logic as in his previous life.


    When using the arcane subsystem, Lis felt as if he could truly perceive the characteristics of each Elemental Particle: the explosiveness of the Fire Element, the gentleness of the Water Element, the agility of the Air Element, and the solidity of the Earth Element.


    And within the Magic Model, Lis truly encountered the underlying logic of the Magic Models, where a slight touch from me would arrange the Magic Runes and Elemental Particles ording to my will.


    I also understood the source of power for each Magic Model.


    Why is it that the Magic Model of the Fireball Technique can condense Fire Elements to form a fireball and attack the enemy?


    How does the Magic Model of the Elemental Shieldbine the forces of Elemental Particles to form a Shield that fends off enemy attacks?


    Lis feels that only by understanding all the secrets does one truly master the power of each spell.


    The affinity between different Elemental Particles, why Magic Runes can better conduct Magic Power, and stimte the characteristics of Elemental Particles, and so on.


    These are still only the most basic content; just the characteristics of the Four Basic Elements'' Particles and how to restrain them within the Magic Model are enough to give Lis a headache.


    Not to mention the higher levels of application, such as thepatibility issues of Magic Rune Sequences and Elemental Particles in multi-elementbination spells, and how to leverage basic elements to manipte the powers of higher special elements like Light Element, Death Element, Space Element, and so forth.


    These challenges make Lis feel as if he''s back in that hot, painfulst semester of his senior year in high school, with a mountain of textbooks and revision materials piled up on the desk in front of him.


    And there''s also a significant difference: in the game world of my previous life, learning professional knowledge meant merely a change in character data for yers, not really acquiring the knowledge of how to cast the Fireball Technique.


    But for Lis, it''s different. When he obtained "Boba Ka''s Arcane Notebook," he discovered that the rted knowledge truly appeared in his mind.


    However, there''s also a hidden danger: the knowledge that appears in my mind is simply remembered, not something I can use proficiently.


    To give an analogy, suppose Lis had never encountered mathematics before.


    Suddenly, the god of mathematics imparts the knowledge that 2��3=6 into Lis''s mind, and he remembers this fact.


    If a problem 2��3=? is ced before Lis, he can immediately give the answer 6.


    But what if the problem changes to 3��2=?


    Lis would hesitate for a moment before he can also give the answer 6.


    The moreplex the knowledge, the more difficult it bes to fully master it.


    ```


    Thus, Lis''s understanding of the magic knowledge within his mind was still superficial, a considerable distance from fullprehension.


    For Mages, knowledge is power!


    For Arcanists, knowledge is the source of life!


    If Lis chose not to delve too deeply and merely pursued the use of corresponding spells, that wouldn''t be much of an issue.


    But in the domain of the arcane, if Lis wanted to continue on this legendary path and do so more smoothly and for a greater distance, merely knowing was far from enough!


    Now, Lis was presented with two choices:


    The first option was, like those in his previous life who possessed an arcane subsystem, to try his luck and identally develop arcane knowledge.


    The advantage was that he could make full use of the benefit of not needing to consume experience points and, like before, quickly improve his own strength and arcane level in a short period of time.


    The second path was to start from scratch, systematically mastering each bit of magical knowledge from the basics, gradually climbing towards the halls of knowledge.


    This path would undoubtedly slow down his progress in the arcane initially, but it would make his journey steadier and more reliable, and also allow him to go further.


    Damn, is there even a choice to make?


    It must be the second path!


    Lis wasn''t interested only in surviving the impending chaos but also in reaching the legendary realm that no yer had ever touched in his past life.


    Hard work? Tired? Boring and monotonous?


    Nothing matters before the temptation of power!


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Let''s do it!


    Isn''t it just working my liver to its limit?


    I,


    Liver Emperor Lis,


    am scared of that?


    ---------------


    Bright City, Feis Street.


    In a secluded alley, a nondescript two-story building stood quietly.


    The only feature distinguishing this small building from the surroundings was its four-meter-high wall that encircled the premises tightly without a gate, as if hiding something.


    In this alley, which was already rarely visited by passersby, people walking past the building unanimously ignored it, as if the building did not exist at all.


    Suddenly, a person d in a ck cloak emerged from a side alley, breaking the quiet of this deepne.


    The figure in ck surveyed the surrounds and, after noticing no one getting close, quietly walked over to the side of the wall and tapped it lightly at a specific rhythm.


    After a brief wait, ripples appeared on the surface of the wall facing the figure, and it slowly began to turn translucent.


    The figure in ck passed straight through the wall.


    As the figure in ck swiftly crossed the wall and entered the yard in front of the building, two silhouettes like shield walls appeared before him.


    Two guards d in gray armor and likely Silver Warriors, stood blocking his way.


    Without a word, the guards simply watched the figure in ck silently.


    It seemed that if a single word or motion were out of ce, they would be ready to y the figure on the spot.

 Chapter 57 - 57 Prince Yatean’s Plan

    <h4>Chapter 57: Chapter 57 Prince Yatean''s n</h4>


    The man in ck naturally knew the rules; even if he was acquainted with these two, there would be no exceptions.


    He took out a silver token from his ring and removed his hood.


    In front of the guards appeared the face of an ordinary middle-aged man, slightly pale as if he had been living in the dark for too long without sunlight.


    One of the guards took the token, verified it without mistake, and returned it to the man in ck.


    "No problem, long time no see! Robert."


    "Long time no see. Where is the lord now?"


    The man in ck named Robert took back the token and asked casually.


    "The intelligence from the Feis Guild just came in; the lord should be in the study reviewing it. You can go straight there."


    "Thank you."


    Robert nodded to the guards in gratitude and made his way familiarly towards the study on the second floor of the east side of the building.


    When Robert stood outside the study door, he felt uneasy and wiped his hands on his clothes before he gently knocked.


    "Come in."


    A deep and maic baritone voice came from inside the study, and only then did Robert rx, carefully pushing the door open and stepping inside.


    Directly opposite the door stood a spacious walnut desk, neatly arranged with various books and documents, bathed in the gentle morning sunlight that was not yet hot.


    The golden-haired middle-aged man sitting in front of the desk leaned back slightly in his chair, frowning at the intelligence report from the Feis Guild without acknowledging the neer.


    Seeing this, Robert didn''t speak up. Instead, he stood by silently with his hands at his sides, bowing his head, quietly waiting for the man to finish reviewing the remaining materials in his hands.


    It wasn''t long before the man with golden hair put down the papers, picked up the aromatic ck coffee beside him and took a sip, then lifted his hand to rub his tired eyes.


    "Lord Yatean, you really don''t need to work so hard."


    Robert said softly from the side, his face full of respect and concern.


    "The ns are more or less in ce, just waiting for the Sacrificial Festival to arrive. And you haven''t had a proper rest for over half a year!"


    Indeed, the golden-haired man at the desk was none other than Yatean Fis, the Second Prince of the Feis Kingdom.


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Yatean gestured nonchntly:


    "The more critical the moment, the less we can afford to let down our guard. I won''t let years of effort go to waste in an instant."


    Afterwards, Yatean lifted his eyes to look at Robert standing before him and asked:


    "How are the various nsing along?"


    Yatean assigned Robert to be primarily responsible for liaising with different powers involved in the n and to report back to him regrly.


    For the sake of convenience, this ce, set aside in a secluded area next to the Royal Pce, was specially arranged to be a central hub for gathering intelligence and coordinating actions.


    Therefore, the protection here was quite hidden and stringent, guarded by illusions and Silver Guards on the outside and a Gold-level Mage hidden in the shadows.


    When Robert saw that they were getting down to business, he stood up straight and began to report confidently:


    "The Feis Guild and its affiliated guilds have almostpleted the purchase and storage of supplies; the remaining tasks are just wrap-up work, and so far it has not attracted the attention of other forces within the Kingdom or from other countries."


    "You have already reviewed the specific quantities of supplies. We have enough food, weapons, medicine, and other supplies to sustain the Kingdom''s external campaigns for five years."


    "We have secured promises from Duke Rame and Duke Baynum that they have already begun military preparations, and should the Kingdom dere war, they will immediately strike against the Boditch Kingdom."


    "I''ve arranged for our people to negotiate secretly with some court nobles, who will also publicly support the Kingdom''s decision to wage war when the timees, but we need to support them in obtaining military achievements and fiefs on the frontlines."


    "Due to Duke Hade''s presence and to avoid leaks, we have not contacted most of the court nobles.


    "However, based on our understanding, the remaining court nobles arergely supportive of going to war, and the few who are conservative will likely not oppose the Kingdom''s retribution after learning their peers have been assassinated by foreign assassins."


    "Over in the Boditch Kingdom, discontent with our country''s demand to reduce border tariffsst year, they have prepared to deploy the Kingdom''s Gold-level Assassin Blood de into our country after being covertly persuaded, just as you anticipated, Lord Yatean, with the intention of retaliation."


    "The assassin Blood de has been awakened through specialmunication, and he will not go to Duke Rame''s territory but will directly rush to Bright City, to follow the arrangements of Lord Yatean."


    While Robert was emotionally describing every point of the n''s progress, he looked at the man in front of him with reverent eyes.


    This had almost taken all possibilities into ount, and as long as nothing unexpected urred, the result would surely develop as Lord Yatean had predicted.


    Boditch Kingdom brutally assassinates its own nobles during the Sacrificial Festival!


    Feis Kingdom deres war on Boditch Kingdom!


    The Feis Kingdom gains victory in the war, and Lord Yatean ascends to the throne through this!


    Yatean did not show any signs of happiness; his expression was indifferent as if everything should progress just as he had anticipated.


    "Those Boditch fools are truly ipetent, rotten from top to bottom," Yateanmented with a chuckle, "if not for the Church of the Gods..."


    Yatean briefly evaluated the miraculous operations of Boditch Kingdom.


    "Indeed, who could have imagined that their secret ace assassin would actually be Your Lordship''s hidden piece?"


    Robertplimented at just the right moment.


    Yatean rubbed his temples and did not respond to Robert.


    Lately, he had been feeling a sense of palpitations, something that had never urred before. Was there something he had overlooked?


    After thinking while leaning back in his chair, Yatean suddenly asked Robert:


    "Are the targets for the Sacrificial Festival determined?"


    "Yes, my Lord." Robert hurriedly replied.


    "They are Viscount Kane, Baron Leao, Baron Lucas, and Baron Allen. On that day, these four will be arranged to stand 15 meters to the left of His Majesty the King."


    "However..."


    Yatean lifted his eyes; he did not like this feeling of uncertainty and stared at Robert as he asked:


    "Speak the truth!"


    Robert quickly lowered his head and said:


    "As per your instructions, Baron Leao, Baron Lucas, and Baron Allen have been probed, and there is nothing unusual, but it is Camus who is in charge of Viscount Kane, and there has been no progress yet."


    "Camus?"


    Yatean had an impression, a rather outstanding student of Feis Royal Magic Academy in recent years, who had broken through to Silver Mage before graduation.


    What''s more rare is hismoner background; he is one of the mage prodigies that Yatean himself had sessfully recruited in recent years, and thus he also had certain expectations for him.


    A high-level mage is a very valuable helper; throughout the Feis Kingdom, they are found in greater numbers only at the Magic Academy.


    As the kingdom''s primary heir, he only had one Gold-level Mage under hismand.


    He had wanted to give him an opportunity to train, but could he not even manage such a small task?


    Yatean was somewhat disappointed, as he had provided quite a lot of resources to Camus.


    "Hasten the time and ensure there isn''t the slightest mishap!"


    Yatean got up and stood in front of the window, without saying much, just gave Robert a curt instruction.


    "Yes, my Lord!"


    Robert immediately responded and, seeing that Yatean had no further instructions, turned and quietly walked out of the study, gently closing the door behind him.


    Yatean silently watched the outside window, and the nearby neighborhood had already started to bustle, but his gaze wasn''t focused there; instead, he murmured in a voice filled withplexity:


    "Taya?"

 Chapter 58: Great Favor

    <h4>Chapter 58: Great Favor</h4>


    Early morning, Kane Mansion


    Lis got out of bed normally, got dressed normally, and went downstairs normally...


    This ordinary routine brought tears to Lis''s eyes, who had experienced various misfortunes over the past three days.


    Lis had also noticed that these three days of bad luck hadn''t posed much of a threat to him; at most, it resulted in minor bumps and bruises.


    However, it was quite easy for it to leave a psychological shadow.


    Lis touched his forehead, which had already reduced in swelling, with lingering fear.


    During these days, Lis had also spected a bit about the effects of "Lucky" and "Unlucky Fellow."


    Acadia''s lucky brooch seemed to force good luck on himself within 5 seconds through the effect of divine power, nearly granting his wishes.


    But at the same time, he had to bear the corresponding misfortune, although the bad luck was much milder as it continued over three days.


    Anyway, after using the luck brooch this time, Lis had witnessed the powerful effect of this secret treasure, which could save his life at a critical moment!


    However, it was best to use this secret treasure sparingly unless necessary.


    He definitely did not want to experience this feeling of misfortune again.


    After dressing neatly and stocking his storage ring with various fresh ingredients in the kitchen, Lis patted his chef''s broad shoulders encouragingly before heading out to find Arsen.


    After all, he had dyed for three full days, slower than a pigeon flying.


    This time, Lis had learned his lesson, letting Welf apany him all the way to the adventure team''s vi on Gedo Street before he waved goodbye to Welf, telling him he need not stay any longer.


    After all, when it came to safety, Welf was not even a fraction as reliable as Ya''er.


    Welf was quite worried, especially since his young master had just survived an assassination, but Lis sternly refused close protection and Welf had to leave reluctantly, looking back with every step and not even in the mood to visit Golden Lily Lane to "appreciate the flowers" on the way.


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Having visited several times and quite familiar with the ce, Lis didn''t bother being polite and just pushed the door and entered the vi.


    Because Lis had gotten up particrly early today, only Ailina, who was up early to feed the Little Moon Spirit Leopard, was in the living room.


    The elf, dressed in a green home outfit and her pale golden hair not yet done up and hanging down to her waist,cked her ranger''s bold elegance but had a more gentle and graceful demeanor.


    The Little Moon Spirit Leopard, however, was too busy savoring its meal of unknown Magic Beast meat and asionally turned to lick some milk from a nearby dish, seizing the moment to enjoy the bliss while the fiercedy was absent.


    "Morning, Ailina!"


    "Morning, Lis, why did youe so early today?"


    Ailina, not yet dressed, felt a bit embarrassed and pulled her loose hair in front of her.


    "I don''t have much to do, thought I''de over early to make something delicious, after all, I am a great chef."


    Lis winked at Ailina and then headed into the kitchen to get busy.


    asionally cooking a meal himself was also a form of rxation for Lis, who had been engrossed in reading books the day before.


    By the time Lis served the steaming fruit trio cake and White Frost Soup on the dining table, along with some apple snapper already prepared, Arsen and Ya''er had also gotten up.


    "You''re here, Lis,e to my roomter?"


    Arsen greeted Lis.


    "No problem."


    Lis nodded in agreement, as this was his main purpose foring today.


    Ya''er didn''t care what the two men were always doing holed up in the room, as her attention was caught by the snapper on the table, immediately grabbing one and biting into it.


    "Mmm��so hot!"


    The freshly baked snapper was still hot, but even so, Ya''er couldn''t bear to spit it out; the sweet and sour apple fillingbined perfectly with the creamy crust was too good to waste even a bit.


    Ya''er, just out of bed, hadn''t groomed yet, her fiery red hair messily draped over her shoulders, her light pink nightgown slightly wrinkled, indicating that Ya''er had not slept very peacefullyst night.


    Ailina also particrly enjoyed this Taiyaki, eating it bit by bit, even favoring it over the Flower Fruit Trio Cake.


    Lis too enjoyed the fruits of hisbor, cooking and tasting delicious food were indeed one of his great hobbies outside of working himself to exhaustion.


    After a tasty breakfast,


    Lunbos was still not over his hangover.


    Ailina led a still groggy Ya''er to get dressed and made up.


    Arsen conscientiously cleaned up the remains and washed the dishes, then called Lis to his room.


    After theirst conversation, the two had be much more familiar with each other, and Arsen didn''t stand on ceremony, he pulled up a chair for Lis and sat down first.


    Arsen filled up a ss of grape juice for Lis, considering neither of them were dwarves addicted to alcohol, drinking in the morning would have been a bit too much.


    "After ourst conversation, I went straight back and told my father," Arsen said, getting straight to the point.


    Duke Hade?


    Lis nodded, understanding that Arsen knew full well that such matters couldn''t be resolved just by the two of them alone.


    Arsen hesitated, then said,


    "My father might have noticed something too, but he wasn''t as sure as you."


    Lis''s mind was clear, he knew the rest of the story, of course it wasn''t fake.


    But even the old Duke Hade had his suspicions, truly worthy of being a pir of the Feis Kingdom.


    "My father thinks that someone is stirring things up in secret, but it''s certain that person isn''t His Majesty the King," Arsen continued.


    Just as I spected, the King of Feis does not desire, or rather doesn''t want to engage in war with neighboring countries anytime soon.


    Lis pondered discreetly, though he now knew that the mastermind was Second Prince Yatean Fis, it wasn''t appropriate to discuss this directly with Arsen.


    Given Yatean''s manner of operation, he wouldn''t leave any evidence behind, and an all-out investigation now would at most reveal some suspicious signs, but would never implicate him.


    Even if Camus were still alive, it would be useless.


    This matter needed more caution, slow and steady wins the race, he couldn''t rush it.


    While Lis was contemting in silence, Arsen asked,


    "So my father wanted me to ask you, Lis, do you have any other leads?"


    Arsen looked at Lis earnestly and said,


    "Please, Lis, this is very important for the Hade family, if there''s anything in the future where the Hade family can lend a hand, feel free to ask."


    Lis was somewhat taken aback, this statement was quite significant, Arsen was speaking on behalf of the Hade family, indebting Lis with a huge favor.


    Having known before, with the strength and status of the Hade family, if he asked, even raising his own nobility to an Earl could be achieved.


    After pondering for a moment, Lis told Arsen,


    "In the past half-year, the prices of certain foods and weapons have fluctuated irregrly, it might be due to someone secretly buying uprge amounts."


    "I''ve received information that there are some movements in the Boditch Kingdom to the east, be wary."


    What Lis said was targeted and deliberate, the fluctuations in prices were news from Mora, fairly easy to verify, only no one had noticed it yet.


    As for Boditch Kingdom, if Lis remembered correctly, in his past life, the first to dere war was the Boditch Kingdom.


    The reason being, Boditch Kingdom sent assassins to assassinate several Kingdom Nobles during the Sacrificial Festival in Bright City!

 Chapter 59 - 59 Exclusive Task

    <h4>Chapter 59: Chapter 59 Exclusive Task</h4>


    Gedo Street, adventure team vi


    Lis and Arsen had bothe out of the room quite satisfied.


    Both highly agreed and praised their recent exchange, proposing highly constructive suggestions and agreeing to continue maintaining a goodmunication mechanism between the two parties.


    In in terms, both got what they wanted: Arsen received new intelligence about the mastermind behind the scenes, and Lis secured a pledge from Duke Hade''s family.


    Arsen also gave Lis a Radiant United Commerce Diamond VIP Card.


    This was one of the top five guilds in the kingdom, established jointly by various Court Nobles, and it was considerablyrger even than the Mora''s house Golden Vine Flower Guild.


    The Radiant United Commerce''s VIP cards were also divided into silver, gold, and diamond levels, and the one prepared for Lis was a diamond level VIP card.


    With this diamond VIP card, Lis would enjoy a 30% discount at Radiant United Commerce.


    This could apply to a range of products from daily necessities and groceries to high-level magic equipment, practically amounting to the guild providing services at a loss.


    Resourceful individuals could even make money from the guild using this diamond VIP card.


    This clearly showed Arsen''s sincerity. It is worth noting that Mora in her own guild had only arranged an 8.5% discount for Lis.


    Lis and Arsen came to the living room and saw Ya''er and Ailina sitting on the sofa, with Ya''er tightly hugging the Little Moon Spirit Leopard and sitting there obediently, while Ailina wasbing Ya''er''s lioness-like red hair neatly with a woodenb.


    Seeing this, Lis walked over to a nearby chair, sat down, and took out a book titled "On Fire Element Characteristics and Magic Rune Applications" from his ring, starting to study.


    Now, what Lis needed to do was to reorganize his magic theory and basics, to consolidate his grasp and achieve improvement.


    Ya''er, Arsen, and the others, seeing this, did not disturb Lis and started their training outside.


    ---------------


    The sun was gradually getting stronger, and it had risen overhead.


    Just as Lis put down the heavy tome, ready to head into the kitchen to simply prepare something to eat,


    Arsen walked in with a middle-aged man dressed in the Mercenary Guild uniform.


    Upon seeing Lis, the man came up enthusiastically and said,


    "This must be Mr. Moriarty, the new member of the Ya''er Adventure Team. Truly young and promising, extraordinary indeed!"


    Not one to repel a smiling face, Lis shook hands with this overly enthusiastic man and asked,


    "Hello, may I know who you are?"


    "Hi, I forgot to introduce myself!" The man pped his head and said,


    "My name is Mire, I''m in charge of mission dispatch at the Mercenary Guild, pleased to meet you."


    "I''m pleased to meet you too, Mr. Mire."


    After the greetings, Lis handed over the trouble of hosting to Arsen and went to the kitchen to prepare lunch.


    By the time he had finished preparing the meals and brought them out, Lis noticed that the man named Mire had already left.


    Ya''er and Ailina too had finished their morning training and were sitting politely at the table waiting to be fed by Lis.


    Even Lunbos, who had not been seen all morning, was sitting nearby.


    As Lis ced the food on the table, he asked Arsen,


    "What happened to that Mire just now?"


    "He left; he came just to notify the guild that there was an exclusive task assigned to our adventure team."


    "Oh, an exclusive task?"


    Lis sat down at the table, and everyone started to dig in.


    Arsen gently tapped on the table and said,


    "Now that Lis has also arrived, I''ll talk about the guild-exclusive mission so we can decide whether to take it or not."


    Everyone was tasting the delicious food while also listening to Arsen''s words with curiosity.


    After all, any mission directly appointed by the Mercenary Guild must beplex.


    It seems the guild believes this task cannot be aplished by ordinary mercenaries due to its difficulty and the urgency requiring specific Mercenary Groups forpletion.


    Arsen organized his words and said,


    "To the south of Bright City, about two days away by carriage, there is a ce called K Vige."


    "ording to the reports, a few days ago, the vigers of K noticed something odd about the nts near their vige��they were growing at an abnormal rate, with some trees growing more than one meter overnight."


    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "The vigers of K are panicked because their vige is getting overwhelmed by the forest. After reporting to their lord, the lord had no solution and had to seek help from the kingdom."


    "Since the cause of these anomalies hasn''t been discovered yet, the kingdom has entrusted the preliminary exploration to the Mercenary Guild."


    "The guild has ssified it as a secret realm exploration mission and has appointed our adventure team toplete it. If we ept, we will have to register at the guild tomorrow and set out immediately because the mission timing is quite tight."


    "Oh, and ording to the local lord''s preliminary exploration information, there seems to be signs of Undead Creatures, so be cautious."


    "What do you say, shall we take this mission?"


    Arsen finished sharing the avable information and looked at his teammates gathered around the table.


    Ya''er was the first to respond energetically:


    "Let''s take it! I have only heard about Undead Creatures in stories, never shed one!"


    Lis nodded, indeed.


    In the Feis Kingdom, known for its rtively stable social order, to prevent citizens'' skeletons from being turned into undead, all deceased must be buried in the Dawn Church''s cemetery at no extra cost.


    This is a strict regtion, applicable even if you live outside the city.


    This is why there are rarely any Undead Creatures within the Feis Kingdom.


    Priests of the Dawn Church are tasked with maintaining the cemeteries and performing blessings, and the Divine Power of the God of Dawn has a powerful lethality against Undead Creatures, something that other churches of war and wisdom cannot achieve.


    Of course, the Dawn Church is happy to take on this profession as it greatly benefits the spread of faith in the God of Dawn throughout the Feis Kingdom.


    Thus, for the Dawn Church, which is the most important stronghold in the Fanor Continent, professions such as Death Mages genuinely keep their distance from the Feis Kingdom.


    Walking down the street, you might encounter a bald man in a white robe shouting, "Praise be the shining light of the God of Dawn!"


    Then, a hammer strike sends you to Hell.


    Yes, that''s right!


    The priests of the Dawn Church wield single-handed hammers, all of them muscle-bound brutes!


    In his previous life, he had suspected that the God of Dawn might also be a muscr deity with a twelve-pack.


    Unfortunately, the statues in the Church of the Gods are very vague, so it''s hard to make out their shapes and appearances.


    But, having been reborn, he hadn''t yet encountered anyone from the church.


    Lis, preupied with his thoughts, felt it was still best to keep his distance from those muscr, violent priests of the Dawn Church.


    Ailina chimed in, saying,


    "If it''s about the nts growing quickly, then there might be an increase in Life Force, but it''s peculiar why there would be Undead Creatures."


    "Exactly," Arsen nodded and said,


    "That''s why the Mercenary Guild suspects that there might be a new secret realm emerging in K Vige, which is why they assigned us to explore."

 Chapter 60: A New Secret Realm?

    <h4>Chapter 60: A New Secret Realm?</h4>


    "What support has the guild provided this time?"


    Ailina asked; if it was a task assigned by the guild, they would provide some assistance based on the task objectives and actual circumstances, which is akin to a portion of the reward being advanced.


    "Ten vials of Advanced Holy Water from the Dawn Church, three Undead Strike Magic Scrolls, and two Command Undead Magic Scrolls."


    "All are items to assist against the Undead!" Lis nodded as he spoke.


    He was very familiar with these items; Advanced Holy Water from the Dawn Church cost a hundred Gold Coins per vial, and he had just bought one a few days ago to awaken the Secret Treasure Lucky Brooch.


    Undead Strike was a One-Circle Magic, Command Undead was Second Circle Magic; generally, One-Circle Magic Scrolls were valued between 10 to 50 Gold Coins, and Second Circle Magic Scrolls between 100 to 200 Gold Coins.


    The support from the Mercenary Guild this time was quite impressive!


    "Yes, considering that we are likely facing Undead Creatures, the guild prepared these countermeasure-type magic items," Arsen paused, unbothered, he snatched thest chicken leg from Lunbos''s hand and said:


    "So, the guild has also made its requirement clear, it would be best if we could investigate the cause of this unusual event in K Vige, and handle it if possible."


    "If not, after gathering the relevant intelligence, proceed to the nearest Mercenary Guild to notify the Kingdom Army and the Church of the Gods, and let them take care of it."


    "I have no objections, I agree!" Ailina nodded.


    "I agree as well!" Ya''er enthusiastically raised her hand to show her agreement.


    "I have no objections." Lis naturally wouldn''t have any, this significant mission meant a substantial amount of experience would be credited, which could hasten his advancement to Silver Mage.


    Moreover, if a new secret realm had indeed formed there, that would be interesting!


    In his previous life in the game "Divine Revtion," various special secret realms would asionally appear across the Fanor Continent, some ancient and others formed for various special reasons; some were unique Different Spaces, while others directly existed in perilous conditions on the continent itself; all these were collectively known as secret realms.


    The rules and scenarios within each secret realm varied; you might encounter skies of snow with your feet on scorchingva, or perhaps shattered floating inds andndscapes.


    Within these secret realms, there might bemon creatures like goblins, or you could encounter terrifying beings like Ancient Dragons and Divine Cmities.


    After yers arrived, if a yer cleared a specific secret realm, that realm could potentially be recorded by the system as a secret realm crystal, allowing yers to re-enter and challenge it repeatedly.


    However, sessfully clearing a secret realm was not easy; most of the secret realm crystals in the past life were held byrge guilds and were considered extremely prized resources for exclusive use by their members.


    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Few yers who owned secret realm crystals earned a fortune by renting them out.


    So, Lis was curious, if indeed he encountered a newly formed secret realm, would he obtain a secret realm crystal upon clearing it?


    The thought alone was slightly exciting!


    Lunbos did not even look up; he paid no mind to these team affairs, needing only to stand in front of his teammates during adventures.


    Seeing that everyone agreed to take on the mission, Arsen also nodded in agreement.


    After all, encountering rare Undead beings would be a uniquely valuable experience for Ya''er''s growth.


    Helping Ya''er through variousbats to enhance her insights and umte experience was a task His Majesty the King had entrusted to him.


    Although Ya''er had astonishing talent, having been nurtured within the depths of the Royal Pce until her advancement to Gold Level, without the baptism of real battle, advancing to Legend Level would be almost impossible.


    He was also a prodigy of the Kingdom!


    Feeling like he was fast bing an old mother, Arsen grew somewhat worried, then decided to stop dwelling on these disheartening thoughts.


    "That settles it then, we''ll meet directly at the Mercenary Guild tomorrow, take the mission, and then head straight to K Vige. Everyone, make sure to prepare today."


    Arsen finally instructed, nning also to head home to ry thetest information he received from Lis to his father and arrange for someone to secretly investigate.


    Everyone had no objections; when amission arrived, naturally things would be tense, and leisure time would be scarce.


    After lunch, Lis decided not to continue reading but returned directly to the estate.


    After all, this mission might take a long time, and he had some arrangements to make.


    After returning home, Lis had someone summon Joyce and said to the ever-elegant old butler:


    "I need to leave for a while soon, so please manage the estate. Have Welf and the others strengthen its surveince, and record any unusual situations until I return."


    Joyce furrowed his brows, "Master Lis, if you are going to travel far, it would be best to take Captain Welf with you to ensure your safety."


    "It''s not very convenient, and I will be with others, so there''s no need to worry about safety."


    Lis waved his hand, exining to the old butler.


    It seems he would be with those few mercenarypanions then? That young girl did indeed have some strength.


    Joyce pondered secretly, maintaining hisposure as he asked:


    "Then where are you heading, young master? Do you need anything else prepared?"


    "Tell the kitchen to start preparing a week''s supply of meals for ten people now, and add some fruits and bread that I''ll take with me. Nothing else is needed."


    Arsen had already agreed that they would prepare other adventure gear like tents, so he only needed to arrange the food.


    Joyce nodded, then left to prepare various items as Lis had requested.


    Lis returned to his room, called up his system, and threw all his current experience into raising his personal level, as exploring an unknown secret realm meant any strength increase was beneficial.


    -----------------


    [Your personal level has increased: 39��40!]


    [You gain Strength +2, Agility +1, Intelligence +2, Charm +1, Mysterious +1, Endurance +1]


    ....


    [Your personal level has increased: 42��43!]


    [You gain Strength +2, Agility +1, Intelligence +2, Charm +1, Mysterious +1, Endurance +1]


    -----------------


    Feeling new power surge through his body, it was almost like a full-body rejuvenation; Lis nearly cried out infort.


    After a few seconds, Lis called up the panel to start checking his updated attribute data.


    -----------------


    Lis'' panel (No padding, afraid of getting scolded!)


    -----------------


    His Intelligence and Strength attributes both had increased by 8 points, reaching 114 and 91 points, respectively.


    He then threw the 20 free attribute points from the Gold Levelndmark "Strongman''s Second Step" reward into Intelligence, boosting his Intelligence to 154 points.


    Phew~


    Suppressing the feeling of bing highly intelligent, Lis nodded in approval, very pleased with his recent progress.


    It seems I still have to thank my ssmate Camus!

 Chapter 61: Mysterious Forest

    The next morning,


    Lis got ready early, and with the help of the lovely maid Rossi, he dressed in a sturdy and convenient adventure outfit, and then headed towards the Mercenary Guild with Welf.


    Wearing a Mage Robe for an outdoor adventure was just showing off too much.


    If Lis had the strength to sweep through everything, perhaps he might have done so, but not now.


    At the entrance of the Mercenary Guild, Lis waved for Welf to leave on his own and went straight into the bustling Mercenary Guild.


    "Over here, over here!"


    The others had already arrived early; Ya��er was waving and calling out to Lis.


    "We��ve been waiting for you."


    Lis walked over to the group, and Arsen said to him,


    "Take out your mercenary ID card for registration, and we��ll be ready to leave. The carriage is already prepared."


    Lis took out his Moriarty ID card and had it quickly registered by the Guild staff.


    Unfortunately, the on-duty officer today was not the broad-hearted Miss Lia.


    Lis took back his mercenary ID card, which had just been updated again. Afterpleting a Magic Beast subjugation mission with the Ya��er Adventure Group, he had officially be a Bronze Level mercenary.


    "Let��s go, we��re setting off."


    Seeing that Lis had alsopleted the task registration, Arsen called everyone to set off. The pre-rented carriage was already waiting at the entrance of the guild.


    ---------------


    Since this journey was a bit farther and required staying overnight in the wilderness, Arsen had rented a more spacious andfortable carriage.


    The destination of this trip was to the south of Bright City; once they boarded the carriage, Lis took out a voluminous Magic Book to continue his studies, with bursts of Magic Light asionally shing in his hands.


    Lis was seizing every moment to absorb and solidify his foundation in Magical Knowledge.


    Ya��er and the others quietly stayed in the carriage, conserving their strength for the uing exploration of the secret realm.


    This mission might not be as easy as thest Magic Beast subjugation.


    However, they encountered no Extraordinary Monsters blocking the way this time. It seemed that the rtively affluent southern part of the Kingdom had more effective sweeps and subjugations of various demons.


    The two-day journey passed quickly for Lis, who, apart from resting and preparing delicious meals to rx, spent almost all his time immersed in studying the Magic Book.


    For Lis, having a clear goal made grinding seem like a minor issue!


    His teammates also tacitly did not disturb Lis, recognizing that he was in a phase of rapid strength improvement.


    ---------------


    On the third day after departure, at noon, the carriage finally arrived near their destination, K Vige.


    Since this mission was more urgent and the situation was clear, Lis and hispanions did not detour to the local Nobles and headed directly to the affected area.


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ording to the map provided by the Mercenary Guild, K Vige should be at the end of this road.


    However, oddly enough, in front of the dirt road where the carriage was traveling, arge forest suddenly appeared. The trees were lush and dense, with numerous thick vines inteced between the trees, blocking any clear view of whaty beyond the forest.


    It was strange that the dirt road was nked by open fields and wastnds all along, but here, without any transition, a row of trees about tens of meters high stood directly at the roadside.


    It was as if the heart of a forest from another ce had been dug up and ced directly on thisnd, with the path underfoot abruptly cut off here.


    Seeing this, Arsen called everyone to get off the carriage.


    Lis and hispanions also noticed the strangely dense forest in front of them, and they were somewhat surprised.


    "What��s with this forest? It shouldn��t be on the map, right?"


    Ailina asked, and for some reason, the naturally forest-affined Elf Ranger didn��t feel the usual sense of belonging from this forest.


    "It��s very strange. The map shows that if we continue on this road for another three or four kilometers, we should reach K Vige..."


    Arsen furrowed his brows and said,


    "Could it be... the intelligence mentioned rapid nt growth, could this forest have formed in just these few days?"


    Lis looked at the lush green leaves and blue-green trunks in front of him, his eyes twitched, and he said,


    Lis felt that his guess must be true, which was simply too preposterous!


    A forest grows to this extent in just a few days?


    Good heavens, is this a magical version of a forest-rising event?


    "Something��s not right!" Arsen dragged back the restless Ya��er, who was already eager to try his sword on the trees at the forest��s edge.


    This forest exuded strangeness everywhere; the taskmissioned by the guild did not seem so simple anymore.


    Just as Arsen was pondering how to further investigate the intelligence, he saw Lis slowly rise from the ground and ascend to a height of several tens of meters.


    How could I forget that we have a mage in the team who knows Flying Technique!


    Arsen promptly came to this realization.


    After observing for a moment, Lis then descended.


    "Did you find anything?"


    Arsen directly asked, and everyone��s gaze also turned towards Lis.


    Lis shook his head and said,


    "About ten kilometers ahead from here, it��s all simr forest, with nothing particrly unusual."


    "The only strange thing is that the area covered by this forest seems to form a neat circle."


    Lis gestured, as normal forests are rarely shaped like this.


    "Is that so?"


    Arsen felt troubled, it seems that without entering the forest, merely observing from the outside wouldn��t yield any useful intelligence.


    "Hey, you guys!"


    Suddenly, several figures came running from the right side of the dirt road, shouting loudly while calling out to Lis and the others.


    Lis scrutinized them��they were d in standard armor and appeared here, so they must be guards of a territorial noble.


    "You people, this forest is very dangerous, do not proceed any further."


    The few, panting heavily, ran up to where Lis and the others were standing, the leader among them saying, gasping for breath,


    "Hello, we are the team designated by the Mercenary Guild to handle this incident; here is ourmission."


    Arsen took out themission received from the guild before departure from his storage ring and handed it to the leader, saying,


    "Are you the ones responsible for patrolling around here?"


    The opposing leader took themission Arsen handed over, checked it, then respectfully handed it back to Arsen,


    Bowed in a knightly manner, and said,


    "Hello, we are grateful for your assistance, I am Child, a knight of Lord Viscount Ross."


    "Hello, can you tell me what has happened in this area these past few days?"


    "Of course."


    Child quickly responded, this being an elite mercenary group appointed by the Mercenary Guild, much stronger than his own status as a Bronze Warrior,


    "This is what happened, five days ago, Lord Viscount Ross had the Guard Team scout around, and realizing it was not something we could handle alone, we asked the Kingdom for help."


    "The day after the person headed to the Royal Capital, an anomaly urred!"

 Chapter 62 - 62 Jungle Exploration

    "Before that night, although nts around K Vige did grow rapidly, they were just weeds and crops," he said.


    "That night, countless saplings broke through the soil, growing over a meter tall overnight, even inside the vigers�� homes."


    "Feeling that something was off, we quickly evacuated all the vigers from K Vige after discovering this."


    "These trees kept growing nonstop, and by the next day, they had turned into the forest you see now."


    "We considered going in to check it out and started to clear the trees around the forest, but no matter how many we cut down, they would return to their original state by the next day. We tried several times to no avail."


    "We didn��t dare to just enter the forest directly, so we could only guard the surroundings, preventing irrelevant people from going in, while waiting for support from the Kingdom."


    Child recounted the events of the past few days in detail.


    Arsen frowned and asked,


    "The reports mentioned the appearance of Undead Creatures; do you know anything about that?"


    Child shivered and said nervously,


    "The night we moved the vigers out, after everyone had left the forest, we counted heads and found that four people were missing. It was too dark, and we didn��t dare go back to look for them."


    "We organized the vigers to rest outside the forest, nning to head to Lord Viscount��s castle the next morning. But in the middle of the night, I heard something stirring in the forest. When I went to look, I saw several skeletons crawling around!"


    "One of them even turned its head to look at me!"


    "Mypanions and I got such a fright, we quickly told everyone to rest farther away and dared not get close to the forest anymore."


    "But we didn��t see those things leave the forest. In the following days, I checked both during the day and at night, but didn��t spot them again. I also sent the information to the Lord."


    "I saw it too. I was on watch with Captain Child that night. Those skeletons obviously were human bones, and there were even wisps of ghostly fire around them!"


    Now, a soldier next to Child also responded, confirming it wasn��t just Child��s hallucination.


    "Skeletons?"


    Arsen looked at Lis, his eyes inquisitive.


    Lis understood and nodded, saying,


    "If it��s true, then they might be newly transformed skeleton soldiers, posing no real threat."


    Skeleton soldiers, entirely made of bones, are the mostmon and low-level Undead Creatures.


    But the appearance of skeleton soldiers also proved that there was indeed something wrong with this forest.


    So, no threatening Undead Creatures have been discovered yet?


    Arsen pondered to himself, considering from which angle to start investigating this mysterious forest.


    Ailina suddenly asked Child,


    "You mentioned that you had cleared this area of the forest before. Is there any difference between these trees and those in other ces?"


    Child was startled, then after a moment of recollection, he said uncertainly,


    "We didn��t really pay attention to that at the time, but they should be no different from trees in other areas. We burned the chopped down wood for firewood."


    Ailina nodded and then fell silent.


    By now, Arsen had also made up his mind. Since they were already here, not exploring the forest would likely result in no valuable intelligence being gathered.


    He said to Child,


    "We��re going into the forest to see what��s going on. Please take good care of the carriage for us."


    "Of course, of course."


    Child agreed quickly. He was somewhat reluctant to enter the forest himself, but watching over the carriage on the outside was no problem at all.


    Arsen turned around, gathered Lis, Ya��er, and the others to one side, and began to assume the responsibilities of a team nanny:


    "We still need to go into the forest and take a look, we should at least make our way to K Vige and scout the area."


    "On this expedition into the forest, Lunbos and I will take turns leading the way, while Ailina is responsible for observing our surroundings; Lis and Ya��er will be in the middle of the team, ready to provide support."


    Everyone nodded, Arsen��s arrangements always inspired confidence.


    Lis and the others then checked their personal belongings and equipments once more and prepared to enter the eerie forest.


    Arsen led the way, this time d in a suit of gleaming white steel armor, emitting a faint holy light, probably blessed by the Dawn Church.


    With a sh of his longsword, the vines entwined between the trees were severed, gradually clearing a path leading deeper into the forest.


    Lis and the rest maintained their formation, pushing further into the depths of the dense woods, where the canopy grew so thick that not a single patch of blue sky could be seen overhead.


    After advancing for an hour at a steady pace into the depths of the forest, Lis and his teammates had covered less than two kilometers.


    Arsen gestured for a temporary halt at their current location, sheathed his longsword, and asked,


    "Has anyone noticed anything?"


    "It��s too quiet."


    Lis said while setting up "Magic Warning" around them.


    "Right," Ailina nodded in agreement and added,


    "There is no sound of insects or birds chirping at all, I��ve been observing carefully the whole way."


    "There��s definitely something wrong."


    Arsen nodded in agreement, as he too had noticed this issue.


    "Moreover, although the life force in this region is overflowing, but..."


    Ailina gently plucked a young sprout from a nearby tree and said,


    "There��s a sense of deadness."


    The elf, who was always close to nature, said with some uncertainty.


    Logically, deadness and life force are twopletely unrted terms, but when used to describe the forest before them, it seemed very appropriate to Lis.


    And Lis always felt that something was familiar, but was sure that he had never been here before.


    Was this area in the game in his previous life?


    That shouldn��t be possible, as a gaming zealot, he couldn��t possibly have forgotten, right?


    As Lis racked his brains trying to figure out what he had missed, the others made a new discovery.


    This time, it was Ya��er who noticed the problem. Although she tended to be lively, she was very serious when carrying outmissioned tasks, and it was during these times that Lis could see a glimpse of her future potential.


    Ya��er used her sword to peel back the undergrowth at her feet, revealing the soil beneath.


    Normally, in a forest, due to the continuous canopy of tall trees blocking the sunlight, there would rarely be such dense undergrowth.


    However, this ce was different, which made Ya��er vaguely sense something was off, so she cleared a space.


    Below the lush forest sea, thend should be fertile and moist.


    But the soil below Lis and the others was different, dry and barren; what should have been dark brown soil was now turning yellow, losing its vitality.


    Ya��er continued to dig down with her sword for a meter and found that the deeper she went, the more barren the soil became.


    "It seems that the reason why the life force of this forest is so abundant is that it has extracted all the vitality from thisnd."


    Ailina crouched down, grabbed a handful of the somewhat sandy soil, and said.


    Lis also touched the soil and seemed to realize something, furrowing his brows.


    Something��s not right!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

 Chapter 63: The Calm Before the Danger

    "There��s something off about the soil here!"


    Lis murmured, and although he hadn��t delved deeply into death magic, he trusted his own senses.


    There was a faint scent of death spirit energy in the soil!


    So, was this forest abruptly brought to life by life force extracted right from the earth?


    Could death magic actually achieve this?


    Lis felt like his understanding was being overturned, and after pondering for a long while and still notprehending how it was done, he decided to share his findings with Arsen and the others.


    The moment Arsen heard there truly was an influence of death spirit energy, his expression turned grave.


    With such a vast area contaminated by death spirit energy, it was impossible there weren��t high-level undead present.


    Arsen stayed silent for a while, and seeing that no one else had other findings, he decided to continue heading towards K Vige.


    This time, Lunbos took the lead, effortlessly swinging his terrifying hammer, obliterating in his path all the vines that came his way into mud.


    Lis guessed that Lunbos��s strength attribute points were over 300, which truly looked somewhat terrifying.


    Everyone advanced quickly, and Ailina kept scanning her surroundings; although she felt uneasy about the forest, her ranger traits allowed her to move through the trees as nimble as a fish, her light figure leaping non-stop between branches.


    ...


    About a kilometerter, Lis and the others finally reached their destination, K Vige.


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    What unfolded before everyone was a scene of destion and ruin.


    Thick tree trunks burst forth from the houses, violently breaking through roofs and walls, greedily stretching their branches as if to revel in the rain and sunlight.


    The vige��s roads and fences had almost beenpletely swallowed by greenery, the silent and deste scene seemed to silently tell that this vige had been abandoned for decades.


    Yet Lis and the others knew, just ten days ago this was a peaceful ce, with smoke from cooking fires curling up into the air.


    What could have caused all of this?


    A different ne? A treasure? Or some potent and mysterious presence?


    None of this was known, and Lis and the others could only split up to search within K Vige, to see if they could uncover any new clues.


    ...


    A littleter, Arsen, Ya��er, and the others gathered back at the vige��s entrance.


    None found any valuable intelligence, only confirming that K Vige had indeed been evacuated in haste, with many belongings left behind by the vigers in their homes.


    Arsen called over Ailina, who was keeping watch at a distance, and asked in a cautious tone:


    "Given the current situation, does anyone have any thoughts?"


    "None, although I feel this forest is eerie, so far, I haven��t found anything else that��s amiss,"


    Ailina said, tucking her fine golden hair behind her ear, a bit perplexed.


    "No, just that the air here makes me feel uneasy."


    Ya��er nodded honestly, having gone through some events, she also realized that this matter wasn��t simple, and wasn��t something she could solve merely by drawing her sword.


    Lunbos didn��t speak, shaking his head to indicate he had no ideas, willing to follow everyone else��s lead.


    However, Lis thought for a moment and said:


    "I haven��t detected anything unusual either, aside from the death spirit energy I detected earlier; there��s no sign of magic or magic-like manifestations within the vige."


    "I suspect the reason for this change isn��t in the vige itself."


    "What do you mean?"


    Arsen looked at Lis, prompting him.


    Lis used his Jade Wand to trace a circle on the ground and said:


    "Before entering the forest, I had observed it using the Flying Technique, and noticed that this forest is radiating in a circr pattern, which is very rare, or rather, it��s impossible to form naturally without external influences,"


    Pointing at the center with his magic wand, Lis shared his thoughts:


    "I suspect there might be some special item influencing this area or perhaps a high-level magic array that has shaped this forest within its range."


    "Only..."


    "Only what?"


    Ailina asked, feeling that Lis��s guess might be urate.


    "The range of influence is so vast, and the anomalies it causes are quite astonishing. If it really exists, it must be at least of the Gold Level in power, perhaps even stronger."


    "Moreover, considering the circumstances, it might be rted to Death Spirit Energy, and we can��t rule out the presence of great danger."


    "Should we go..."


    Lis looked towards Arsen for the team leader to decide.


    "Go!"


    Arsen made the decision quickly. After all, so far, his team had not found any valuable clues, and exploring a secret realm always involves certain risks.


    Arsen was confident that his team could handle an enemy of the Gold Level.


    Legend-level?


    Well, might as well give up and sleep because if this mission really involves that, it��s not necessarily safe to quit now.


    "Lis has a point, let��s check out the center of the forest,"


    No one objected, and after resting for a while to maintain their status, they continued toward the center of the forest.


    Lis cast the Second Circle Magic "Light Body Skill" on everyone to increase their speed and reduce physical exertion.


    However, the deeper they ventured into the forest, the more a sense of uneasiness grew among them.


    It was their first encounter with such peculiar circumstances��no enemies, no targets, the surrounding forest extraordinarily quiet, except for the sounds of Arsen cutting through vines and trees.


    Lis furrowed his brow. Indeed, in his past life, there were many peculiar secret realm instances��some deadly quiet, some bizarre without any way out. What hasn��t he seen?


    But had he ever encountered this situation before?


    There seemed to be no abnormalities, the detection magic, consistently active, gave no warnings, yet an inexplicable pressure lingered in his mind, growing stronger as time passed.


    Lis checked and confirmed that this was not the impact of any mental magic, but purely from his own Spiritual Sense.


    Since entering this forest, this abnormal sensation had been persistent, making him somewhat irritable.


    Is this an intuition warning me?


    Lis nced at his teammates��Ya��er��s face showed some irritability, seemingly sharing his condition.


    While Arsen and Ailina had no other expressions, just cautiously probing their surroundings.


    The expression on Ya��er��s face, it seems she too felt the pressure. Could it indeed be the influence of a Gold Level power?


    In silence, Lis and his party finally reached the center of the forest, a clear area of about ten meters with no trees but a t grasnd.


    Beyond that, it was quietly uneventful.


    Arsen��s expression remained calm; had it not been so easy to find the source after all?


    After a thorough inspection, there indeed were no special items; even after Lunbos dug nearly ten meters into the ground, they found nothing.


    With no other choice, Arsen decided to camp right there and rest.


    No one objected; without any leads, all they could do was wait it out.


    With no anomalies, they would just have to endure!


    I��m here to solve problems; danger is wee since that can bring rity to what��s actually happening here.

 Chapter 64: McGwire’s Death Tomb

    In the heart of the forest,


    Arsen and the others set up tents on the grassy ground and even unusually started a bonfire to prepare dinner, as leisurely as if they hade here for a pic.


    But a careful observation would reveal that no one ever took off their equipment to rx for a while, and their weapons were ced beside them, ready to enter the battle status at any moment to respond to danger.


    Lis had already set up severalyers of warning magic around the camp, prepared for danger at any time.


    The whole team appeared casual, but in reality, they werex on the outside and tense on the inside, all in an effort to lure potential enemies into action.


    Even when resting at night, they ensured that at least two people were on guard.


    However, Lis and the others soon realized that their precaution was entirely meaningless.


    This was the second day already, yet there still wasn��t the slightest disturbance; the forest seemed like a true paradise without any dangers.


    "What exactly is going on?"


    Arsen felt helpless too and looked up at the sun rising towards its zenith.


    His group had entered the forest for almost a whole day, stayed in the heart of the forest for one night, but nothing had happened.


    Even though they were mentally prepared to face danger, nothing dangerous urred, causing Arsen to feel the helplessness of striking the air with all his might.


    Unlike Arsen and Ailina, at this moment, Lis and Ya��er were somewhat restless.


    Lis felt a stifling difort in his chest, the pressure of entering the forest growing heavier with time, and he had a premonition of imminent disaster.


    Ya��er��splexion was still somewhat normal, but her hand tightly gripping the longsword reflected her highly alert status.


    Arsen noticed Lis��s somewhat pale face and asked with concern,


    "Lis, what��s wrong with you? You��ve looked a bit off since yesterday, what happened?"


    Lis hesitated for a moment but still decided to share his baseless feeling with his teammates.


    "I..."


    Just as Lis was about to speak, Lunbos and Arthur, who were sitting on the side on guard, suddenly vanished from their spot without a trace.


    Thinking of a possibility, Lis shouted to Ya��er and Ailina next to him,


    "Be careful..."


    Before Lis could finish, his figure also disappeared from the spot.


    -----------------


    Apanied by a spell of dizziness and disorientation, when Lis opened his eyes, he found himself in apletely unfamiliar ce.


    There was no light source around him, and only after his eyes reluctantly adjusted to the darkness could he faintly make out his surroundings.


    No longer in front of the lush forest, he was now in a gloomy passage with stone walls covered in dust on both sides, emanating a putrid and nauseating stench from the air that had not circted for a long time.


    Lis shook his head to fully recover from the difort of the recent space transmission and carefully began to survey his environment.


    He did not use the sh Technique, as there could be potential dangers nearby, and using magic to illuminate the area would undoubtedly make him a live target.


    Lis, with his rich adventure experience from his previous life, naturally came prepared, carefully taking out a carved piece of fluorite from his storage ring. He relied on the faint glow it emitted to examine his surroundings, all the while pondering what exactly was going on.


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    What was that just now?


    A space transmission?


    But since Arsen and Ya��er aren��t by my side, does that mean it was a random teleport?


    What then, is the trigger condition?


    And where am I now... underground?


    The heavy stench of corpses in the air certainly indicated that this ce was far from safe, and it would be unrealistic to simply wait for rescue. Lis had no choice but to pick up the fluorite and inspect the surrounding stone walls, hoping to find some useful information.


    In the faint glow of the fluorite, Lis scrutinized the ce he found himself in.


    It was a square stone chamber, with walls showing clear signs of sculpting and polishing, and slightly weathered edges that suggested it had withstood the test of time.


    Suddenly, Lis felt a different kind of mark on the wall to the right and hurriedly brought the fluorite close to take a careful look.


    The mark, chiseled directly into the wall, depicted a one-eyed crow perched on a horizontally ced bone magic wand.


    Lis��s eyes widened in recognition of the eerie symbol�� it was all too familiar to him.


    Wasn��t that the exclusive symbol of the secret realm "McGwire��s Death Tomb"?


    ...


    Lis had already put the fluorite back into the storage ring and was now sitting against the corner of the wall, his thoughts racing as he contemted his current predicament.


    If there were McGwire��s exclusive symbols here, then he must certainly be inside the Death Tomb now.


    Thankfully, he seemed to have been teleported to a safe area of the tomb, which was better than being thrown directly into a pile of monsters.


    So, was the forest I was in before the secret realm "Nest of Undead Tree Demon"?


    In the past life��s game "Divine Revtion", yers could enter secret realms by two methods; one was by using secret realm crystals they found.


    The other was by spending a limited number of weekly attempts to directly ess a realm through a system-exclusive entrance.


    As a Bronze Level secret realm, "Nest of Undead Tree Demon" was naturally a ce many yers had entered and conquered.


    This realm was an ordinary forest, but the demons that appeared were Undead Tree Demons.


    They were level 30�C40 Undead Monsters, somewhat resembling the Elf n��s tree guardians, but their bodies were filled with Death Spirit Energy, capable of controlling this energy to attack. These demons came into being when trees were mutated by the invasion of Death Spirit Energy.


    And the boss for clearing the realm was a level 45 Undead Giant Tree Demon, located in the center of the forest; defeating it meant clearing the "Nest of Undead Tree Demon" secret realm.


    However, what puzzled yers at the time was that no matter how they defeated the Undead Giant Tree Demon, or if they cleared all the Undead Tree Demons in the forest, thepletion degree of the "Nest of Undead Tree Demon" was only 99%.


    Thatst 1% remained unachieved for a long time, and even yers who went to the lengths of chopping down every tree in the forest couldn��t make any progress.


    For a significant period in the game, most mainstream yers had reached Silver Level, when one yer serendipitously discovered the hidden secret of the "Nest of Undead Tree Demon" realm.


    After their team defeated the Undead Giant Tree Demon and cleared the realm, they whimsically decided to throw a party at the center of the forest, indulging in food and drink along with various games, staying in the realm for an entire in-game day.


    Just as they were preparing to log off, they were unexpectedly teleported to a new hidden secret realm.


    The final 1% of the secret was thus dramatically unraveled.


    Who could have thought that the "Nest of Undead Tree Demon" secret realm would be connected to another realm, and the way to enter it was to stay in the realm for a full day, and moreover, at the center of the forest?


    This peculiar design was also criticized by yers as a bit of wicked humor on the part of the game designers.


    As for this new secret realm?


    Its name was "McGwire��s Death Tomb"!

 Chapter 65: Life Protection Box (Please follow!)

    After "McGwire��s Death Tomb" was discovered by yers, it also appeared on the list of secret realms they could choose from, ranking as one of the higher-level realms.


    This meant that the challenge level of "McGwire��s Death Tomb" was over one hundred levels, a kind only essible to those who had broken through to be Gold Level Mages and were thus eligible to team up and venture into its depths.


    Of course, there were yers who didn��t believe in its difficulty and immediately organized a group of top-tier experts to tackle this secret realm.


    As you might expect, it ended in total annihtion, not sparing even the professional yers!


    ording to the information posted on forums by the participating yers, "McGwire��s Death Tomb" was actually a maze located deep underground, dark and dreadful, and popted mostly by zombies, ghouls, and skeleton soldiers, with a challenge level between LV110-120. They all fell before even glimpsing the final boss.


    Only after reaching Gold Level, and after enduring countless hardships and numerous team wipes, did yers finally conquer "McGwire��s Death Tomb."


    The difficulty of this hidden secret realm was unbelievably high.


    The monsters roaming the maze were manageable, though high in challenge level, as they were unintelligent undead creatures generally appearing alone, making them not so difficult to strategize against.


    However, the bosses of this secret realm were quite ridiculous,prising three in total.


    These were the LV130 Headless Knight Larenz, the LV150 Vampire Ang, and the LV170 final boss Witch Demon McAy.


    In his lifetime, McAy was a human mage influenced by dark and undead energies, transformed into an undead with magical abilities after death.


    Some witch demons were transformed after their demise, having studied undead magic while alive and, due to their misdeeds and heavy resentments coupled with the effects of their spells, turned into witch demons after passing. Others were living mages who willingly pursued eternal life and thus turned into witch demons.


    ording to research by enthusiastic yers, McAy was a Gold Mage who had touched the Legendary Domain, and chose to convert himself into a witch demon, a being with eternal life, as his own life was drawing to an end.


    This maze was the ce McAy chose to perform his witch demon transformation ritual.


    Unfortunately, although McAy��s transformation into a witch demon seemed sessful, it was actually a failure.


    His body was sessfully converted, but there might have been some issues during the ritual,pletely destroying McAy��s consciousness.


    This meant that Witch Demon McAy, after the transformation, had been in a slumber within this tomb for countless years, never having developed self-awareness.


    This maze also gradually filled with various kinds of undead creatures due to the super magic array set up by McAy which continuously absorbed dark and undead energies. Headless Knight Larenz and Vampire Ang, the two lesser bosses, were bornter.


    The "Nest of Undead Tree Demon" should be right above "McGwire��s Death Tomb," buried deep underground.


    For some reason, the super magic array operating inside the Death Tomb began to affect the surface above, eventually forming the secret realm "Nest of Undead Tree Demon."


    Therefore, the forest encountered earlier was the still-forming "Nest of Undead Tree Demon," and since the undead tree demon hadn��t emerged yet, it exined why he hadn��t recognized it initially.


    After all, except for the presence of the undead tree demon, it really was just an ordinary forest.


    Lis thought somewhat gloomily, gradually unraveling the cause of this anomaly.


    The teleportation array in the tomb must have been what transported him and Arsen and the others here, after all, the depths of this tomb underground could only be essed through the teleportation array.


    This is trouble!


    If he were still the fully equipped, level 180 Gold Mage of his previous life, he even had the confidence to solo this secret realm.


    After all, clearing this dungeon offered a particrly rare and powerful specialty, and in his past life, he had guided various patrons through for a good amount of money.


    But now, he was just a pitiful, frail Bronze Mage, with no telling how long it would take to regain his former glory.


    Lis had no idea where Arsen and Ya��er had been teleported to within the tomb, which gave him somewhat of a headache.


    With their strength, they would survive if they encountered wandering undead monsters, but finding them in this intricate,plexbyrinth was exceedingly difficult.


    Apart from the first few yers who entered in the past life, yers whoter directly essed the secret realm from the system interface were not randomly teleported, so they did not face this annoyance.


    In the darkness, Lis silently massaged his temples, knowing he now had to rely on himself alone.


    In his past life, there were two ways to conquer this dungeon: First, by defeating the Headless Knight Larenz and Vampire Ang separately, and then, by killing the awakened Witch Demon McGwire to clear the dungeon.


    However, Lis clearlycked the ability to do so now, and he guessed that even with Ya��er, it would be the same. He had to abandon this most direct and brutal method.


    That left only the second method, destroying Witch Demon McGwire��s Life Protection Box!


    This was another path to victory discovered by a dungeon master from the past, though it was more cumbersome, it was the only method Lis could think of.


    However, he was not in a game, and he did not know if he could replicate that kind of operation.


    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    After taking a deep breath to calm his emotions, Lis stood up from the dark corner, took out his Jade Wand, and began casting a series of spells.


    Second Circle Magic "Cat��s Grace, Owl��s Wisdom"!


    Three-Circle Magic "Invisibility Technique"!


    Three-Circle Magic "Breath Concealment"!


    Three-Circle Magic "Secret Vision"!


    Three-Circle Magic "Sharp Ear Skill"!


    Lis did not spend his magic power on Protection Magic, because even the lowest-level monsters within "McGwire��s Death Tomb" had Gold Level strength; he simply couldn��t withstand a single attack.


    Fortunately, these undead monsters had very weak perception and no intelligence to speak of; in his past life, people had chosen to conceal their own breaths to avoid fighting with the monsters wandering in the tomb.


    "Cat��s Grace, Owl��s Wisdom" enhanced his agility and intelligence attributes.


    "Invisibility Technique" and "Breath Concealment" hid his form and breath, lowering the chances of being detected.


    "Secret Vision" and "Sharp Ear Skill" enhanced his perception, allowing him to detect wandering monsters in advance.


    After making preparations, Lis touched the "Acadia��s Lucky Brooch" still on his chest, feeling somewhat more confident.


    Having made thorough preparations, Lis carefully left the stone chamber he was in and entered thebyrinthine passages outside, not knowing where they led.


    Unlike the pitch-ck stone chamber, the walls of the passage had crystal stones emitting blue light at intervals; relying on the faint light, Lis could see up to twenty or thirty meters away.


    The urgent task was to ascertain his location within the tomb, as only then could he proceed with further actions.


    Lis carefully moved forward in the passage, trying his best to lighten his steps and not make a sound.


    Suddenly, Lis stopped in his tracks and stared intently ahead.


    In the shadows, a tall, thin figure was moving in his direction.

 Chapter 66: Headless Knight Larenz

    Lis immediately held his breath, didn��t turn around, and slowly moved his footsteps to retreat backward.


    No matter what the creature in front was, it was something he couldn��t afford to provoke at the moment.


    Of all strategies, retreat was the best!


    Lis, tactically retreating, tried to minimize his presence, and the additional "Breath Concealment" and "Invisibility Technique" were only three-circle spells, not of high tier.


    Although undead monsters have poor perception, Lis decided it was still best to be cautious.


    Lis made sure to maintain a safe distance from the creature ahead and, after retreating to a fork in thebyrinth, hurriedly turned into another directional passageway.


    After reaching a ce he deemed safe enough, Lis stopped and tried to observe the unknown creature from a distance to see if he could gather any useful information.


    After waiting for quite a while, dull footsteps finally echoed from the distant passageway.


    "Thud, thud..."


    It sounded like heavy objects striking the ground, reverberating through the passageway, and Lis focused his mind, his eyes tightly fixed on the intersection in front of him.


    A dark shadow entered Lis��s line of sight, and fortunately, "Secret Vision" helped him to see the figure of the creature clearly.


    It was a tall skeleton, over two meters in height, with bones as white and shiny as jade, strangely powerful even though it was made entirely of white bones.


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Pale white soul mes flickered in the eye sockets of the skeleton, which wore a pitch-ck full suit of armor, and tightly held a long sword and shield that emitted a cold light in its bony hands.


    This skeleton soldier hadn��t noticed Lis not far away and continued to walk forward, wandering aimlessly through the passageway.


    Lis raised his eyebrows.


    It was a Skeleton Warrior!


    Thankfully, it hadn��t noticed him.


    It seemed that as long as he was careful, he still had a good chance to move freely within the tomb.


    And an even greater discovery was that Lis now knew his location.


    The White Bone Evil Temple!


    Only here in the tomb could one find Skeleton Warriors.


    As the mostmon and lowest-level existence among undead monsters, skeleton soldiers were not entirely useless.


    They were noted for their low cost and high numbers.


    As the cannon fodder most favored by Death Mages, skeleton soldierscked self-awareness, were hardworking and uining, and could work until their soul fire waspletely extinguished.


    However, skeleton soldiers were not all low-level troops; some powerful beings could emerge among them.


    Skeleton Warriors were one such example, strengthened continuously over countless years by death spirit energy, their bone hardness wasparable to refined steel, and the armor and weapons they possessed became indestructible over the lengthy years of nourishment.


    Unfortunately, the thick death spirit energy emitted by these weapons and armor made them unsuitable for human use, otherwise, they would constitute a luxurious set of magic equipment.


    Returning to the White Bone Evil Temple, then his location must be at the bottom of the entire tomb.


    The entire "McGwire��s Death Tomb" was mainlyposed ofbyrinth passages and various undead creature nests.


    Witch Demon McAy��s tower was located at the topmost part of the wholebyrinth, which was also the core of thebyrinth.


    Also, the magical array that assisted McAy with his lich transformation was located inside the Witch Demon Tower.


    Additionally, within thebyrinth, there were graveyards inhabited by zombies, the Ghost Mansion where vampires resided, and the Dark Hall where Dark Knights existed.


    Among them, Headless Knight Larenz generally roamed around the Dark Hall, whereas Vampire Ang usually stayed within the Ghost Mansion.


    If following the normal sequence of conquering the secret realm, there was no need to bother with other monster nests; simply by killing all minor monsters and bosses in the Ghost Mansion and the Dark Hall, Witch Demon McAy would be awakened and then appear to attack the yers.


    At that point, killing McAy would allow one to clear this dungeon realm.


    And Lis chose another means to clear this level, aiming for the Ghost Mansion!


    ---------------


    In the graveyard,


    Ailina maneuvered swiftly amid rows of deep gray, dpidated tombstones, surrounded by a stream of greenish airflow, her face slightly pale.


    Behind her, a group of continuously snarling zombies followed closely. Their bodies, akin to being cast from iron, exuded a dark luster, with clearly visible muscles, blood vessels, and bones in their damaged wounds.


    The zombies staggered, limping as they chased Ailina. Although their movements seemed slow and heavy, they hadn��t fallen far behind.


    What was this situation?


    The uncontroble panic in Ailina��s heart grew as she was transported to this graveyard and immediately pursued by this group of zombies, unable to understand what was happening.


    She had attempted to counterattack, but upon seeing that the arrows wrapped in Wind Element merely left white marks on the zombies, she knew these were not the monsters she could handle.


    Fortunately, zombies are among the slowest of the Extraordinary Creatures, allowing Ailina to buy time with the environment around her, waiting for a chance to escape.


    ...


    Dwarf Warrior Lunbos sat quietly in a dark stone chamber, tightly gripping a hammer and shield.


    Having just regained consciousness, he witnessed a tall, ck-armored skeleton soldier pass by the entrance of the stone chamber.


    A strong sense of danger made Lunbos realize that he was no match for these monsters.


    Lunbos knew well that once these creatures caught him, his slow speed meant he couldn��t escape death.


    The best option was to stay where he was, as those monsters seemed not to enter the stone chamber.


    "Oh, noble and mighty Main God Moradin! Please guide your loyal follower in the right direction!"


    Even though Lunbos knew that waiting for his teammates to rescue him was incredibly slim, he did not give up and vigntly monitored his surroundings while silently praying to the Dwarf Main God Moradin in his heart.


    ...


    Inside the Dark Hall,


    This church-like building stood silently in the darkness, devoid of any sacredness. Twisted patterns and blotchy bloodstains testified that this ce was not benign.


    If one were to look up, they would see a figure crouching on a small tform at the top of the hall.


    Arsen dared not breathe heavily. His limbs, stiff from being in the same position for a long time, had started to numb, yet he still dared not make a sound.


    Immediately after teleporting here, Arsen had seen, twenty meters below in the great hall, about a dozen ck Knights standing silently.


    Arsen recognized them instantly. Clearly, they were Dark Knights riding Undead Giant Horses, unmistakably elite units among Undead Creatures, symbols of death and terror.


    Arsen faced the most dangerous situation since bing a Professional.


    Unable to me anyone, Arsen tried to minimize any noise he made, stalling for time in hopes of finding a slim chance to escape.


    Meanwhile, just outside the Dark Hall,


    Lis, unaware that his teammates were so close by, was extruding extreme caution against the stone wall while slowly shifting his feet to the side.


    The reason for such caution?


    Not far from him was a figure, noticeably taller than a regr Dark Knight, slowly pacing, radiating an evil Spirit Light that Lis could feel the difort from even at such a distance.


    Strangely enough, the body of this Dark Knight was empty at the top, devoid of a head.


    Lis, of course, knew who this was.


    Headless Knight Larenz!

 Chapter 67: Camus’s Second Good Person Card

    ```


    Headless Knight Larenz!


    Although, like Witch Demon McGwire, hecked self-awareness, he possessed an instinctual and extreme hatred for life.


    Once he detected an invader��s presence, he would relentlessly pursue and not rest until his target was dead.


    With Lis��s current strength, it was virtually impossible for him to escape.


    Therefore, Lis was extremely cautious at this moment, holding his breath, afraid of startling this BOSS.


    This led to Lis and Arsen almost brushing past each other without noticing one another.


    Of course, even if they had noticed, it would have been useless. The Dark Hall was far too dangerous, and Lis had no chance to save Arsen.


    Finally, upon entering another passageway of the Dark Hall, Lis let out a small sigh of relief.


    It was indeed too thrilling, feelingpletely different from the games in his previous life.


    In his previous life, although the game character that Lis controlled also had many thrilling and perilous experiences, even facing legendary foes and Abyss Lords, Lis mostly experienced these as a bystander, as game characters could always be resurrected.


    But now things were different. Although the game system had also traveled with him to this world, Lis had a feeling that he might have fully be a member of this world.


    That is to say, Lis could no longer resurrect as he had in the games of his former life.


    If he died here, it would truly be the end.


    Lis did not believe that if he died within the Witch Demon Tomb, there would be any chance of resurrection.


    So, this feeling of treading on a knife��s edge made Lis feel exceptionally excited, his adrenaline surging rapidly, making his senses incredibly sharp.


    On his way to the Ghost Mansion, Lis encountered numerous monsters, big and small, but the sense of oppression from Headless Knight Larenz was the strongest.


    Could it be said that he was worthy of being a Gold Level BOSS?


    Merely standing there, his aura was like the Lis of his previous life, a homebody,ing face to face with a ten-meter-tall fierce tiger.


    But it wasn��t all for naught. As a Gold Level secret realm, McGwire��s Death Tomb naturally had various treasures.


    Relying on his memory, in a secret chamber of the White Bone Evil Temple, Lis found a grey Advanced Magic Gem, the "Death Spirit Gem," and an "Unknown Rib."


    The "Unknown Rib," despite its unremarkable name, was a top-tier material for the Death Spirit series.


    It could not only strengthen skeleton-ss undead monsters but also be used as an offering to attempt to summon high-level undead, such as Bone Dragons, from the Netherworld. For Necromancers, it was quite a precious treasure.


    The pity was that each secret realm only contained real treasures during the first clearance. Afterwards, re-entering the same instance through the secret realm crystal would only yield rewards like Experience Points, contribution points, and specialty skills.


    Therefore, Lis from the previous life did not obtain these treasures during his clearance, and he only knew of these treasures from the game forums.


    However, Lis wasn��t greedy. If he could casually obtain these treasures without the risk to his life, then that was fine, but the most important thing now was to quickly conquer this secret realm.


    After passing through the Dark Hall, he would arrive at his destination, the Ghost Mansion.


    -----------------


    Within the maze, a certain passage


    Standing not far from the Ghost Mansion, Lis looked helplessly ahead, feeling somewhat worried.


    The monsters encountered before could be avoided, but what about the two Blood Servants guarding the entrance to the Ghost Mansion? His frail body couldn��t just force through them.


    A dpidated attic, often seen in horror games,y before Lis, on an open field. The walls were covered in dust and their original color was indiscernible, and from the ck gaping doorway, where only one door remained, one could only see profound darkness, like an abyss hiding endless dangers and horrors.


    Yet Lis��s gaze was fixed on the two bats hanging from the top of the doorway. Their pitch-ck appearance almost merged with the doorframe.


    But Lis dared not overlook these two little creatures. They were the senior Blood Servants, the gatekeepers of the Ghost Mansion, and it wasmon for the yers tackling the secret realm for the first time to get past Headless Knight Larenz sessfully, only to fall at the entrance to the Ghost Mansion at the "surprise" of these two Blood Servants.


    ```


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Although the levels of these two Blood Servants were not considered strong in this tomb, Gold Level strength was still too overwhelming for Lis. It was impossible to enter the Ghost Mansion through normal means.


    What a hassle!


    In my past life, I steamrolled past this point effortlessly. Who would have thought that I��d re-enter this secret realm at the Bronze Level? Because of that, I never explored whether there were other ways to get inside.


    But the hope of clearing this level lies within, and there was no way I could give up now.


    Lis touched his nose, troubled. Was there a way to get past these two Blood Servants guarding the door?


    Throw something to distract their attention?


    No, it wouldn��t work. They might be dormant now, but once awake, with the Blood Servants�� keen sense of smell and speed far surpassing my own, I had no confidence in entering the mansion sessfully within such a short time frame.


    Climb in through a window on the other side of the attic?


    No, that also wouldn��t work. There are vampires in every room of this attic. I��d be delivering myself to them on a silver tter.


    Dig a tunnel to get inside?


    Not to mention the noise would be too great and might disturb the sleeping Blood Servants and vampires, I didn��t believe that the structure of the Ghost Mansion was something I could damage. This seemingly dpidated attic was a crucial part of thebyrinth, and McGwire must have put a lot of effort into it.


    Fly over andnd on the roof?


    The result would be the same, as I would still have to crawl through a window in the end. The only difference would be that the vampires, kindly provided by nature, would go from being on the first floor to the second.


    Was there no other way?


    Lis rummaged through his Space Ring, looking for any items that might be useful.


    Suddenly, his searching hands froze, and a rolled-up parchment appeared in his grip.


    Oh my, how could I have forgotten about this thing!


    A look of joy spread across Lis��s face, as if he had found a new hope.


    -----------------


    [Short Distance Oriented Magic Transmission Array (Basic)]����It records a special Magic Array blueprint. You can use the diagram to learn the recorded Magic Array, or use it as a one-time item.


    -----------------


    With this, I could teleport straight into the Ghost Mansion.


    Camus really is a good person!


    Apart from the delight, Lis didn��t forget to mentally send Camus a second ��nice guy�� card and to give him a big thumbs up.


    Though it would be a shame to use it as a one-time item, Lis did not yet have the ability toprehend the Magic Transmission Array recorded on it.


    If I don��t use it now, a real dead end would confront me.


    At such a critical moment, there was no need for hesitation. Lis decisivelyid out the parchment on the ground and channeled Magic Power into it.


    The yellowed parchment began to emit a faint magical luster as Magic Power started to fill it.


    Although this oriented Magic Transmission Array was only for short distances, it was more than enough to bridge the space between Lis and the Ghost Mansion.


    Luckily, by using the blueprint directly, there was no need to set a spatial marker at the destination beforehand, or else I really would have had no other options.


    Lis set the teleportation target directly at the center of the Ghost Mansion, in the innermost room on the first floor.


    As Magic Power saturated the space, the parchment in his hand turned to ash.


    Suddenly, Lis��s figure twisted slightly and vanished without a trace in the corridors of thebyrinth.

 Chapter 68: Confused Angela

    After a dizzy spell, Lis came to.


    Perhaps due to experiencing a Space Transmission once before, his body had adapted somewhat, or maybe the distance of this transmission was shorter, and Lis felt much better this time.


    Upon opening his eyes, Lis immediately took stock of his surroundings.


    In line with the style outside the Ghost Mansion, the walls were a mix of ck and grey, and the floor was covered in dust. The only unusual feature was a tform in front of Lis, engraved with special patterns.


    Whew��it��s a good thing I remembered correctly and didn��t teleport to the wrong ce.


    Seeing the familiar environment, Lis breathed a sigh of relief.


    There was nothing dangerous in this room, at least not in the sense one might fear, though whether it was still just like in the game he wasn��t certain.


    Lis rubbed his wrist and walked straight towards the tform in the center of the room.


    The uniqueness of the entire room��or perhaps the entire Ghost Mansion��was centered above this tform.


    If one observed carefully, the special patterns engraved on the tform were actually Magic Runes, stretching from the altar to the floor, though their function was unclear.


    In his previous life as a professional gamer, Lis never had time to study these Magic Runes, focusing only on grinding through levels.


    But now, having started to consolidate his knowledge and master the Magic Runes, Lis could not understand all the runes in front of him, but he did recognize thebos representing "blood," "nourish," and "death."


    However, the runes were not the focus; the object ced on the tform was more crucial.


    A blood-red heart!


    This heart, wless like a Crystal Stone, seemed like a piece of art crafted by a skillful artisan, shimmering with a gem-like crimson glow.


    It constantly emitted a thick scent of blood, and the Magic Pattern Array on the tform was connected to this heart.


    Yet, Lis��s gaze did not linger on this crimson heart; instead, he looked above it.


    Yes, something was perched on the heart��no, more urately, a demon creature.


    A tiny snow-white baty atop the heart, sound asleep, with a bubble the size of its body hanging from its tiny nose, bobbing with each breath.


    As for the heart on the tform, it was apparent that most of the energy it emitted was being absorbed into the bat��s body.


    Taking a deep breath, Lis cautiously reached out to the white bat, intent on waking it from its slumber.


    He had to be careful, as the creature before him was no ordinary creature.


    This white bat was the only Extraordinary Creature in McGwire��s Death Tomb that possessed normal intelligence and couldmunicate.


    Vampire Ang, Level 150!


    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    If seen from a past gamer��s perspective, upon entering the room, one would immediately notice the sleeping white bat marked with a red "Extremely Dangerous" alert above its head, indicating its status as a boss.


    But now, to Lis, this white bat seemed excessively cute.


    Unlike its dirty, dark-furred kin, beneath its snow-white fury pink little ears and paws.


    Curled up tightly, sweetly lying atop the heart, deeply asleep, asionally twitching its little ears.


    If Ya��er were here, she would definitely have rushed over to hug it and shower it with affection.


    But who could expect such an adorable little thing to possess the strength of a Gold Level BOSS?


    Indeed, Lis truly did not want to provoke this creature, since not even the cutest animal could sway his firm resolve (or so he imed).


    Still, who would have thought that the key to a sneaky alternate method of clearing the dungeon would lie with it?


    Lis carefully pushed the little creature, and he had to admit, it really felt quite pleasant.


    Cold, soft, veryfortable to the touch.


    Lis hastily discarded these stray thoughts from his mind and quickly checked on Little Bat��s movements.


    After a while, Lis came to a conclusion.


    This guy is really dead asleep!


    In his previous life, he always blundered along, never wasting words. He��d greet this guy with a fireball on sight.


    Who would wake up a BOSS during a raid and say,


    "Are you awake? If you��re awake, then I��m going to start!"


    There was no way around it, saving time for the raid team was part of Lis��s professional ethics, and it also maintained apetitive edge for his studio.


    That��s why, even though he knew there was a second way to pass through the secret realm in his previous life, Lis had never tried it out, and now he had to carefully explore it.


    In order to wake this guy up, Lis went from gently pushing, to pping, to picking him up and swinging him. He was just short of throwing him directly onto the ground.


    Just as Lis hesitated whether to try the awakening technique, Little Bat finally woke up from his sweet sleep.


    The snot bubble in front of his head burst, and a pair of small eyes, baffled, opened and stared dumbly at Lis, who was holding him upside down by the legs.


    Lis felt a bit embarrassed, considering the rather undignified pose he held this big wig in, and quickly respectfully ced him back onto the red "bed."


    Little Bat��s dark eyes looked at Lis, and Lis seemed to read from its vacant gaze:


    Who am I, where am I, what am I doing?


    "My respects, Lord Ang, I am very sorry for disturbing your sweet dream," Lis said, even bowing in a manner akin to that of the nobles.


    "Oh."


    Ang was clearly still not fully awake, as staying in the tomb was too boring. Ever since he had ascended and awakened his inherited memories, he hadn��t encountered anyone he couldmunicate with. His favorite thing was to sleep all day on this heart.


    That headless guy, every time he saw him, would just draw his sword and sh at the bat, the owner of the tomb stayed inside the Witch Demon Tower and never came out, not to mention what he was up to, and the other riff-raff were even less worth mentioning.


    It took Ang, who had learned humannguages from the inherited memories, quite some time to realize that this fellow in front of him wasn��t an undead from the tomb, but rather resembled the food from his memories.


    An outsider?


    Still a bit groggy, Ang suddenly became fully alert, his small eyes ring intently, and he quickly asked in his unskilled humannguage:


    "Are you human? From outside the tomb?"


    Lis looked at Ang, who was struggling to support his body with two little paws, and felt somewhat relieved.


    No aggression, indeedmunication is possible!


    Lis chose to erase from memory those unttering actions, and said to Ang:


    "Yes, I entered from outside this tomb. I didn��t expect to meet Lord Ang here."


    "Oh, oh."


    Ang suddenly realized something was amiss and asked:


    "How do you know my name? I haven��t told anyone the name I gave myself. Don��t try to deceive me, I am very smart!"


    Upon hearing this, Lis��s expression became solemn, his eyes filled with reverence and a hint of aspiration:


    "Because after I entered the tomb, I received an oracle from Lord Cain, instructing me to help you escape this prison!"

 Chapter 69 - 69 On the Self-cultivation of an Actor (Please follow and read!)

    Who is Lord Cain?


    Ang tilted her head in confusion and finally remembered that this was her ancestor, the Vampire and the Dark Night God.


    Lis, of course, knew what he was talking about. In the Gaia World, Cain, as the ancestor of the vampires, is an extremely ancient and mysterious deity with a Divine Domain of "Vampire" and "Dark Night."


    Because He rarely shows miracles in front of mortals, His name is also rarely known to outsiders.


    Although directly calling the name of a deity might attract their attention, which is why believers pray, this seemed to be the most effective argument Lis could think of to gain Ang��s trust. He hoped that the deity would not pay attention to such a trivial matter.


    When Lis saw that Little Bat didn��t respond for a long time and thought themunication had failed, Ang suddenly opened her bright, shiny eyes and said:


    "Did the ancestor send you? Really, that��s great!"


    Ang fluttered her small wings and flew excitedly around the room.


    She had wanted to leave the tomb for quite some time now.


    Although the ce was suitable for Ang��s growth and had treasures, it was extremely boring.


    Ever since Ang advanced to Gold Level and received her ancestral memory, she had been longing for the vast and fascinating world in her memories.


    She even approached that Witch Demon, wanting McGwire to help her get out, but that guy never understood human speech, ignored her attempts atmunication, and just babbled on.


    Ang was saddened, feeling that the whole tomb was filled with fools, and wondered if her intelligence meant she would be trapped here forever.


    But to her surprise, she woke up today to a pleasant shock �C the ancestor had sent someone to rescue her!


    After flying for a while, Ang��s sleepiness vanishedpletely, and she looked at the person before her with renewed energy.


    "You��re really a good person! What is your name? Ang will remember you!"


    Lis felt the trustful gaze of the tiny white bat before him and couldn��t help but crack a smile.


    Was this the innocence and naivety that the strategy author talked about? The reality proved to be as extraordinary as they described.


    No wonder the author said this step was actually the easiest in the whole process.


    You��re supposed to be a Gold Level BOSS, right? Howe out of the eighteen prepared arguments, I needed to use only the first one, and it��s already a sess?


    He may have been internally grumbling, but Lis, with his acting skills honed to the highest level, didn��t let his expression change one bit, and he said:


    "My name is Lis, a Mage, and I am willing to help Lord Ang leave this ce."


    Ang hurriedly nodded, nowpletely convinced Lis could take her out.


    If the ancestor said it, how could it be false!


    "Good, I��ve had enough of this ce, how do we get out?"


    Lis turned serious and said:


    "To leave this tomb, we must defeat the Witch Demon McAy!"


    "Ah? But Ang can��t beat him, and you look so weak, Lis~"


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Little Bat recalled the experience of causing a uproar in the Witch Demon Tower, only to be chased out by McAy, feeling somewhat timid.


    It hurt a lot to be beaten.


    Lis quickly added, "Lord Cain has already told me the weakness of that Witch Demon. As long as you, Lord Ang, can hold him off, I can use a special method to defeat him."


    Ang was conflicted; thest time she ended up fleeing as a small bat.


    Even then, her fur was singed, and it took a long sleep to recover. She was reluctant to confront McGwire again.


    But if we don��t go, we��ll truly be trapped here forever!


    Thinking it over, Little Bat clenched its teeth and decided, "Let��s do this!"


    "Elbow! I��ll take you to dismantle those darn bones."


    Ang spoke the fiercest words, tilting its little head up, ready to lead Lis in a fight against McAy.


    Lis quickly stopped Little Bat, saying going straight there would be like offering themselves up on a tter; they needed to prepare first.


    He then pulled Ang aside and chattered away, pouring all the information about McAy��s skills, specialties, and things to watch out for into Little Bat��s head.


    After sharing all the information he knew with Ang, Lis even inquired about its skills and specifically tailored several tactics for it.


    Little Bat nodded repeatedly as it listened, looking at Lis with eyes filled with admiration.


    This person is so incredible; no wonder the ancestor asked him toe and rescue me.


    After listening to Lis��s words of caution, Ang flew up from the heart-shaped bed andnded on Lis��s head, pulling at his ck hair and asking,


    "After we beat McAy, can we just leave directly?"


    "Yes, we should be able to leave directly."


    If Lis��s guess was right, after defeating McAy, he should be able to obtain the secret realm crystal of this instance.


    If that wasn��t possible, the magic array for teleportation should also be located inside McAy��s Witch Demon Tower.


    "Then I want to take something with me!"


    Upon hearing this, Angnded back on the heart, pulling hard to take it with it.


    Lis knew why Ang was fond of this heart; it was a heart left by a Duke-level vampire, used by McAy as the core to operate the Ghost Mansion.


    This was a heart that had condensed the essence of the vampire��s blood, and Lis had no idea where McAy obtained this heart that was close to Legendary strength.


    It was natural that Ang could benefit a great deal from it, as the heart was a substantial aid in its breakthrough to Gold Level alongside its own talents.


    This was also why Ang liked to nap on it.


    Seeing Ang struggling to take the heart with it, but unable to budge it whatsoever, regardless of the effort it exerted, Lis shook his head.


    This heart was connected to the entire Ghost Mansion through Magic Rune; there was no way it could be forcibly detached.


    Lis stepped forward, ced his right hand on the Magic Rune where the heart connected with the tform, and disconnected the connection of the "Solid" and "Rock" Magic Runes.


    Ang forcefully pulled the heart out, and due to inertia, it even flew far away.


    By the time it returned, pping its wings and clutching the heart, it eximed loudly,


    "Lis, you��re so amazing. How did you do that?"


    Lis waved his hand nonchntly, indicating that it wasn��t difficult for someone with some knowledge of Magic Runes, especially since the runes on this tform weren��tplex.


    "Shall we set off?"


    Lis asked, watching Ang trying to settle down on his head with the blood-red heart. He quickly asked,


    "Shall I hold onto it for you first, and give it back to you after we get out?"


    Ang thought about it and nodded. It ced the precious vampire heart into Lis��s hand, curiously watching as he stored the heart in the storage ring.


    Now more than ever, Ang felt that this man named Lis was incredibly skilled; could it be that the outside world was filled with many formidable people?


    Would it be captured and turned into soup after getting out?


    The Gold Level Little Bat, whose knowledge of everything stemmed solely from its inherited memories, was feeling a little downcast and somewhat uneasy about the outside world.

 Chapter 70: Preparations Before the Great Battle (Please Follow!)

    In front of the Witch Demon Tower, where McGwire, the final boss of this secret realm, resided,


    Lis and Ang were making their final preparations, about to confront this being whose age was unknown.


    Suddenly, Lis remembered something and asked the little bat perched on his head,


    "Lord Ang, how long have you been in this tomb?"


    "I don��t know, I��ve been inside as long as I can remember; I��ve wandered through the entire tomb, which was boring, soter I just slept there."


    Actually, Lis found it odd that Ang, as a vampire, would have inherited memories.


    This was something Ang had identally mentioned during their chat.


    Shouldn��t this be exclusive to the Dragon n?


    Never mind, maybe Ang��s bloodline was special, not just any ordinary existence; otherwise, not only she would have ascended to be a Gold Level boss in the entire Ghost Mansion.


    Thinking of this, Lis turned to look behind him.


    Following him and Ang were swathes of dark, shadowy figures, each emitting a terrifying aura.


    These were all the monsters from the entire Ghost Mansion, all transformed into vampires and Blood Servants.


    The two high-level Blood Servants guarding the gates were among them, their pale faces and blood-red eyes perfectly epitomizing the stereotypical image of vampires.


    Lis had merely asked Ang before setting out if it was possible to control these monsters, as none of them had attacked him or Ang.


    Ang stated, "Isn��t that an easy thing to do?"


    As a High-level Vampire, Ang naturally couldmand these unintelligent monsters, and Ang didn��t even consider these disgusting, dusky creatures as her kin.


    Lis then had Ang bring along all the monsters of the Ghost Mansion, even if they just blocked one skill in the battle against McGwire.


    The little bat readily agreed, turning into the sight before them.


    Perhaps the real world was still a bit different from the game, Lis couldn��t remember anyone mentioning such a strategy in his past life.


    It really felt good, charging directly with a group of creatures that should be enemies in the secret realm.


    On their way to the Witch Demon Tower, even when encountering wandering monsters, there was no need to avoid them from afar as before; the vampires behind him would swarm up and tear those monsters to shreds.


    Had it not been for time conservation, Lis would even have wanted to go back to the Dark Hall to clear out the Headless Knights there.


    But better to press on; he wondered how Ya��er and Arsen were doing now.


    With this thought in mind, Lis took a deep breath, ready to enter the middle of the Witch Demon Tower.


    "Lord Ang, where does McGwire usually stay?"


    Lis asked, since in his past life after defeating the Headless Knight and Ang, McGwire would wake up and present himself, eliminating the need for Lis to search for him.


    The little bat on Lis��s head scratched its head; to tell the truth, it had only been there once and didn��t remember very clearly.


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "I think it��s in the room at the very top. I could wander anywhere else in the tower without anyone caring, but as soon as I entered that room, the Witch Demon would appear."


    Is that so? Because McGwire��s Life Protection Box was in that room, that��s why Ang wasn��t allowed in.


    "Then let��s go in; be careful, Ang, and let those guys at the back go in first."


    Lis had Ang direct the vampire foot soldiers to split into two groups: one to scout ahead and the other to surround and protect Lis and Ang.


    "Just like the n, Lord Ang, you lead these monsters to draw McGwire out of that room; it would be best to draw him down to the first floor while I go in and destroy McGwire��s Life Protection Box."


    Ang nodded. If it was just about entangling McGwire, she was quite confident in herself.


    Fortunately, as the Big BOSS, McGwire did not have the ability to summon minions, and he was the only monster in the entire Witch Demon Tower, so there was no need to worry about other unforeseen variables.


    After making all the preparations, Lis took a deep breath to adjust his mindset, and then proceeded toward the Witch Demon Tower with Ang.


    Could it be said this was a ce McGwire had prepared for himself after transforming into a witch demon?


    The entire Witch Demon Tower was engraved with densely packed Magic Array Runes, which had been operating normally for hundreds of years, maintaining the cleanliness and tidiness of the Witch Demon Tower, unlike other monsterirs which appeared old and dusty.


    It was a consistently dark-style architecture, except the main door of the Witch Demon Tower was open outwards and was not closed, showing signs of being attacked.


    Ang whispered:


    "I opened itst time I came here, it took quite a bit of effort."


    Lis wanted to give Ang a thumbs up, as this saved a lot of trouble.


    Hemanded the vampire cannon fodder to enter the Wizard Tower first, watching as nothing unusual happened, probably because Ang had already cleared all the magic traps set upst time.


    Walking into the main gate of the Wizard Tower, what caught their eyes were the stark ck hall and the stairs leading upwards, with novish or special decorations.


    It seemed that McGwire thought that for a witch demon, enjoyment was meaningless.


    As for equipment for experiments, there would be time to procure them after sessfully transforming into a witch demon.


    Lis, having no opportunity to loot, didn��t mind and took out his Magic Wand to cast various Beneficial and Protection Magic on himself and Ang.


    Ang curiously lifted her head to watch the spells of Spirit Light, indeed feeling her abilities had improved, although not by arge margin.


    Is this the magic from his memories, so beautiful! Much better-looking than his Blood Magic.


    The determination to go outside grew even stronger, and Ang also casually cast Beneficial Magic on herself and Lis.


    -----------------


    [Blood Magic��Bloodline Burst]: Activates the blood energy inside the user��s body, temporarily increasing their strength, speed, and sensory capabilities by 30%. Duration: 30 minutes. After the beneficial status ends, the user enters a weakened state for 30 minutes.


    [Blood Magic��Blood Veil]: Increases the user��s evasion rate by 30% and turns 20% of the damage caused by attacks into a fresh blood shield to resist physical and magical damage. Duration: 30 minutes.


    [Blood Magic��Bloodthirst]: 50% of the effective damage caused by the user will be converted into life recovery. Duration: 1 hour.


    -----------------


    Is this the power of a Gold-Level Vampire? Indeed strong!


    These skills, which former yers found annoying to deal with, were now quite appealing to Lis.


    The feeling of being full of power was indeed pleasant, as Lis and Ang continued toward the upper levels of the Witch Demon Tower together.


    The entire Witch Demon Tower had a total of five levels, with the topmost level being the ce where McGwire underwent his witch demon transformation and where his Life Protection Box was located.


    A dark crowd reached the top floor, and Lis, standing from afar with Ang, directed the cannon fodder to open the door.


    Cast in unknown metal, the ck door was embedded in the wall and was not locked. A low-level mob struggled to push the door open.


    Suddenly, his figure seemed to be struck violently by something and quickly collided with a nearby wall.


    A cold whirlwind blew past, and a figure in a ck Mage Robe appeared in front of Lis and Ang.


    McGwire!

 Chapter 71 - 71 Fear Spirit

    McGwire!


    The master of the tomb suddenly appeared before Lis and Ang, silently floating in midair, his strength palpably emanating without a word.


    The gaunt figure was tightly wrapped in a pure ck Mage Robe. The face that was revealed no longer held a trace of life; withered muscles clung eagerly to white bone, and where eyes should have been, nothing but decay was left, save for the evil gleam of deep red pupils shining within the hollow sockets.


    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The moment Lis saw McGwire, he felt as if his mind was violently struck, and the system dashboard��s notification messages started to flicker wildly.


    -----------------


    [You have been hit by the Fear Spirit Aura effect of Witch Demon McGwire (LV170)]


    [Fear Spirit Aura: A terrible aura of death and evil envelops the Witch Demon. All beings within a 30-meter radius must pass a willpower check or suffer the effects of a Fear Technique as cast by the Witch Demon��s Level]


    [You are undergoing the Fear Spirit Aura willpower check]


    [Checking.....]


    [Your specialty, Fearless Challenger, has been triggered]


    [You have resisted the Fear Spirit Aura willpower check]


    -----------------


    Lisposed himself, thankful for the specialty, Fearless Challenger. Otherwise, with his own Bronze Level strength, it would have been very difficult to pass the Fear Spirit Aura willpower check, given the substantial gap between him and McGwire.


    Lis certainly didn��t want to experience a Gold Level Witch Demon��s Fear Technique.


    Ang, who had been perching atop Lis��s head, flickered and appeared in front of McGwire, a piercing shriek emanating from her.


    The vampire minions and Blood Servants still around behaved as if they had received an order, charging toward McGwire all at once, seemingly about to engulf himpletely.


    Ang wasn��t idle, either. She was well aware of the gap between Gold Level minions and a Gold Level BOSS��the most she could do was distract McGwire for a few minutes. She had to make a move and draw McGwire out of the room to the floor below.


    Without any further hesitation, her small body trembled, and a torrent of blood-colored energy flowed from her body, spreading outwards.


    With the bloodlight swirling around her, Ang��s form gradually changed, and a white-haired little loli appeared before Lis.


    Her long white hair smoothly fell to her waist, and her clear, pure ck eyes held a hint of earnestness. Her delicate face framed by fine features resembled a graceful and exquisite Little Elf.


    Though she was only about one meter thirty-four tall, floating in the air, her presence hardly seemed inferior to McGwire��s.


    Indeed, just like in his previous life, she hadn��t changed; it was no wonder she was one of the yers�� favorite BOSSes in many dungeons.


    Upon seeing Ang reveal her true form and start her attack on McGwire, Lis quickly dodged to the side, hiding behind the vampire minions.


    shes of grey-ck and blood-red light danced as waves of magic attacks emanated from the skirmish between Ang and McGwire, leaving scars on the surrounding walls. Neither of them held back in the slightest.


    Lis could still see that Ang was slightly on the losing end; after all, she was twenty levels below McGwire, and this was his home ground. He was also able to use the arrays of the Witch Demon Tower to assist him in battle.


    But Ang��s goal wasn��t to defeat McGwire. With the help of the minions, she tangled McGwire up, slowly shifting the battlefield towards the staircase.


    Lis hid behind the vampire minion intentionally left behind, avoiding drawing McGwire��s attention.


    And it really was no small feat, using the vampire as a shield. Its tall staturepletely covered Lis, keeping him safe from the battle��s shockwaves, which otherwise would have been enough to trouble him greatly.


    Fortunately, McGwire was not aware; otherwise, it wouldn��t have been so easy to leave the room where the Life Protection Box was located.


    Suddenly, Ang let out a fierce shriek, her whole being enveloped in a thick shroud of blood-red radiance. She broke through the Witch Demon��s Protection Magic, mming him down the stairs and to the first floor.


    Immediately following, more intense noises came from downstairs; Ang had already desperately created an opportunity for Lis.


    Once he was certain that the Witch Demon had been tightly entangled by Ang, Lis quickly emerged from behind therge vampire and rushed into the room that McGwire had appeared in before.


    Upon entering the room, he saw a huge,plex Magic Array on the floor right in the center, the chaotic Magic Rune designs made Lis feel a bit dizzy at a nce.


    These were not on the same level as the ones on the tform in the Ghost Mansion.


    It must be the Magic Array used by McGwire for the ritual to transform into a Witch Demon.


    Lis had no interest in this Magic Array, after all, he had no desire to be something as inhuman and ghostly as a Witch Demon.


    Isn��t it good to be a human?


    Besides, Lis was confident in breaking through the limits of humanity.


    And although they say that transforming into a Witch Demon grants eternal life, in reality, under the corruption of dark and Death Spirit Energy, even if the transformation was sessful, one��s thoughts would continuously fall into darkness��is that really still yourself?


    Moreover, Lis felt that there must be a problem with McGwire��s ritual Magic Array, if consciousness waspletely destroyed, not to mention, the transformation into a Witch Demon wasn��t considered sessful.


    Lis didn��t know what had happened, but McGwire clearly did not have the ability to be reborn with the Life Protection Box; once his body was eliminated by yers, he was truly dead.


    However, if McGwire��s Life Protection Box was destroyed, he would also die a real death.


    This was quite embarrassing, suddenly having a fatal weakness.


    While Lis was thinking all this, he also didn��t waste any time and hurried towards the center of the room��s Magic Array.


    In the middle of theplex Magic Array, there was a small golden box wrapped in precious Magical Beast Skin.


    If it were someone unaware of the circumstances, they would definitely think this was McGwire��s Life Protection Box.


    But Lis knew well that this was just a trick used by McGwire before his transformation to deceive intruders; if one opened this small golden box, it would trigger the teleport Magic Rune on top of the Witch Demon Tower, teleporting them to the lowest level of the tomb inside the White Bone Evil Temple, buying time for McGwire to return.


    Lis, who had prior knowledge, did not nce at this ring trap, instead he floated in mid-air using the Flying Technique, and continuously fumbled above the core of the Magic Array on the ck ceiling.


    Lis��s hands paused, as if he had touched what he was searching for.


    Upon grasping tightly, a box of the same color as the ceiling appeared in Lis��s hand.


    This box looked ordinary, devoid of Magic Radiance, but identical to the photo Lis had seen in his previous life on the forum.


    This was McGwire��s Life Protection Box.


    -----------------


    [[McGwire��s Life Protection Box]]


    [Introduction: A wonder painstakingly crafted by the aspiring Witch Demon McGwire, housing the soul of the Witch Demon McGwire.]


    -----------------


    Just as Lis got his hands on the Life Protection Box, a horrifying roar suddenly sounded from outside the room; surges of mighty pressure came continuously from downstairs.


    Ang��s shrill, urgent voice also came from downstairs, revealing the tension of the situation:


    "Lis, hurry up, I can��t hold him off much longer!"


    Lis certainly did not dare dy a moment, throwing the Life Protection Box on the ground, he took out a Longsword from his storage ring, and swung towards the Life Protection Box.

 Chapter 72: Clearing the Stage!

    ```


    ng!


    Lis��s longsword struck the Life Protection Box, emitting a crisp sound, but the sharp de only left a white mark on its surface.


    Who would have thought this thing would be so hard!


    Lis��s hand felt somewhat numb from the vibration; after all, the Life Protection Box was made by a near legendary mage, so destroying it with his strength attribute would naturally be rather difficult.


    Putting away his longsword and realizing that physical attacks were ineffective, Lis took out his Jade Wand and began chanting a spell.


    "Blue Ball Skill!"


    "Catastrophic Explosion!"


    Fire elements converged, and three blue, zing fireballs appeared in front of Lis. This time, all three fireballs were imbued with the three-cycle arcane "Catastrophic Explosion." Under Lis��s guidance, they smashed down onto the ck box on the ground.


    Boom!


    The blue fireballs smashed fiercely onto the Life Protection Box, the terrifying heat warping the very air around them.


    Crack~


    Lis saw that, under thebined effect of the Blue Ball Skill and Catastrophic Explosion, clear cracks had begun to emerge on the body of the box.


    It��s working!


    Lis quickly seized the moment, summoning all his magic power. Blue fireballs continuously formed at his side, smashing down on the ck Life Protection Box on the ground.


    The intense sounds of the battle downstairs were getting closer and closer to Lis; he knew that Ang wouldn��t be able to buy him much more time.


    Ignoring the tearing pain caused by the rapid cirction of magic power in his body, Lis held the Jade Wand in his right hand, casting spells without stopping. His left hand drew a recovery potion from his storage ring and poured it into his mouth, replenishing his rapidly depleting magic power.


    Commanding his vampires to block the door, Lis calmly continued casting spells. The battle noises growing closer did not induce any hesitation in him, and he even managed to use the Fueling Technique in between.


    Perhaps it was because Lis had acquired the talents "Intermediate Fire Element Affinity" and "Casting Genius (Basic)",pared to the previous battle, he could clearly feel that the power of his spells had significantly increased.


    Even McGwire��s Life Protection Box couldn��t withstand Lis��s relentless bombardment, beginning to crack and melt in the blue mes.


    Downstairs.


    The whole Witch Demon Tower seemed to tremble with McGwire��s rage. The magic runes on the walls all lit up, and terrifying power condensed on the withered form of the witch demon.


    Ang was smashed harshly into the wall by several of McGwire��s Dark Swords, the blood light on her dimming slightly.


    Wiping blood from the corner of her mouth, Ang felt pain, was at a loss, and didn��t feel like fighting anymore.


    Howe he��s hitting so hard this time? Last time, I wasn��t beaten this badly.


    Still, Ang dutifully charged forward again. A promise was a promise, after all, and this was her only hope of leaving this ce. She had to take a chance.


    McGwire, devoid of consciousness, innately sensed that something life-threatening was happening upstairs, and his instinct to survive made him explode with all his strength.


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    His skeletal fingertips gathered the dark energy of death and pointed in Ang��s direction.


    Nine-Circle Spell "Death Finger"!


    Ang felt every hair on her body stand on end as the shadow of death enveloped her. No longer able to stop McGwire, her blood energy solidified into several protectiveyers in front of her, and the vampires swirling around McGwire also charged forward crazily to shield her.


    The spirit light of death shot out instantly from McGwire��s fingertip towards Ang. The dark light seemed poised to strip all life in its path down to dust.


    The vampires shielding Ang could not survive a hit and turned to ash under the ck spirit light.


    The ck spirit light struck Ang��s blood-colored shield and, after weakening it considerably, shattered it with a burst, the attack hitting Ang��s delicate body directly.


    Ang seemed unable to withstand this terrifying attack, her body turning to ash within the ck spirit light.


    However, not far from the battlefield, Ang��s figure reappeared in mid-air, but her face was deathly pale, indicating that she had suffered greatly.


    ["Blood Price": At the cost of half the blood in one��s body, it can block a lethal attack once. Cooldown time: 7 days.]


    The ck currents swirling around McGwire had also diminished by half; it seemed that even he had paid a price for that attack.


    But now there was no one left to stop McGwire. He shed towards the fifth floor.


    ```


    The fearless vampires and blood servants, ignoring death, all perished under McGwire��s relentless assault. Their deaths barely caused a ripple, but they did buy McGwire a few moments of time.


    Just as McGwire reached the doorway and was about to burst into the room, his whole body, floating in mid-air, suddenly froze in ce.


    Inside the room, Lis gasped for breath, the Life Protection Box in front of himpletely shattered, gradually turning into nothingness under the scorching blue mes.


    Lis thought he could still hear McGwire��s soul��s fading shriek and scream.


    Turning around, he saw Witch Demon McGwire less than ten meters away from him outside the door, yet that short distance seemed like an insurmountable chasm to him.


    His body, now only skeletal, slowly turned to dust from the bottom up, scattering into the air.


    In that moment, McGwire, who had been in existence for who knows how long, finally met the end of his life, his release atst arriving.


    -----------------


    [You have destroyed Witch Demon McGwire��s Life Protection Box]


    [You have in Witch Demon McGwire (LV170)!]


    [You have gained Experience Points: 20,000,000 (Reward has been reduced)]


    [You have gained the specialty: [Undead yer]]


    [You have achieved the hidden milestone: [Incredible Miracle]]


    ...


    [You have sessfully passed through the secret realm [McGwire��s Death Tomb]]


    [It has been detected that you are the first yer to pass through this secret realm]


    [You have obtained the secret realm crystal [McGwire��s Death Tomb] (Gold Level), and an additional associated secret realm crystal [Nest of Undead Tree Demon] (Bronze Level)]


    ...


    [You have sessfully passed through the secret realm instance [McGwire��s Death Tomb]]


    [Detecting...]


    [Completion rate of this instance is 30%]


    [You have gained Experience Points: 30,000,000]


    [You have gained the specialties: [Enemy of Undead], [Intermediate Undead Energy Resistance]]


    [You have learned Skills: Four Rings Magic [Control Corpse], [Fear Technique], Nine-Circle Spell [Death Finger] (1/3)]


    [You have achieved the milestone: [Golden Secret Realm Conqueror]]


    -----------------


    A series of notifications refreshed on Lis�� panel, but before Lis could check, the entire Witch Demon Tower began to shake.


    No, it wasn��t just the tower. The whole maze was shaking!


    Following McGwire��splete death, the soul imprint he left in the tomb also dissipated, and the magic array that maintained the existence of the tomb ceased functioning. The entire tomb gradually copsed under the pressure of the ground above.


    No time to lose, hurry!


    Lis saw the array inside the room dim and lose its Spirit Light, the surrounding walls also began to crack and copse, and he quickly left the room.


    At that moment, Ang, who had turned back into a tiny white bat, wobbly flew in and burrowed into Lis�� ck hair, weakly asking:


    "Lis, is McGwire dead? Can we go out now?"


    Lis nodded his head. Finding Ang meant there was no problem.


    He took out the freshly obtained secret realm crystal, still warm, and infused it with magic power.


    In the maze, Arsen hidden in the Dark Hall, Ailina chased by zombies, Lunbos nested in the White Bone Evil Temple, and Ya��er who had been lost and dizzy in the maze all trembled. Along with Lis and Ang, they disappeared from this soon-to-be-destroyed secret realm.

 Chapter 73 - 73 Worried Bevis (Please follow!)

    In the forest of K Vige.


    While Lis and others were still struggling for survival in "McGwire��s Death Tomb", an uninvited group arrived on the forest floor.


    The rapidly growing forest had no chance to resist, as a vast clearing was made at its center.


    Knight wearing tinum-colored full Armor, riding equally well-armed muscr steeds, scoured the area ceaselessly, seeming to search for something.


    Not far away, toons of soldiers were clearing the surrounding woods, a formidable project for the Guards like Child, but not much for this well-trained army.


    In the center of the forest, a g emzoned with a golden lion fluttered in the wind; several husky men in Armor stood beneath it, discussing something.


    "Mn Group Leader, when we arrived, only the Mercenary Group��s camp was left here, we didn��t find traces of those mercenaries, and now we are exploring in all directions,"


    Walsh, captain of the first squadron of the Golden Lion Knights, bowed and respectfully reported to the man surrounded by others at the center.


    The man wearing the golden armor had a stern face, with lines that showed signs of the passage of time; his temples were touched by frost, but his robust build and thick arms betrayed the terrifying Strength hidden within him.


    This was the Kingdom��s premier Knight Order leader��the Golden Lion Knight Commander Bivis Mn.


    "Expand the search area, clear out this entire forest for me, we must find out what exactly happened here!"


    Bivismanded with an undeniable tone, his demeanor calm and cold.


    Walsh looked somewhat surprised, but the military discipline prevented him from questioning Bivis��s reasons, and he promptly performed a knight��s salute and went to carry out the orders.


    Those around, feeling the low pressure surrounding Bivis, dared not speak much.


    Although Bivis��s aide-de-camp didn��t know what exactly happened to cause the usuallyposed and calm Bivis to lose control over his emotions, he still ventured to speak:


    "Bivis, this adventure team you��re looking for is likely no longer in this region."


    He paused for a moment, noticing Bivis slightly turn his head, the aide-de-camp continued:


    "There are no signs of battle nearby, nor any other anomalies. I can only think of two possibilities."


    "The first possibility is that they discovered the cause of the abnormalities in this area and pursued it, possibly even leaving the forest, without time to tidy up the camp."


    Having said that, the aide-de-camp himself shook his head, feeling that possibility was rather unlikely.


    "The second is that due to some ident, they vanished directly from the camp."


    "This possibility is more likely; Space Transmission, ovep with a Different ne, projection from a Divine Country, and so on. If it��s really like this, it will be difficult for our Knight Order to thoroughly investigate."


    Listening to his aide-de-camp��s opinion, Bivis��s brows knitted tightly, as he had also thought of these possibilities.


    But if the second scenario was true, it would mean that the situation Arsen and the others faced was even more dangerous.


    Once the Royal Pce received the distress message Arsen sent using a special artifact, His Majesty the King immediately arranged for his trusted Bivis to lead the capital��s most elite Golden Lion Knights on a rescue mission.


    A journey that took Lis and the others two days toplete, Bivis and his men rushed to the site of Arsen and the others�� disappearance in just under half a day.


    But now, Bivis found himself somewhat at a loss.


    Even the current location of Arsen and his party was unclear.


    Hmph!


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Bivis was somewhat irritated, as it had been a long time since he couldn��t control his emotions.


    The youngest son of the Hade family had died, he was supposed to look after Little Taya, yet training and hardening did not include facing such dangers!


    If Arsen were before Bivis now, he reckoned he��d have already pped him hard.


    As the Golden Lion Knight Commander and one of His Majesty the King��s confidants, Bivis naturally knew of Ya��er��s true identity.


    Even, Little Taya had spent a great deal of time learning by Bivis��s side.


    Bivis had long regarded Little Taya as his own close-disciple.


    Although heralded as the strongest warrior of the kingdom, the first person beneath the Legendary Warrior, and known as "Feis��s Majestic Lion," Bevis was well aware that he might never be able to break through that barrier and achieve legend in his lifetime.


    But Little Taya could. Ever since she had disyed her terrifying talent, she had been regarded as the kingdom��s most precious treasure and was secretly protected; few knew of her identity.


    To ensure Taya��s smoother growth, the kingdom��s best resources and most top-notch instruction were all invested in her.


    Even thepanions for her adventures were specially arranged or covertly vetted, including Lis.


    As long as Taya could break through the limits and be the first Legendary-level warrior of Feis Kingdom, then all the sacrifices would be worthwhile.


    Therefore, whether from the kingdom��s interest or Bevis��s personal feelings, he hoped nothing would happen to Ya��er.


    Without hesitation, Bevis immediately ordered his subordinates:


    "Immediately send a message to the Royal Pce, report the actual situation to His Majesty the King, and request the Royal Mage Corps to send support!"


    "Yes!"


    A Golden Lion knight beside him executed Bevis��s orders on the spot.


    Bevis looked into the distance with a worried expression.


    God of Dawn above, let everything be safe for Little Taya!


    ---------------


    It wasn��t long before support from the Royal Mage Corps arrived at the scene through the remote positioning Transmission Array.


    The person who came was none other than the Vice Chancellor of the Royal Magic Academy and the Deputy Leader of the Royal Mage Corps, Odysseus Blumer.


    Odysseus had known Bevis for many years and was naturally aware of the special nature of the situation, so he didn��t waste any time and began to investigate on the spot right away.


    Odysseus, white-haired but with a vigorous spirit, quickly identified the hidden issue with the space.


    "There are signs of spatial folds in this area, there must have been a Space Transmission recently," Odysseus said, frowning.


    "Is that so?"


    Bevis��s spirit lifted at the hint of a lead, and he quickly asked,


    "Can you trace the specific location of the transmission?"


    "This seems to be a Transmission Array set up by a High-level Mage, with capabilities not inferior to mine, let me give it a try," Odysseus said without making any promises. He gently shook his right hand, which held a pitch-ck Magic Wand, and invisible ripples spread out from him to cautiously probe the space around them.


    Just then, an unexpected change urred.


    The space in front of Odysseus and Bevis suddenly distorted on arge scale, and a few figures abruptly materialized before them.


    After a short but familiar bout of dizziness, Lis came to his senses and immediately reached for the top of his head.


    It was chillingly cold.


    Good, Ang had indeede out with him.


    Otherwise, with the tombpletely destroyed, even if Lis had a secret realm crystal, he wouldn��t be able to return.


    But maybe due to the great consumption just now, or perhaps trusting Lis a bit too much, the Little Bat Ang went straight to sleep on top of Lis��s head, without stirring.


    Only then did Lis look around; Ya��er, Arsen, Ailina, and Lunbos were all there, seemingly unharmed. They were lucky indeed.


    Suddenly, Lis realized that the surrounding forest had vanished, reced by hundreds, maybe thousands, of well-equipped soldiers.


    Two old men stood in front of him, sternly staring in his direction.


    Damn, what��s going on?

 Chapter 74: Breakthrough, Silver Level! (Please follow!)

    Bivis and Blumer stared at the few people who had suddenly appeared in front of them, and fell silent.


    Bivis gave Blumer a meaningful look.


    Well, aren��t you something, pretending to be modest with me, and yet you��ve managed to find everyone just like that?


    Blumer rolled his eyes speechlessly.


    Are you saying because you��re old, your brain is not functioning well? If I were that capable, the position of the dean would belong to me!


    "Uncle Bivis!"


    Ya��er��s voice emerged beside Lis, breaking the awkwardness between the people present.


    At this moment, Lis was somewhat grateful for Ya��er��s support, how could he possibly not recognize these two old men? They were both top fighters of the Kingdom.


    Top Gold Mage, Vice Commander of the Royal Mage Corps, Odysseus Blumer.


    Top Golden Warrior, Commander of the Golden Lion Knights, Bivis Mn.


    "Uncle, what brings you here?"


    Though Ya��er looked a bit dusty, she didn��t seem to have encountered any danger and was still very spirited.


    However, the others were not doing so well. Arsen, Ailina, and Lunbos had copsed on the ground, their faces pale, looking thoroughly exhausted.


    Bivis quickly pulled Ya��er aside, giving her a thorough once-over to ensure she wasn��t hurt before he finally rxed and said:


    "I received a notification from a nearby Lord that an anomaly had urred here, so I brought people over to take a look. I didn��t expect to find you here, youngdy."


    Ya��er nodded repeatedly, feeling it was quite fortunate to have run into Uncle Bivis here.


    Lis curled his lip, tricking a child? The anomaly here was indeed extraordinary, but to deploy the Kingdom��s strongest warrior and the sharpest Golden Lion Knights, along with the Vice Commander of the Royal Mage Corps, seemed a bit much respect for the Witch Demon McAy.


    This set-up could run through this secret realm a dozen times!


    It was clear that they had received a message about Ya��er��s peril ande to the rescue.


    Speaking of which, wasn��t this too fast? Lis felt that he had only been in the Underground City for about a day, yet in less than half a day since they entered, the Knights had already arrived.


    It seemed that even without his presence, Ya��er and the others would not havee to harm.


    The Kingdom really did worry themselves sick.


    As Lis mused, he reached up to pet Ang, who was perched on top of his head, soaking up the sun and sleeping. She was fine, wasn��t she?


    Just then, Lis noticed the old man who had been standing with Bivis was staring at him, looking rather curious.


    "Hello, Vice Principal Blumer."


    Weren��t you here to rescue Ya��er? Why are you looking at me?


    Lis felt somewhat resigned and could only step forward to greet him proactively.


    This guy was a true big shot, not to be trifled with.


    "Are you a student of the academy?" Blumer grew more interested.


    "Yes, I have been studying at the academy for seven or eight years."


    "What��s your name?"


    "Lis."


    "Good, good, good, young man, well done!"


    Lis waspletely puzzled by the sudden praise.


    What was this situation? Why was he suddenlyplimenting him? Was it because he had rescued Ya��er and the others from the tomb?


    At that moment, Bivis came over with Ya��er and, nodding to Lis, asked:


    "You are Lis, aren��t you? The youngdy said she doesn��t know how, but she made it out, was that your doing?"


    Lis nodded, seeing no need to hide the truth; those present were all veteran powerhouses who could spot a lie at a nce.


    "We seem to have been teleported into a tomb, where the monsters were very powerful. The strongest was a Gold Level Witch Demon, but itcked self-awareness."


    "I learned this from Ang here."


    Lis pointed to the white Little Bat that was lying on his head sleeping. With the eyesight of Bivis and Blumer, they could naturally see that it was a Gold Level vampire.


    "With her help, I destroyed the Witch Demon��s Life Protection Box, and afterwards, we used a Transmission Array to leave the tomb. That tomb should have copsed now that it no longer has its master��s maintenance."


    Lis gave a brief overview of the entire situation, cing most of the credit on Ang��s shoulders, while also slightly downying the strength of Witch Demon McAy to make everything seem more reasonable.


    Bivis nodded, as he could see that Ang was different from the vampires that lurked in the shadows. The pure Blood Energy swirling around her was free of any impurities, hence there was no need for wanton hostility.


    "Goodd, well done. We owe you this time. No wonder Fusis praised you in front of His Majesty the King."


    Bivis��s seemingly casual remark invigorated Lis.


    Duke Hade? Interesting.


    After finishing his thought, Bivis reminded Ya��er about something before he walked aside to arrange for his troops to be reorganized.


    Ya��er said to Lis:


    "Lis, Uncle Bivis is my teacher. I��ve finally gotten the chance to meet him, and he wants to take me back for training. So, I won��t be returning with you all."


    Lis nodded, surmising that the Kingdom was still not at ease with Ya��er and wanted to take her back to the Royal Capital first.


    After conveying this, Ya��er went over to inform Arsen and the others.


    Arsen and his group had just recovered from their exhaustion and naturally had no objections.


    The environment here was aplete paradisepared to the tomb, and they were in no hurry to leave.


    "This ce is quite interesting. I��ll organize a research expedition here after I return to the academy. No objections, right, Lis?"


    Odysseus said with a smile, feeling that the tomb must have been constructed by a mage not much inferior to himself. Even though the Witch Demon conversion ritual had failed, the remaining artifacts still seemed valuable.


    Lis hurriedly nodded, daring not to express any objections.


    Just joking, big shot, you can do whatever you want, even if you packed up and took me away, I would not mind!


    Moreover, Lis felt something strange inside. He always felt there was something off about the way Odysseus looked at him. His attitude was almost too friendly.


    Where��s your usual aloof demeanor, big shot?


    Odysseus chuckled, nodded, and then stood up with the Mage Group��s entourage to leave.


    Still at Bronze Rank, yet he��s already transitioned to an Arcanist, this kid!


    Unexpectedly, this trip out has brought such a huge surprise, heh heh.


    Odysseus decided and, with a wave of his hand, activated the Transmission Array, vanishing amidst a burst of light.


    Whew~


    When all the members of the Golden Lion Knights and the Mage Group had left, and Ya��er followed Bivis back to Bright City first, Lis exhaled a sigh of relief and sat down next to Arsen and the others.


    Fortunately, the camp they had built earlier was not destroyed; there was still a ce for them to rest well. Lis��s nerves, which had been taut in the tomb, finally rxed.


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Seeing Arsen and the others were too exhausted to speak and merely nodded a greeting before heading into their tent to rest, Lis did so as well.


    Though Lis was also very tired, he had more important things to do now.


    Gently lifting Ang from atop his head, he ced her on the soft nket inside his tent and left the camp, heading for the untouched forest.


    He needed to find a quiet ce to fully digest and master what he had gained this time.


    Arriving beside a tall tree, Lis sat cross-legged under it, took a deep breath, and prepared himself mentally.


    He called up the system to look at the panel, where an immense amount of experience he had never dared to imagine before awaited him. Lis decisively channeled it towards enhancing his level.


    -----------------


    [Your Personal Level has increased: 44��45!]


    [You have gained Strength +2, Agility +1, Intelligence +2, Charm +1, Mystery +1, Endurance +1]


    ....


    [Your Personal Level has increased: 49��50!]


    [You have gained Strength +2, Agility +1, Intelligence +2, Charm +1, Mystery +1, Endurance +1]


    ...


    Level detection shows the yer has reached Level 50, initiating the Silver Rank Boundary Breakthrough test!


    [Breakthrough Test (1/3): Main Profession Level greater than or equal to 50... Test Passed]


    (Note: yer Level = Main Profession Level + Secondary Profession Level; Rank promotion must meet Main Profession Level requirements)


    [Breakthrough Test (2/3): All Attributes exceed 50 points... Test Passed]


    (Note: Breakthrough is impossible under negative Status effects or in cases of physical incapacitation)


    [Breakthrough Test (3/3): Complete Basic Profession promotion... Test Passed]


    (Note: To advance from Bronze to Silver Rank, one mustplete the Basic Profession transition or promotion, rifying the path ahead. (For example: Warrior to Shield Warrior, Mage to Illusionist, Arcanist is already a top-tier profession under Legend.))]


    [All tests passed, begin promotion to Silver Rank?]


    [[Yes/No]]


    -----------------


    Lis confirmed, and immediately, intense energy fluctuations spread from his body to the surroundings, ttening the wild grass with the ferocious gales to the ground.


    The promotion... had started!

 Chapter 75 - 75 Terrifying Attributes! (Seeking Follow-up Read!)

    Promotion...begins now!


    Lis only felt a terrifying energy umting within his body. The acute pain, prating his soul, diffused through his marrow and flesh, causing a heart-wrenching agony. It felt as if his body had be a massive furnace aze with roaring mes, tempering every corner of himself, with each cell rejuvenated in the process and exuding a vigorous vitality.


    Lis clenched his teeth, unable to lower the sensation of pain like he could in the games from his former life; he could only endure it with his grit.


    Fortunately, the pain was not damaging to his body. Instead, it was an essential process for a metamorphosis, for a rebirth from the chrysalis into a butterfly.


    However, the physical agony receded like a tide quite soon.


    Lis felt his body filled with unprecedented strength. The world before him seemed to clear the mist, and everything appeared refreshingly anew.


    -----------------


    [Breaking through the Silver Rank...]


    [Your main profession, Arcanist, has been promoted: Basic > Intermediate]


    [Your understanding of magic elements has deepened. Elemental affinity has further improved, allowing you to reach higher levels of power. You gain an additional 10% Intelligence bonus]


    ...


    [You have taken a significant step forward, breaking through to a new stratum, and your strength has been enhanced!]


    [Your physical strength increases, perception sharpens, metabolism boosts, adaptability to abnormal environments strengthens, and potential talent rises!]


    [Upon being promoted to Silver Level, the attribute points you gain per level have increased: from 1 point per level to 3 points per level]


    [You receive aplete attribute bonus: your Strength +200, Agility +100, Intelligence +200, Charm +100, Mystery +100, Endurance +100]


    [You receive 100 free attribute points]


    ...


    [Your life has undergone a new transformation, bing more robust and vigorous while your mana has be more abundant and full]


    [Your Life Value to Mana Value conversion bonus increases by +30%]


    [Life Value = Endurance Attribute Points * 26 + Strength Attribute Points * 13]


    [Mana Value = Intelligence Attribute Points * 39]


    ...


    [As a Silver Level being, you��ve acquired the specialties [Silver Rank Tier Bonus] and [Transcendent Magic Power]]


    [[Silver Rank Tier Bonus]: All resistances +10%, highest attribute +10%, other attributes +5%, potential points +10]


    [[Transcendent Magic Power]: Your mastery over magic elements bes even more natural. Your Mana Value increases by +30%, and you get an additional damage bonus, depending on your character level. LV1~50, every level +1% damage bonus; LV50~100, every level +2% damage bonus; LV100~200, every level +4% damage bonus; LV200 and above, every level +8% damage bonus]


    [[Transcendent Magic Power]Current total damage bonus: 50%]


    ...


    [Your talent [All-Purpose] has been enhanced as you advance to new heights]


    [[Talent: All-Purpose]]


    [Effect: Your talents break through limitations, allowing you to learn and master other professions�� specialties and skills; the more professional skills (excluding main profession skills) you master, the faster your growth rate (current extra experience bonus: 50% (increased by 20%)); restrictions while using some transcendent items are reduced.]]


    ...


    [Rank promotion isplete!]


    [Congrattions, you have sessfully broken through to the [Silver] rank]


    -----------------


    Lis took a long breath. When he broke through to Silver Level in his previous life, he could only feel the change in himself through numerical attributes. But now, he truly sensed his breakthrough into a new world.


    Clenching his fists tightly, he felt the magic power in his body boiling vigorously. The pain from the evolutionary transformation hadpletely subsided, and only the fulfilling sensation of controlling power remained. He was in the best possible condition.


    Never before had his perception of the world been so clear and meticulously detailed. His soul felt more resilient and pure, as if he had shed a heavy shell and was reborn.


    Phew~ So powerful!


    Lis basked in the changes to his body, feeling like he could now take on ten Camuses!


    With a thought, the magic power within surged forth under the guidance of Lis��s will, coalescing into ten azure fireballs that floated silently in the air around him, warping the air with their intense heat.


    Before the breakthrough, Lis could also consecutively cast the Blue Ball Skill, but only at the expense of magical bacsh that could damage his body.


    But now, casting ten Blue Ball Skills simultaneously was effortless, and Lis felt he still had plenty of room to spare.


    With a wave of his hand, the azure fireballs in the air mercilessly mmed into the forest ahead of him.


    Boom!


    The thunderous noise startled several birds that wanted to fly into the forest in the distance, causing them to scatter in panic and leave without looking back.


    In front of Lis, more than three hundred square meters of forest turned to ash. The ghastly blue mes danced on the pitch-ck ground, burning as if they wanted to destroy everything.


    Lis nodded in satisfaction. It was truly the power of the Silver Level, having broken through to a new threshold.


    Both the Blue Ball Skill��s might and the mes�� heat far exceeded the past.


    Lis casually summoned his panel and allocated the 100 free attribute points he had gained, all to his Intelligence Attribute, then checked his attributes after breaking through to the Silver Level.


    -----------------


    Name: Lis Kain


    Race: Human


    Level: 50


    Life Value: 9340/9340


    Mana Value: 35100/35100


    Status: Normal


    Experience: 0/100W (Undistributed Experience Points [4532167 points])


    Main Profession: Arcanist (Intermediate)


    Secondary Profession: None


    Talent: All-Purpose (Legendary)


    Attributes:


    Strength 326 (Attribute Modification)


    Agility 164


    Intelligence 692 (Attribute Modification)


    Charm 166


    Mysterious 161


    Endurance 163


    N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Luck 4 (+3)


    Free Attribute Points: 0


    Specialties: [Arcane Thought], [All Martial Arts Mastery], [Advanced Fatigue Resistance], [Rank Suppression], [Fearless Challenger], [Low-level Resilient Body], [Silver Moon Protection], [Undead yer], [Enemy of Undead], [Intermediate Undead Energy Resistance], [Silver Rank Tier Bonus], [Extraordinary Magic]


    Skills:


    Magic (Magic Hand, Cleaning Skill, sh Technique...), One-Circle Magic (Fireball Technique, Ice Arrow Skill, Human Charm...), Second Circle Magic (Ice de Skill, Wind Walking Technique, Earth Escape Skill, Repair Moderate Wounds, Levitation...), Three-Circle Magic (Chain Fireball Technique, Elemental Shield, Stinking Cloud, Human Shaping...), Four Rings Magic (Control Corpse, Fear Technique, Advanced Elemental Shield)


    Second Circle Arcane (Fueling Technique), Three-Ring Magic (Blue Ball Skill, Ageing Ray, Catastrophic Explosion)


    Martial Arts (Charge, Soul-breaking sh, Furious sh, Shield m, Resistance Enhancement, Secondary All Attributes Enhancement...)


    Hunter Battle Skills (Tracking, Trapping, Wind Walking Technique...)


    Dwarf Race Skills (Stone Statue Form)


    Milestones: [Intermediate Mage (Silver Level)], [Strongman��s First Step (Silver Level)], [Elf n��s Close Friend], [Incredible Miracle], [Golden Secret Realm Conqueror]


    Legend Level: 10 (Realm Level - Court Viscount Legend Level +10)


    Equipment: Jade Wand, Jade Talisman, Concentration Ring, Secret Treasure: Acadia��s Lucky Brooch


    Evaluation: Became stronger? Perhaps, but in the face of true mighty power, you are still weak!


    (Periodic organization of the data panel, removing some detailed effects text, to be released in uing free chapters!)


    -----------------


    So strong indeed!


    It wasn��t particrly special at the Bronze Level, but after breaking through to the Silver Level, all of Lis��s umtions were transformed into true strength reflected on the data panel.


    Nearly ten thousand Life Value, over thirty thousand Mana Value, and his Intelligence points were even about to break through seven hundred.


    That��s a several-fold increase in strength from the Bronze Level!


    This is the panel of a Silver Level BOSS!


    Have I be a major game BOSS?

 Chapter 76: Lis Becomes the BOSS (Please Follow!)

    Arsen looked satisfied as he gazed at the soaring data attributes on the panel. Unknowingly, with the enhancement of his Level and thepletion of various Skills and specialties, he had be a true powerhouse.


    Within the Kingdom, Arsen had also made a name for himself, a name that others yearned for and revered.


    However, he couldn��t stop just yet, after all, he was still a great distance away from reaching the Gold Level, let alone the Legendary Level.


    The scenes of Legendary powerhouses battling like natural disasters that he remembered made Arsen��s emotions gradually stabilize.


    After all, this was just a minor breakthrough on the path to bing a stronger entity, and there was still a long journey ahead!


    After a brief moment of pleasure, Arsen began to ponder over the enhancement of his Skills and specialties.


    The first was the reward for clearing the secret realm "McGwire��s Death Tomb".


    Killing McGwire and clearing the secret realm, he gained a total of 5 million Experience Points.


    Because he defeated McGwire by using a clever trick, and thepletion rate of the instance was rtively low, he didn��t receive the full Experience for clearing it.


    But for Arsen, this was already the best result he had envisioned; being too greedy could have cost him his life.


    It��s worth mentioning that the Talent "All-Purpose" bestowed an extra 1.5 million Experience on Arsen.


    The terrifying aspect of Legendary Talents was gradually revealing its sharp edge.


    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Breaking through to the Silver Level cost him about 2 million Experience, and although the remaining Experience could raise his Level by about four levels, Arsen didn��t n to invest it in Level advancement right now.


    Having breached the major barrier of the Silver Level, the subsequent four to five Level advancements wouldn��t help Arsen��s strength significantly.


    It was better to invest this Experience in enhancing various Skill Levels, especially since many of Arsen��s frequently used Skills were still at the pitiful Level 1 due to his early promotion to Silver.


    So with the remaining Experience Points, Arsen intended to n and emphasize the enhancement of Skills that currently benefited his strength.


    Killing McGwire and passing through the secret realm also rewarded Arsen with several powerful specialties and Skills.


    "Undead yer": As a hunter of Undead, you deal 20% more damage to Undead creatures and have a small chance of being immune to the negative Status effects they produce.


    "Enemy of Undead": Having returned from among the Undead, they hate you but also fear you. Undead below your tier dare not appear before you, and you inflict an additional 30% damage to Undead creatures below the Legendary Level.


    "Intermediate Undead Energy Resistance": You have a higher chance of being immune to the negative effects of Death Spirit Energy, and the damage from Undead Spells, Divine Arts, and Martial Arts against you is reduced by 20%.


    Each of these Skills was quite potent, significantly strengthening Arsen��s ability to confront Undead creatures.


    Especially the specialty "Undead yer", without the restrictions found in "Enemy of Undead", Arsen could be considered a natural predator of Witch Demons, spectres, and the like.


    As for the Four Rings Magic Spells "Control Corpse" and "Fear Technique", they were just the icing on the cake, sparing Arsen some study time.


    And about the Nine-Circle Spell "Death Finger" (1/3), in his past life, games always liked fragmenting things, but it was of no use to Arsen right now.


    Even if he collected them all, he couldn��t use it now, so it had to be stored away in the system to gather dust.


    Among thendmarks Arsen had achieved, "Golden Secret Realm Conqueror" was one that every yer who cleared it would obtain, with the effect of dealing an additional 10% damage to creatures within Gold Level or lower secret realms, which was quite decent.


    As for the hiddenndmark "Incredible Miracle", Arsen had never obtained it in his past life, nor had he heard any yer mention it.


    "Incredible Miracle": No matter how you achieved it,pleting the miracle of killing an enemy across two major tiers has ensured that your deeds will be sung by people everywhere, Luck Value +1.


    This hidden milestone actually added a point to Lis��s Luck Value, an extremely rare and precious reward indeed!


    But it made sense, defeating an enemy across two stages was simply too outrageous.


    In his past life, even knowing the shortcut to clear McGwire��s Death Tomb, the lowest level required to pass was still Silver Level strength.


    That said, if he hadn��tpleted it this time, would he have needed to kill a Legendary Level enemy at the Silver Level?


    Lis grumbled to himself and delightedly watched as his lowest Luck Value solidly turned into 4, bing a Lucky one was just around the corner!


    What remained was the capability he gained upon advancing to silver, most of which Lis was familiar with, not much different from his past life, and the most important were actually two.


    Attributepletion and the "Extraordinary Magic" specialty.


    Attributepletion was a second supplementation of Lis��s basic attributes after breaking through to silver, bridging the difference between one point and three points of attribute improvement per level, while also rewarding free attribute points.


    The "Extraordinary Magic" specialty was a bit special, unlike the "Silver Rank Tier Bonus" that all Silver Level powerhouses would receive, Lis remembered that when he broke through to the Silver Level in his past life, he didn��t get this specialty.


    Or rather, no yer had ever received it, it had only been seen on main characters in the storyline or bosses.


    The effect of "Extraordinary Magic" was quite powerful. Simr to other specialties like "Extraordinary Force," it not only provided a mana value bonus but primarily an extra damage bonus.


    This effect alone widened the gap between yers and storyline protagonists by a lot!


    This was also why Lis felt he was already a Silver Level boss.


    Finally, and most fundamentally for Lis��s power, the "Talent: All-Purpose" had a new enhancement, a transformation that might ur when a game character broke through a major tier.


    Lis knew that some yers�� talents had been upgraded from Silver Level to Gold Level through this opportunity, which was very rare.


    But he never expected that his Legendary Talent could also be improved.


    The extra experience bonus provided by the "All-Purpose" talent increased from 30% to 50%.


    In addition, a new effect emerged, reducing the restriction for Lis to use extraordinary items.


    Lis felt this effect probably involved lowering usage requirements.


    For example, if the usage restriction of a piece of equipment was yer Level 100, under the effect of Lis��s "All-Purpose" talent, the level restriction might drop to 50.


    However, these were all guesses by Lis, as he had never heard of any yer��s talent having a simr effect in his past life.


    After understanding the talent upgrade, Lis even had some alternative ns in mind, which he noted down, to experiment with when he had the chance.


    Once all matters were sorted out, Lis walked back to camp with a spring in his step.


    Seeing that Arsen, Ailina, and the others were all deep in sleep, Lis shook his head; it seemed they had a hard time in the tomb, as themotion from his breakthrough hadn��t woken them.


    After setting up warning spells around the camp, Lis dove into his tent, shook out the bundled-up nket, picked up the still-slumbering Angel, flopped him onto a newly taken-out pillow, and then Lis himself copsed on the nket and fell into a deep sleep.


    The excitement from the breakthrough to Silver Level gradually faded, and Lis, who hadn��t closed his eyes for two days, was finally able to get some much-deserved rest.

 Chapter 77: The Gold BOSS Bodyguard Who Showed Up At The Door (Please Follow!)

    The next morning, Lis, Arsen, and the others, after a good night��s rest and recharged spirits, were ready to head back to Bright City.


    Upon exiting the forest, they met Children and the others who had been waiting outside. After incessantly thanking them, they took back their parked carriage and slowly set off towards Bright City.


    The anomaly here had also been resolved by Lis and his group, and the Mercenary Guild��s secret realm exploration mission was fullypleted. Presumably, the Golden Lion Knights would inform the guild once they got back to Bright City.


    Therefore, Arsen and the others were not anxious and seemed eager to relish the wonderful time after escaping death at a leisurely pace.


    Lunbos took out a cup of ale from his storage ring and silently drank alone; this was the first time Lis saw him drinking before the mission was over.


    Ailina wasforting Little ck; during their time in the tomb, she had ced Little ck into a pet space, so Little ck was unharmed.


    Lis, however, didn��t feel anything special, except for a little creature that was sleeping on his head.


    When they set off today, Ang was still not awake. Initially, Lis nned to carry the little bat on his shoulder like Ailina did.


    Perhaps because it was ufortable, Ang, with blurred eyes, solely relying on her senses, waved her little ws, climbed onto Lis��s head, and then fell into a deep sleep.


    Lis was somewhat amused but let her be. After all, during their time in McGwire��s tomb, they truly owed much to this little creature; otherwise, Lis would have had to wait for Bevis and others toe to their rescue.


    In that case, the rewards from passing the Gold-level instance would have said goodbye to Lis, and who knows when he would have reached Silver Level.


    As Lis pulled out his Magic Book and became immersed in it for a morning, a tremor from above his head brought Ang��s still drowsy voice.


    "Lis, ah~ where are we?"


    "Wake up."


    Lis took Ang from above his head, the tiny white bat lying t in the palm of his hand, seemingly still not having enough sleep after a whole day.


    "Didn��t you want to see the outside world? We��ve alreadye out of the tomb; you better take a good look now."


    Lis said jokingly, shaking Ang slightly.


    At his words, Ang instantly woke up and pped her wings, attempting to fly up.


    But perhaps because she had been asleep for too long and her body was numb, Ang didn��t fly steadily and "plumped" into the carriage wall.


    Lis helplessly "peeled" Ang off the wall, held her in both hands, opened the window, and let her see the outside world.


    Ang shook her dizzily head and stared wide-eyed at the colorful world in front of her.


    The sky above was not only gray; satin-like white clouds drifted across the blue sky.


    The earth was not always ck; the green wilderness and shrubs by the dirt road radiated a vitality that Ang had never seen before.


    The air also had a pleasant smell, devoid of the permeating stench of decay.


    Although all these were recorded in Ang��s ancestral memories, seeing all this with her own eyes was so beautiful.


    They were her most real feelings and memories, unique to herself.


    For some reason, Ang felt like crying.


    Lis seemed to sense Ang��s emotion andfortingly stroked her little head.


    After a while, Ang, waving her wings, flew out of the carriage, enjoying the beauty of flying freely under the blue sky and white clouds, apanied by the gentle breeze and befriending the dew.


    Lis could quite understand Ang.


    If it were him, having lived in the dark underground from the moment he became conscious, it would be torturous to remain in that cage knowing the vast and beautiful world outside from inherited memories.


    Watching Ang happily flitting back and forth, even chasing after passing wild birds that chirped in panic, Lis was somewhat speechless.


    A Golden Boss Level Vampire doing this kind of thing might appear excessively "idyllic".


    Discover stories with ��??


    Lis even considered capturing it with a Memory Ball, as it could count as Ang��s embarrassing material in the future!


    Lis turned around and saw Arsen and Ailina sending questioning nces his way, so he briefly exined Ang��s origins to them.


    Hearing that Ang was the Golden-level Vampire who helped Lis decode the tomb, both were quite surprised, unable to associate that adorable little white bat with those dangerous creatures active in the night.


    Speaking of which, isn��t she a vampire? How is she flying so happily under the sun?


    After a while, a tired Ang from chasing birds returned to the carriage and stilly on top of Lis��s head, seemingly finding it the mostfortable spot there.


    Lis was somewhat helpless, having realized that although Ang possessed Gold-level strength, her maturity seemed not fully developed yet.


    "Ang, do you have any ns for the future, any ces you want to visit?"


    Lis closed the Magic Book in his hands and asked Ang.


    The little bat snuggled atop Lis��s head, finding afortable position to nestle down, and said:


    "I don��t know, my memory does not cover that information; I also don��t know where to go."


    Lis��s eyes brightened as he spoke in a very gentle tone:


    "How about you follow me for now? Once you understand and are familiar with this world, you can go wherever you want."


    Ailina nced at Lis, feeling that Lis was now like a creepy old man coaxing a little girl.


    Ang looked up and thought for a moment before saying:


    "Sure, I don��t have anywhere else to go anyway."


    She didn��t have any acquaintances in the outside world, which made the home-loving little bat a bit shy; following Lis was a good option.


    That��s also the reason why Ang now liked sticking to Lis, staying on his head.


    Lis hadn��t expected it to be so easy and was somewhat excited.


    Doesn��t this amount to having a Gold Boss Level bodyguard and fighter with him?


    Even for the uing Sacrificial Festival, Lis felt more confident.


    Even if Lis��s strategies failed, with Ang by his side, that Gold-level Assassin wouldn��t truly be able to harm him.


    If push came to shove, he could just let Ang stay inside his clothes!


    He believed she wouldn��t refuse.


    Ang, about to sleep again, raised her head alertly and nced around in confusion.


    Why did it suddenly feel chilly behind her��something didn��t seem right?


    Finding no issues, Angy down again, curled into a ball, andfortably fell asleep, even adjusting her position in her sleep and basking in the sun.


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    After fantasizing for a while, Lis stopped bothering with Ang and let her rest properly.


    He took out a nk book and began to write and draw in it, asionally pausing to ponder and muse.


    If one were to observe from Lis��s angle, they��d see a simple and exquisite Magic Rune gradually taking shape amid Lis��s motions.


    Now that he had advanced to the silver level, there were some things Lis could already start to undertake!

 Chapter 78: The Steward’s Thoughts (Please Follow!)

    Returning to Bright City and bidding farewell to Arsen, Ailina, and the others, Lis brought Ang back to his own family mansion.


    "Young Master!"


    As Bender was leading the horses around in the courtyard, he spotted Lis approaching and quickly came over to pay his respects.


    The sound of hurried footsteps echoed from within the house; the maid Rossi hurriedly opened the front door, standing aside to wee the master of the house home.


    Angy on top of Lis��s head, her eyes wide with curiosity as she surveyed her surroundings.


    Since entering Bright City, Ang felt overwhelmed by the sights.


    How could there be so many humans? Below were just ugly skeletons and walking corpses.


    The houses built along the streets looked so pretty, much nicer than the gloomy Ghost Mansion she used to live in!


    Was the food those people were selling human food? It looked so delicious.


    During their two-day journey on the road, Lis had asked Ang what she wanted to eat, originally nning to get some fresh blood from elsewhere.


    However, Ang wasn��t very interested in fresh blood. She could eat it, but it wasn��t necessary; she could obtain the blood essence she needed from the heart of a Duke-level Vampire.


    Instead, Ang was quite interested in what Lis was eating, nibbling on the fruits and cakes he kept in his storage ring.


    Being able to move about freely under the sun, and not craving fresh blood.


    This made Lis very curious; was she still considered a Vampire?


    Nodding to the servants as they bowed, Lis, with Ang on his head, walked into the living room.


    "Prepare dinner for three, please!"


    Lis instructed Rossi, who quickly agreed, sneaking a curious nce at the little white creature on Lis��s head before hurrying to the kitchen to make arrangements.


    Was this pet brought home by Young Master Lis? So cute.


    "Lis, Lis!"


    Ang scratched Lis��s head and asked.


    "What was that thing the person earlier put in front of him? Why was it so big?"


    So big? Was she talking about Rossi?


    Lis��s face took on a weird expression as he said,


    "That��s their special technique, extremely deadly to males."


    "It��s that powerful?"


    Ang��s eyes sparkled.


    "Can I have one too?"


    "You��ll get a chance."


    All Lis could say was that, although he thought Ang hadn��t developed such a thing despite living so long and doubted she ever would.


    Ang, who had been pondering this, saw Rossi carrying up the prepared dinner and quickly flew to the table, burying herself into the fruit sponge cake.


    Lis shook his head and sat down to enjoy his own dinner.


    Having rushed back without stopping for a proper rest and only snacking on some dry food, Lis was eager to eat something warm.


    Just then, the butler Joey approached with several letters in hand; it seemed these had umted during the two days Lis had been away.


    Joey caught sight of the white Little Bat gorging on sponge cake on the table and paused slightly in his steps.


    A Golden-level Vampire munching on sponge cake?


    It looked strange, but its strength was undeniable.


    What was going on? Was this something Little Lis brought back?


    Joey��s gaze shifted back to Lis, his pupils narrowing a bit.


    This...?


    Silver Level?


    Though Lis was deliberately concealing his aura, it was futile against the perception of a Legendary-strong being.


    This was clearly the expression of someone who had recently undergone a life sublimation, taking a significant step forward on the transcendental path.


    At eighteen, a Silver Level Mage could be considered excellent.


    But to Joyce, it was nothing special, after all, even a Gold-level Mage wouldn��tst more than a moment under his Dagger.


    However, an eighteen-year-old Silver Level Arcanist took on an entirely different meaning.


    Lis had a real chance to reach the Legendary Domain within a few decades and arrive at the realm that Joyce was in!


    But Joyce clearly remembered that just a few days ago when Lis had left the house, he had just broken through to the High-level Bronze, still quite a distance from the Silver Level.


    In just a few days, his strength had soared rapidly, even achieving a breakthrough in rank!


    It seemed there were secrets to Little Lis!


    A rare smile appeared on Joyce��s face with no intention of prying.


    Having secrets is great! Which powerful being doesn��t have their own secrets and fortuitous encounters?


    Even a genius like him wouldn��t dare to im he could achieve legend status without meeting Mr. Kane, without the gifts and assistance from the Kane family.


    Joyce was very happy, extremely happy, that Lis had broken through to Silver.


    He also didn��t want to hand over the true heritage of the Kane family to others, even if the old man had instructed him to, even if that young girl was a true unparalleled genius.


    What of a genius?


    After all, it was Lis who had the true bloodline of the Kane family running through his veins.


    In the past, Joyce had been worried about whether or not to fulfill the old man��sst wishes, but now, no more worries!


    Little Lis wasn��t much less than the young girl.


    Joyce thought a lot in an instant, shifting his gaze to Ang.


    Having this Vampire by Little Lis��s side was still dangerous, maybe he should ��


    Ang suddenly had a foreboding feeling of impending disaster and quickly withdrew her head from the midst of the muffins to look around.


    What��s going on???


    Such a terrifying sensation!


    Lis hadn��t noticed Ang��s odd behavior and saw Joyce approaching, he spoke:


    "Joyce, this is my friend I brought back, Ang."


    "She saved my life, please do your best to amodate her, and it would be great if you could inform the other servants."


    Although the stewards and servants in the house were all Humans, they were aware of the existence of transcendent beings, and a talking Little Bat wouldn��t be more than a surprise to them.


    "Understood, you must be Miss Ang."


    Joyce nodded to indicate he understood, so this Little Bat should be fine, it seemed not to have threatened Little Lis with force.


    Just observe for a bit longer, no rush.


    Ang felt the chilling threat disappear, scratching her head, was it just her imagination?


    ncing up at the elegant-looking old butler, having heard from Lis that she should look for him for meals from now on, Ang nodded at him in a friendly manner.


    This old man is okay, I��ve got your back from now on!


    Joyce was unaware of Ang��s thoughts, only feeling this white Little Bat was a bit odd.


    It was somewhat like those freaks from the south!


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    Lis took the letters of the past few days from Joyce��s hands and examined them.


    As expected, most were formalized invitations to parties from the Nobles.


    Lis was not interested since he had decided to rebuild his knowledge foundation of Spell theory, he was always short on time.


    Spending his days delving into the thick Magic Books, even though the knowledge was all in his mind, reading was a process of revisiting and reorganizing the knowledge he controlled, which was very time-consuming.


    From time to time, Lis also had to practice and operate the spells himself, thankfully, for now, it was just about grasping the properties of basic Magic Elements and fundamental Magic Runes, otherwise, just verifying his ideas would take a great deal of effort. Find exclusive stories on ��??


    There was also a summary of information sent by Mora, which Lis flipped through without noting any new changes.


    Only that the price increases of food and weapons goods were bing more pronounced, indicating that the movements of the Second Prince were gettingrger.


    Great, the bigger the move, the better. Just worried about how to catch you in the act, right?

 Chapter 79: The Wind Rises

    In the southern part of the Fanor Continent, a jet-ck castle was built in a secretive location.


    In the basement of the castle, the entire room seemed to be filled with a deep, dark mist, so dense that one could not see their own hand in front of their face.


    Suddenly, the ck mist began to subside, rushing towards the center of the room.


    An extremely luxurious and exquisitely crafted coffin rested at the center of the room, adorned with gorgeous gemstones and gold leaf. The dark red Dragon Spirit Wood, worth its weight in gold, had been meticulously polished and carved, exuding a simple elegance and a hint of majesty.


    As all of the ck mist flowed into this exquisite coffin, a faint aura of authority emerged from within.


    Creak~


    The basement door was pushed open from the outside, and a pale, handsome man entered, bowed respectfully towards the coffin, and said,


    "Prince Burns, Your Highness, what are yourmands?"


    "Marion, how long have I slept this time?" Experience new tales on ��??


    A deep male voice came from within the coffin, filled with an inexplicable magical power.


    "You have been asleep for ten years this time."


    "Ah~, but I haven��t slept enough."


    Burns��s voice was thick with sleepiness.


    A speck of red light flew out from the coffin andnded in Marion��s hand.


    "Go, to the capital of the Feis Kingdom, find a little fellow named Ang and bring her back."


    "If she does not wish to return, give her this object."


    "Tell the Divine Son that the glory of the Ancestor Cain will guard her on her journey."


    "Be careful yourself, do not cause me any trouble, ande back soon."


    "Yes, Lord Burns."


    Marion bowed respectfully and slowly backed out of the basement.


    Silently, the basement began to fill with swirling ck mist once again.


    "So sleepy, but finally a Divine Son is born, huh?"


    "Hurry up and grow, so Lord Cain can have someone else tomand."


    "Stop bothering this old skeleton."


    The voice in the room slowly subsided, as if nothing had happened at all.


    ---------------


    Bright City, Dawn Cathedral.


    Warm, soft light scattered down from the tall arched windows, rows of tall pirs supporting the entire dome of the cathedral, adorned with exquisite patterns and decorations, exuding a strong sense of holiness and purity,


    At the end of the cathedral stood a towering altar, on which stood a statue of the God of Dawn, surrounded by important holy objects and altar tools.


    Candles burned around the altar, emitting a holy and solemn aura.


    This was not the church where the faithful of Bright City worshipped, but rather a more hidden and crucial ce.


    An elderly man dressed in a red upper garment and wearing a finely made high crown stood silently before the altar, praying quietly.


    "Lord Morris, good morning."


    Oriel Gant stood behind the old man, respectfully greeting him.


    He couldn��t help feeling awe; this was Cardinal Lu Morris, the Controller of the Dawn Church on the Fanor Continent.


    Although reputed as the first amongst the Pope��s followers and a Legendary Priest, the current Morris looked merely like an ordinary old man, without the slightest aura of power.


    "It��s Oriel, isn��t it? Not bad, your strength has improved quite a bit recently."


    Oriel listened quietly, somewhat puzzled as to why the cardinal had called him here.


    He had been very honest recently!


    "The mes of war have already begun to ze fiercely, and the Church of the Gods is powerless to stop it now."


    Question marks appeared above Oriel��s head.


    War?


    For Oriel, who had grown up within the Dawn Church, this seemed remote; why couldn��t the Church prevent it this time as it had always mediated in the past?


    Lu Morris turned around, smiled at Oriel, and said slowly:


    "It��s okay if you don��t understand, but remember, Oriel."


    "You are the most talented child of the Dawn Church, and your pure heart allows you to betterprehend the teachings of My Lord, but there is still much, much more for you to learn."


    "The shadow of war is approaching, and the monsters in the darkness are restless; the future of Bright City will fall into turmoil."


    "Go, fight evil, protect the believers, and spread the glory of My Lord; this is your training and your chance for a breakthrough."


    "Yes."


    This young pdin knelt on one knee, saluted, and then left asmanded.


    When the door closed, only Morris was left in the church.


    However, this Legendary Priest furrowed his brows at this moment, his serious expression revealing a mix of confusion and iprehension.


    He muttered:


    "Even the Lord cannot see the future anymore. What on earth has happened?"


    Unfortunately, at this time and ce, there was no one to answer his questions.


    ---------------


    Bright City, Feis Kingdom��s Royal Pce.


    In a uniquely built pce, an elderly man wearing opulent royal garments leaned back on a soft sofa, his tired-looking face and worn wrinkles indicating his less-than-optimistic state.


    Simrly dressed in splendid garments, Ya��er sat properly on a sofa nearby, her silence adding an aura of elegance and nobility.


    "Be careful in the future, don��t take too many risks."


    The old man advised Ya��er.


    "I understand, Father."


    Ya��er respectfully responded, though her tone carried a hint of estrangement.


    The old man shook his head and after a few more admonitions, he let Ya��er leave.


    After a moment of silence, the old man seemed to speak to Duke Hade beside him, partially as if talking to himself.


    "I am not a good father."


    "But you are a good King!"


    Duke Hade earnestly responded nearby.


    Indeed, he was Morton Fis, the current reigning King of the Feis Kingdom.


    "Fusis, you still say the nicest things."


    The old man waved his hand nonchntly; he didn��t need anyone��sfort.


    "If only I had trained hard when I was younger, maybe I could have be a Golden Warrior!"


    "Naturally."


    Fusis replied, but he knew, no matter how many times it came to pass, this King he had served his whole life would never regret taking this path, burning himself out solely for the sake of his Kingdom.


    That��s why the once weak Feis Kingdom could rapidly surpass all surrounding nations within decades.


    While other kings indulged in pleasures and neglected their duties, Morton Fis was always contemting how to make his nation stronger, even at the neglect of his own children.


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    It was precisely because of this that at sixty years old, he was on his deathbed, worn out, and even the priests of the Dawn Church could no longer reverse the situation but only sustain his body with various precious treasures.


    "Heh!"


    Morton Fis was unconcerned about his body; he did not regret his actions, nor did he need others to judge his aplishments.


    If given another chance, he would do the same without hesitation.


    But as he approached the end of his life, he couldn��t help but show a little more love and care for his own blood rtives.


    "Do you think this is too cruel for Little Yatean?"


    Fusis lowered his head and did not speak, although he already had an answer in his heart.


    "I��ve grown old, and my heart has softened as well."


    Morton shook his head, sighing, not knowing whether it was for himself or Yatean.


    "Then I will give him this opportunity."

 Chapter 80 - 80 Joyce’s Memories (Thanks to the legend of the beginning for the 5000 Points reward!)

    Memories of the Kane Mansion.


    A middle-aged many in the master bedroom bed, his face inexplicably flushed, looking gravely ill.


    Next to the bed sat a young man, whose features somewhat resembled those of Butler Joyce.


    "Cough, cough, I must look terrible, Joyce. You wouldn��t despise me, would you?"


    The man on the sickbed still had the mood to joke, but the Joyce beside him wore a very sorrowful expression.


    "Brandon..."


    Joyce gazed at Viscount Kane lying on the bed, unwilling to see his childhoodpanion, who was like a brother to him, approaching the end brought by death.


    But the severe internal damage caused by the failed breakthrough to Legend was beyond Joyce��s ability to heal, and what was more crucial was that Brandon��s source of Magic Power hadpletely copsed. Even if a legendary Priest were present, they would be powerless to reverse the fate.


    Moreover, he was but a Legendary Assassin, and Joyce had never felt so powerless.


    "Hey, don��t look so downcast. You seem even more upset than I am."


    "You already know my condition. Although it��s excessive, this is both the first andst time."


    "I��ve actually had a premonition about the failure of the breakthrough, but I couldn��t resist. After all, it is the family��s most important and alluring secret."


    "After I die, Joyce, I entrust the care of Lis to you!"


    "His mother passed away early, and I have been so absorbed in magic that I never properly looked after him."


    "Cough, cough��The legacy of the Kane family is in your hands now!"


    "If Lis has the talent, then pass the legacy on to him."


    "If he is not up to it... then let that little girl I brought back inherit it!"


    "Let her carry on the name of Kane and continue the family��s legacy."


    "As for Lis, even though it is just a diversion, the identity of Court Viscount in the Feis Kingdom is enough for him to live a stable life."


    "Just to live a safe and peaceful life."


    "To grow up, get married, have his own children... It��s a shame I won��t be able to see all that."


    "Cough... cough, cough!"


    Brandon on the bed coughed violently, and his body, like an old bellows, was nearing the end of his life.


    Joyce got up to pour a cup of hot water for Brandon, but was stopped by a firm grip on his wrist.


    Joyce had never felt Brandon��s grip so strong before.


    "I don��t have much time left."


    Brandon, disregarding the dark red blood he coughed up at the corner of his mouth, stared intently at Joyce.


    "I��m sorry, Joyce, I��m going to break my promise."


    "Please, take care of Lis for me!"


    Suddenly, Brandon��s hand rxed, and he fell back onto the bed as if all his strength had been drained away.


    Joyce��s outstretched hands hung in mid-air and he looked up at the ceiling, as if he didn��t want Brandon to see his current weakness.


    ---------------


    Butler Joyce returned from his daze of memories and shook his head.


    How, in maintaining an elderly demeanor, had he himself also grown fond of reminiscing?


    Considering that he��d been adopted by the Kane family, from his first meeting with Brandon to now, it had only been a little over fifty years��in the realm of Legends, he was still quite young!


    Yet, looking at Lis now, he could see a reflection of the dashing and spirited Brandon of those days, and himself.


    That settled it. Little Lis had already set foot on this path; the old master would surely have wished for him to do so.


    Joyce, holding a few letters that had arrived fresh this morning, walked toward the mansion��s dining room.


    Today��s breakfast was butter-fried fish, Northern smoked chicken, and fried eggs with potato cakes as Lis had specially requested.


    There was no worry about leftovers, as Lis had also instructed the kitchen to prepare extra portions, knowing that with Ang the glutton around, no amount was too much.


    Thesest few days, Lis had also realized that Ang was quite the homebody.


    It was just that they were quite excited when they had juste out of the tomb, looking around everywhere.


    Once the novelty wore off, they returned to their listless state.


    Eat, then sleep; sleep, then eat!


    Initially, Lis thought she hadn��t recovered from that battle.


    But when he asked her yesterday, Ang looked at him with a puzzled expression, "Didn��t that little wound heal very quickly?"


    Fine, you have a Duke-level Vampire heart, you��re awesome!


    Just a little sucking and she healed, after all, she was close to a Legendary Vampire, and Ang didn��t yet have the capacity to digest the essence of the blood within.


    Now, Ang had two hobbies.


    One was to lie on top of the heart or on Lis��s head to sleep;


    The other was to enjoy tasty food, fighting with Lis for the meals.


    Lis tasted the butter-roasted fish made by his family��s chef, tender and fragrant, with a hint of salt and ck pepper that was just perfect.


    As Lis was enjoying the delicious food, the butler, Joyce, walked up to him as usual, and ced the recent correspondence on the table.


    Lis nced at them and noticed that this time they were all unimportant invitations, so he asked Joyce to handle them all for him.


    However, this time Joyce didn��t leave; instead, he stood next to Lis and said,


    "Young master, yesterday the servants discovered some Magic Books while cleaning the mansion. I had them sent to the old master��s Library. Would you like to go have a look?"


    Magic Books!


    Now those were some real treasures, as Lis had recently been studying all kinds of Magic Books and was about to finish all the stock he had here.


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    However, his father��s Library...


    Truth be told, Lis had no memory at all of the previous Viscount Kane, whom he had never met, and there were none in the memories he received either.


    He did have a recollection of the Library, where all the Kane family��s books were stored, including Magic Books.


    The previous owner did go there once to take some Magic Books, but most were still kept there, guarded by a custodian.


    Perfect! He could go check out what Magic Books were there; it would be great if there were any on Magic Rune.


    Lis, who had recently been delving into Magic Rune, thought to himself.


    He grabbed Ang��s short legs and picked her up, carrying her towards the Library.


    Ang was too busy to resist, struggling to stuff thestrge chicken leg into her mouth, getting oil all over her face.


    ---------------


    The Library was located at the innermost top floor of the mansion.


    After Lis ced Ang, who had finished the chicken leg, on his head, he pushed open the door and entered.


    A faint scent of ink filled the room, and the morning sunlight streamed in from therge floor-to-ceiling windows, making it feel like time itself slowed its pace here.


    The books were neatly arranged on row after row of shelves, without a speck of dust��clearly, the librarian was doing their job well!


    I wonder where Joyce put those Magic Books?


    Lis began searching the shelves in front of him.


    Basic Potion Making


    On the Mastery Techniques of the Four Basic Elements


    Advanced Elemental Theory - Basic Chapter


    The Unspeakable Tales of the Princess and Me


    ...


    Indeed, there were a wide variety of books, but many of them were of no use to Lis now.


    He took thest two books he had just seen and tucked them under his arm out of habit, but his love for learning made it impossible for him to resist the temptation of knowledge.


    At that moment, a cool and pleasant female voice suddenly sounded from behind a bookshelf.


    "Who are you?"

 Chapter 81: The Genius Girl in the Library

    "Who are you?"


    Hmm? This voice sounds familiar.


    Lis looked toward the direction from which the voice wasing and saw a figure in a ck mage robe emerge from behind a bookshelf.


    The small body was wrapped tightly in a mage robe, even the felt hat was pulled over the head.


    Apart from recognizing the voice as a girl��s, nothing else could be discerned.


    However, Lis did not expect that the library administrator of the mansion was a mage. How was it that he had no impression of her whatsoever?


    "I am Lis. Where did Joyce ce the magic books that were delivered yesterday?"


    Lis nced at this administrator of his and asked casually.


    The person bowed respectfully and said:


    "Housekeeper Joyce did not ce the magic books on this row of shelves, Lord Lis, please follow me."


    After speaking, the person led Lis toward another set of shelves.


    Lis noticed that there was an open magic book on the table nearby; apparently, the administrator had been reading it just before he arrived.


    "What is your name, and how long have you been the library administrator?"


    "Lord Lis, my name is Risa."


    "When I was eight years old, the master brought me here from the streets, and it has been fifteen years since then."


    "It was Housekeeper Joyce who then assigned me to oversee the library."


    Fifteen years?


    Lis felt something was amiss, as it made no sense for him to have no memory of her despite her staying in the mansion for fifteen years.


    And oddly, the few times he remembereding to the library from his past life��s memory, this girl named Risa had never appeared.


    It felt very out of ce.


    "Risa, are you a mage?"


    Lis continued to ask.


    "Yes, Lord Lis."


    "Master Brandon saw that I had talent and once sent me to study at the Magic Academy for a while, but thereafter, I have continued studying on my own in the library."


    Lis pressed further:


    "Risa, what tier mage are you now?"


    The girl named Risa honestly replied:


    "I have advanced beyond the Silver Rank for about six or seven years now."


    Sss~


    To advance beyond Silver Rank at around sixteen, mostly by self-studying, was truly terrifying.


    With so many years gone by and her talent, shouldn��t she be close to the Gold Level by now?


    With such talent, she should not have been an unknown in the previous life��s games.


    "Can you take off your hood?"


    Lis made a somewhat impolite request, but he could not worry about that now.


    The young girl��s body shook slightly, but she did not refuse and slowly took off the hood.


    What Lis saw was an incredibly beautiful face, with delicate nose, slightly flushed cheeks, cherry-like lips, and a wless oval face with a hint of timidity.


    But what captured Lis��s attention the most was Risa��s pure white hair and blood-red eyes.


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    Strikingly beautiful in an awe-inspiring way, it made the experienced Lis unable to take his eyes off her.


    Honestly, Lis felt thatpared to the gluttonous Ang, Risa looked more like a stunningly beautiful vampire princess.


    Risa saw that Lis was somewhat stunned and hurriedly put her hood back on, her petite body trembling slightly, her figure cloaked in a bit of dejection.


    When Risa was a child, her unusual white hair and red eyes made her an outcast among children her age; they called her a monster, a demon.


    This cast a shadow in her heart, so aftering to the Kane family, she preferred to wrap herself up tightly in the library, unwilling to interact with others.


    Fortunately, the old housekeeper took care of her well, ensuring she nevercked food, clothing, shelter, or resources for her training.


    Risa came to love this lifestyle; the library was her own little world, where she could study and delve into the magic she loved without having to deal with the outside world.


    But for some reason, when Housekeeper Joyce came over yesterday with some magic books and told her that she no longer had to hide when Young Master Lis visited, she didn��t know why, but she was willing to follow Housekeeper Joyce��s arrangements.


    It seems I messed up, I must have frightened Master Lis.


    Risa felt somewhat dejected, feeling that she was useless for not being able to handle even such a simple task.


    Only then did Lise to his senses, blinking his eyes.


    Unapologetically, Risa��s appearancepletely struck Lis��s fancy.


    After all, who could resist the temptation of a beautiful girl with white hair and red eyes!


    "Why cover it up, it looks so good!"


    "Hmm?"


    Risa suddenly looked up and saw Lis staring at her with a sincere gaze. Experience exclusive tales on NovelBin.C?m


    She was a bit slow to react, but a blush quickly spread across her cheeks.


    Thump, thump, thump~


    Risa couldn��t bear Lis��s gaze and hurriedly stepped back a few steps, hiding behind a nearby bookshelf.


    Lis watched Risa��s small movements with a bit of amusement; thankfully, he had already found the magic books that Housekeeper Joyce had talked about.


    However, Lis also confirmed that he had indeed never seen Risa, this character from the plot, in his past life.


    Otherwise, with her splendor, she could have easilypeted for the title of the most popr NPC among yers.


    But there might be other possibilities?


    Let me think, female mage NPCs that were powerful in my past life, around her age...


    Forget it!


    Lis shook his head, deciding to put this matter aside for now as it wasn��t urgent.


    Lis began flipping through the magic books that Housekeeper Joyce had brought.


    The content of these magic books was clearly much more advanced than what Lis had been looking at before.


    "On the Stability and Explosive Power of Fire Elemental Particles in the Magic Model"


    "Advanced Elemental Theory - A Study of the Interactions Between Elements"


    "Detailed Analysis of Death Magic"


    "Studies on Space Engraving and Magic Power Control During Magic Rune Engraving"


    ...


    Lis chose a few books rted to Magic Rune, and after some thought, he also took the "Detailed Analysis of Death Magic" with him.


    The rest weren��t urgent; he woulde back for them after he finished reading the ones in his hands.


    As Lis was picking out magic books, Risa peeked out with one eye from behind the shelf, watching Lis stuffing magic books into the storage ring one by one.


    "Risa, I��m leaving. Next time we��ll exchange more about our understanding of spells."


    After he had put away the chosen magic books, Lis pped his hands and greeted Risa.


    "Hmm."


    A soft voice came through, and Lis didn��t mind, casually closing the door behind him as he left.


    Risa poked her body out, waiting until Lis had left before she breathed a sigh of relief.


    The library was once again her own world; this gave her some peace of mind.


    Just now it wasn��t about being romantically stirred, she simply hadn��t anticipated Lis��s reaction and was caught off guard.


    "Young Master Lis... really is a bit strange!"


    ---------------


    Lis, heading to the basementboratory, scratched his head and kneaded Ang in his hand.


    He had thought Housekeeper Joyce was an ordinary person who didn��t understand extraordinary powers, but now it seemed that wasn��t the case.


    Today, he had clearly been guided to meet Risa.


    But why?


    Lis was puzzled.


    Moreover, it turned out that his family was hiding a mage genius like Risa!


    It was outrageous; having a Gold Level Welf had already surprised Lis, and now here was Risa, a mage with astonishing talent.


    It appeared the Kane family wasn��t as simple as he had thought it was!


    The waters run deep indeed!


    But Lis wasn��t worried.


    After all, whether it was his own inspired talents or memories from his past life, both led him to trust that Joyce wouldn��t harm him.

 Chapter 82: Making Money Plan

    Leaving Ang outside to find her own ce to sleep, Lis closed the door to the undergroundboratory.


    The breakthrough from the secret realm of McGwire��s Death Tomb greatly enhanced Lis��s abilities, not only did he advance to Silver Level, but he also gained the assistance of Ang, the Gold Level boss.


    This meant that by the time of the Sacrificial Festival assassination taking ce in over a month, Lis was confident he could get through it safely.


    With the strength of a Silver Level Arcanist, even if a Golden Assassin struck, it would be impossible to achieve a one-shot kill if Lis was on guard.


    Not to mention, Ang was there!


    The biggest dilemma facing Lis right now was poverty!


    Yes, that��s right. Lis was currently extremely poor.


    With all the "foundation" of the Kane family squandered by his predecessor, Lis was in dire need of money.


    After all, being a Mage was quite the "money-burner."


    Unlike most other professions that could increase their strength through physical training and honing their skills.


    For Mages, in addition to the enhancement of Magic Power and improvements inbat skills, grasping more and stronger "Knowledge" was key.


    For Mages, knowledge was the foundation of all strength.


    And for that, financial backing was indispensable.


    Casting materials, research equipment, Magic Books, and the like all required Lis to spend actual silver and Gold.


    Especially after advancing to Silver, Lis had many new ideas, but hecked the conditions to realize them.


    Theoretically, as a Mage, there were actually many ways for Lis to make money, whether it was bing a Mage instructor or earning money by fulfilling mercenarymissions; however, both would take up a lot of Lis��s time.


    And now, time was what Liscked the most.


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Whether it was the assassination at the uing Sacrificial Festival or the major events following it, Lis felt an intense sense of urgency.


    After careful consideration, Lis chose the route ofmercial Enchantment products.


    Lis had his own reasons:


    Firstly, this approach was feasible and highly profitable.


    A yer from another life who innovated special Magic Runes had earned a fortune in Gold Coins, bing the wealthiest yer, far surpassing those professional guilds.


    Once the market formercial Enchanted Products was initially developed, it would be worth millions of Gold Coins, and that was just within the Feis Kingdom, with simr demands from other countries.


    However, what happenedter on had little to do with that yer. Find exclusive stories on NovelBin.C?m


    Although Lis didn��t have the means to monopolize such a vast market, he was confident that by allying with partners and sharing the benefits, he could retain his deserved share of the pie.


    Secondly, it required rtively less of Lis��s time.


    While it initially demanded a significant effort from Lis, after the production and sales ofmercial Enchantment products were on the right track, it wouldn��t upy much of his time, and his good friend Mora and others could manage the business.


    Besides, researching Magic Runes was already part of Lis��s ns, an essential path in arcane studies.


    It was perfect for practicing with simpler runes and gradually progressing towards more profound domains of knowledge.


    Thirdly, it just so happened that Lis��s current connections could be very useful.


    Mora was associated with the Golden Vine Flower Commerce, and Arsen��s house controlled the Radiant United Commerce. On the premise of establishing cooperation, they were adequate to ensure the sales channels formercial Enchantment products and provide shelter.


    As for the "technical support" in Magic Rune development, there was Bernie and his teacher, the Magic Rune Master Yousef Daher.


    Lis had some new ideas that also required help from Yousef Daher.


    Thinking this way, there were still many things waiting for Lis to do!


    He crumpled up the roughly scribbled paper detailing themercial Enchantment products n and burned it.


    Lis then took out a new piece of parchment and began pondering again.


    With the assassination at the Sacrificial Festival, he no longer had to worry about his personal safety, but the matter was far from over.


    Without fully understanding Second Prince Yatean��s n, Lis wouldn��t be at ease.


    Why would Lord Yatean choose to attempt an assassination on Lis during the Sacrificial Festival, when all the nobles and ministers of the Royal Capital were present?


    It couldn��t just be that he was extremely unlucky and happened to be chosen, could it?


    Even if that were the case, Yatean had already arranged for Camus to test Lis multiple times, and Lis would not tolerate threats to his existence.


    Where could there be a breakthrough?


    Lis was certain that Yatean had been secretly scheming for a long time for this matter, and with just over a month left until the Sacrificial Festival, aside from actions like buying up food and weapons, other ns were likely already in ce.


    Lis reviewed the major events that had taken ce in Bright City in the past months in his memory but found no opportunity to exploit.


    Lis put down his pen and furrowed his brow.


    Could he only wait for them to make a move against him now?


    Camus had been "sent away" by himself, so Yatean probably would not give up directly and would send others to test him.


    If all else failed, would he have to reveal Yatean��s plot during the Sacrificial Festival?


    But Yatean, being a person of meticulous mind, would certainly not leave any evidence connected to that assassin.


    Doing so would only cause troubles for himself, and he wouldn��t be able to exin how he came by the information.


    Army, Guild, manpower.


    Lis wrote these words on the paper.


    After a moment of contemtion, he circled the word Guild.


    It seems that he could only try starting from there!


    ---------------


    Bright City, a certain secret base.


    A man with amon appearance bowed, greeted the person in front of him, and said,


    "Lord Robert, I have searched Camus��s home and academy, but haven��t found him."


    ording to his ssmates at the academy, Camus hasn��t appeared there for many days."


    The person sitting in the chamber was naturally Robert, who had met with the Second Prince previously. He was frowning as he listened to the subordinate��s report, slightly troubled.


    What exactly is Camus up to?


    ying disappearing acts at this time?


    Dying Lord��s business, I wonder how he��s going to handle this!


    Robert carefully asked his subordinate if there were any other findings, and after confirming that there were no other valuable pieces of information, he waved his hand and let the subordinate leave first.


    Ever since the Second Prince had instructed Robertst time, he had been focusing on the matter.


    He had intended to talk to Camus about it at their next meeting, but after missing two scheduled get-togethers in a row, Robert realized something was amiss and sent his subordinate to search for Camus.


    Now Camus was nowhere to be found!


    Robert was rather irritated. Could it be that Camus had fled because he feared failure inpleting the mission?


    That exnation made no sense!


    Even if the mission were iplete, at most, Lord Yatean would be disappointed in him. But to defect?


    Or could he have met with an ident?


    ...


    No matter! The task Lord Yatean entrusted to me must bepleted; it��s the foundation for all subsequent ns.


    It seems I��ll have to make the arrangements personally!


    Lis Kain?


    I��m eager to see what you��re capable of!

 Chapter 83 - 83 "Self-Charging" Magic Rune

    In the following days, Lis spent almost all his time in theboratory, only returning to his bedroom to rest when he couldn��t continue.


    Ang didn��t disturb Lis; instead, she developed a liking for sleeping on the maid Rossi��s chest, which slightly troubled Rossi.


    During these days, Lis wasn��t distracted by anything else and had devoted all his energy to the engraving of Magic Patterns for civilian enchanted products.


    In his previous life in the game, developing Magic Patterns only required randomly sketching like a "Ghost Talisman" and relying on luck to see if it worked.


    Engraving runes was just a matter of copying the model, which posed no difficulty.


    But now, Lis couldn��t do that. This was a real world, and engraving Magic Patterns required not only the patterns themselves but also the output of Magic Power during the engraving and the corresponding techniques, all of which Lis needed to reproduce.


    That is why, even though Lis had mastered these Magic Patterns in his previous life, he still needed to invest so much effort in figuring them out bit by bit now.


    However, once Lis had determined the entire process of the Magic Pattern engraving, it would be much easier for others to mimic his method.


    Holding the engraving pen, Lis sketched the final stroke on a Crystal Stone that had faded in color,pleting the full Magic Pattern on it.


    Lis examined the Elemental Crystal in his hand, feeling satisfied; this time, he seemed to have seeded.


    With a thought, Magic Power flowed before his eyes, and Lis viewed the Crystal Stone through his Elemental Vision.


    In Lis��s Elemental Vision, specks of blue Elemental Particles were slowly gathering from the surroundings into the Crystal Stone in his hand, making its light brighten slightly.


    Indeed, the "Self-Charging" Magic Pattern had been sessfully developed!


    The gathering of blue Elemental Particles into the Crystal Stone indicated that the Water Element Crystal Stone, whose Elemental Power had been depleted, was slowly regaining its contained Magic Power.


    This was the effect Lis wanted to achieve and was the core of the civilian enchanted products.


    In this world, the path of technological development was almostpletely blocked; all foundational powers were based on Magic Power.


    Therefore, naturally, in the world of Gaia, ces enriched with Magic Elements could form Elemental Crystal Mines, producing various types of Elemental Crystals and also more precious Magic Gems.


    The power contained within Magic Gems is far purer than that of Elemental Crystals, almost without any impurities.


    At the same time, within each Elemental Crystal Mine, the production of Magic Gems is quite scarce, and their price ranges from ten to hundreds of times that of Elemental Crystals.


    The biggest difference between them lies in the fact that a Magic Gem, upon depleting the Magic Power it contains, can automatically absorb corresponding Elemental Particles from the surroundings to recharge its power, while an Elemental Crystal cannot do this.


    In other words, Magic Gems have an automatic charging effect that allows them to automatically refill their Magic Power.


    Elemental Crystals, however, are single-use; after the Magic Power they contain is expended, they be just ordinary stones, without any other uses.


    Even the lowest-grade Magic Gems are valued at around a hundred gold coins.


    Whereas a regr Elemental Crystal is priced at around ten gold coins.


    Magic Gems are primarily used in magical equipment, weapons, Arrays, and high-end devices, while Elemental Crystals, due to their impure Magic Power, are mostly used for powering Magic Arrays and Magic Crystal Cannons and other magical products.


    On this Water Element Crystal Stone, whose power had been exhausted, the Magic Pattern that Lis engraved could enable it to achieve an effect simr to that of a Magic Gem, slowly absorbing Elemental Particles to restore its Magic Power.


    This was the primary premise for making enchanted products viable for civilian use.


    The biggest obstacle to civilians using enchanted products now is not technology, but cost!


    Take Magic Air Conditioning as an example, is the technology of Magic Rune really that high?


    Not really, as long as one knows how to use the basic "Magic Guidance" rune and the "Ice Wind Skill" Magic Array, one can achieve effects simr to modern air conditioners.


    But the biggest problem is the source of magic power!


    Just like how appliances in the past needed electricity, enchanted products also need a supply of magic power to operate.


    If Water Element Crystal Stones are used, they would need to be reced every few days, which makes the cost too high. Only a small elite of the kingdom could afford such an expense purely for personal enjoyment.


    Frankly, if one were to use Water Element Magic Gems, the current production of magic gems is still not enough for the consumption of all kinds of magic equipment and weapons in the kingdom, let alone being used in civilian products.


    To promote enchanted products to the civilian sector, lowering prices, and enhancing usability, are difficulties that must be ovee.


    Therefore, a Magic Rune that can recondense magic power in depleted Elemental Crystals is undoubtedly the most important invention for the vast majority of ordinary people.


    This is a major breakthrough that allowsmoners to ess and enjoy the conveniences that magic brings to life.


    Indeed, in my previous life, once this series of magic runes had been poprized, more and more civilian enchanted products elevated the entire world��s level of enchanted products by a whole tier, and their prices fell to a level affordable by themon people.


    This was essentially a revolution in enchanted products in the Gaia World!


    Thus, the "Self-Charging" Magic Rune on this Elemental Crystal Stone that Lis held was the key to unlocking a new era.


    Lis clutched the Crystal Stone tightly, gradually calming his excited emotions, repeatedly engraved it hundreds, thousands of times, and scrapped countless Magic Crystal Stones, until he finally seeded in reproducing the "Self-Charging" Magic Rune from his previous life.


    However, just reproducing the "Self-Charging" Magic Rune was not enough. Lis��s experiences from his former life told him that merely mastering this rune was far from sufficient.


    Whoever it were, nobody would just sit by and watch this huge pie fall into the hands of others.


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    There were smart people other than Lis. The "Self-Charging" Magic Rune was not an advanced technology, and even though yers in his previous life took some secrecy measures, it was quickly cracked by others and the rune spread far and wide.


    So, Lis had to think of a way to dy or even prevent others from cracking the "Self-Charging" Magic Rune.


    Limited sales of the products was unrealistic. The civilian enchanted products envisioned by Lis had to first hit rock-bottom prices, adopting a thin profit or even no-profit, high-volume strategy to quickly make themon people ept and start using Lis��s products.


    Getting civilian enchanted products into the hearts of people was the way to earn more profits in the future.


    Since he couldn��t make a mark with the product, the only option was to work on the Magic Rune itself.


    Lis knew of a special ss of magic rune called "Hidden," which functioned to protect other magic runes from being spied on and cracked by others.


    If someone tried to forcefully crack it, it would trigger the "Hidden" Magic Rune��s self-destruction program, preventing others from obtaining the magic rune sequence protected by the "Hidden" Magic Rune.


    Simply attempting to deduce from the external Magic Rune sequence that there is a "Hidden" Magic Rune involved is incredibly difficult.


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    This method was often used by Magic Rune Masters in high-end enchanted products, and every Magic Rune Master has their unique magic rune heritage. By using the "Hidden" Magic Rune, they prevent others from stealing their exclusive magic runes through the enchanted products.


    Therefore, the "Hidden" series of magic runes was very suitable for Lis��s current situation.


    And fortunately, among the people Lis knew, there was one who mastered the "Hidden" Magic Rune.


    That was none other than the Magic Rune Master Yousef Daher!

 Chapter 84: Shadow Talisman

    Kane Mansion, in the underground researchboratory.


    Lis stroked the Elemental Crystal in his hands that was slowly absorbing Elemental Particles, restoring Magic Power, and heaved a sigh.


    The only deficiency of the "Self-Charging" Magic Rune was its charging efficiency wasn��t high enough, nowhere near the speed at which Magic Gems restored magic power, and the restored magic power still had impurities.


    This charging efficiency could only meet the magic power consumption of civilian enchanted products, and there was no way it could be used in higher requirement enchantment products.


    Thus, even after the "Self-Charging" Magic Rune appeared in his previous life, the value of Magic Gems wasn��t too affected.


    Should I use this Elemental Crystal to make an air conditioner for myself first?


    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    As Lis pondered this, since he had already brought forth the "Self-Charging" Magic Rune, he also had to consider creating a physical object to show Mora and Bernie the actual effect,ying a good foundation for the subsequent n.


    However, he would still need some auxiliary materials. He��d have his servants prepare someter.


    As Lis was nning this in his mind,ing out of the undergroundb where he had crouched for several days, he saw the sky outside hadpletely darkened, and he nned to return to his bedroom to rest properly.


    Every time after a grueling research session, he needed to give his little heart a chance to breathe.


    This was Lis��s experience talking.


    Just as Lis was walking up the stairs, he saw the butler, Joyce, waiting in the hall.


    Upon seeing Lis, Joyce walked up to him at a leisurely pace and handed him a letter.


    A letter at this hour?


    Lis took the letter and nced over it.


    On the gold-embossed envelope was a blood-red longsword crest along withplex patterns, and it was formally sealed with red wax.


    As Lis started to open it, he looked at Joyce with an inquiring gaze.


    With a slight bow, Joyce said,


    "This is a letter sent by Duke Hade, who specifically instructed that you attend the appointment on time."


    "Oh, Duke Hade?"


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    Lis became somewhat interested now. Why would he send a letter out of the blue, asking him to attend an appointment on time? Yet the blood-red longsword crest on the envelope was clearly the symbol of the Feis Royal Family.


    Without pondering too much, Lis opened the letter and read.


    The content of the letter was simple:


    "Respected Mr. Lis Kain,


    I humbly represent His Majesty King Morton Fis in extending a sincere invitation for you to attend a small, private gathering at the Feis Royal Pce on the fifteenth of August in the Chenxi Calendar.


    Fusis Hard"


    Huh?


    So, Duke Hade is inviting me to a gathering on behalf of the King, but the letter mentions it��s a private meeting, so there may not be many participants, just a few people.


    The fifteenth of August, isn��t that tomorrow?


    Since it��s an invitation from Duke Hade on behalf of His Majesty the King, and it uses the Royal Family��s crest, and it��s within the Royal Pce, King Morton Fis will definitely attend.


    Why suddenly invite me to a gathering?


    Lis carefully considered and thought it could only be because of Ya��er��s matter.


    But reasonably, he should still be in the dark about Ya��er��s true identity, right?


    If he��s summoned to the Royal Pce, wouldn��t it be the same as directly "exposing" Ya��er��s identity?


    They trust me that much?


    Well, there��s no use just thinking about it, I��ll just y it by ear tomorrow.


    To be honest, Lis didn��t have any deep impression of His Majesty King Morton Fis.


    In his memory, the King only appeared on some important asions, and he almost had no chance to interact with him in the main storyline; moreover, his presence was very low-profile.


    As Lis held the letter deep in thought, Joyce suddenly handed him a gray small essory.


    "What��s this?"


    Lis took the small essory from Joyce��s hands; it was a gray metallic ornament with an unfamiliar, special pattern thatbined into a mysterious beauty.


    "This is a lucky charm I acquired from another ce. I don��t know if it��ll be of any use, but please carry it with you, Young Master Lis."


    "After all, you encountered danger the moment you went out this time, and almost didn��te back. I hope with this protective talisman you will be safeguarded and remain unharmed."


    Lis touched the protective talisman with a smile and wore it on himself.


    "Thank you for your concern, Joyce. I��ll take good care of it."


    After saying goodbye to Joyce, Lis walked up the stairs and returned to his bedroom to rest.


    After watching Lis leave, Joyce stood up, his gaze solemn.


    Little Lis has been facing too many dangers and idents recently!


    Joyce did not want to interfere too much in Lis��s affairs, after all, no strongman grew up under the protection of others. Some storms must be faced by Lis himself.


    Joyce had alsoe through everything in the same way, having more than once experienced situations that were a matter of life and death.


    However, Joyce was not going to sit idly by and watch Lis truly step into a life-threatening situation.


    Perhaps it was because Little Lis had always been at home that he had be much less vignt. This really shouldn��t be!


    He must prepare a lifeline for Little Lis!


    This was Joyce��s thought, especially after learning from Lis that he had faced a Witch Demon of Gold Level during histest adventure.


    Joyce could hardly believe how Lis had managed to escape.


    Bronze challenging Gold was simply a desperate situation.


    This grey protective talisman was a magic item that Joyce had specially prepared in the past two days, containing Joyce��s own strength, capable of saving Lis once in the event that his life was in danger.


    Hopefully, it would be effective!


    In his heart, Joyce hoped the legacy of the Kane family would also gradually be made known to Little Lis.


    -----------------


    On the other side, inside the bedroom.


    The moment Lis entered, his expression immediately turned serious. He took off the gray protective talisman he was wearing, held it in his hand, and scrutinized it closely.


    The moment he received this talisman from Joyce��s hands, Lis sensed something was off.


    This was not amon talisman, but a magic item containing extraordinary power!


    Inspired by arcane, Lis faintly perceived the great power hidden within this talisman.


    He was very familiar with this force, having confronted it more than once in his past life!


    It was the Shadow Power from the Shadow ne!


    Lis slowly covered the talisman with his Magic Power, carefully probing it.


    Suddenly, a new notification appeared on the system panel.


    -----------------


    [You have obtained an item: [Shadow Talisman]]


    [[Shadow Talisman]: Crafted by the hands of a Legendary Shadow Dancer, containing extremely powerful Shadow Power. When the owner faces danger, it automatically triggers the formation of a Shadow Shield and performs a deep level Shadow Jump.]


    -----------------


    Hiss~


    What an outrageous magic item!


    The Shadow Power contained in this Shadow Talisman is actually of Legendary Level.


    Although it��s not a Legend-grade item, its effect is already very powerful.


    A Shadow Shield formed by Legendary-level Shadow Power enough to withstand an attack of the same level.


    Lis didn��t think he was reckless enough to be attacked by a Legendary strongman without regard for reputation.


    The second effect was even more critical, the ability to perform a deep level Shadow Jump.


    The principle of a Shadow Jump is to envelop oneself in Shadow Power, jumping through the Shadow ne to another exit.


    And a deep level Shadow Jump meant that in times of life-threatening danger, Lis could use it to instantly move half the distance across the kingdom.


    Because it utilizes the Shadow ne as a conduit, measures such as Space lockdowns do not work.


    This was as good as giving Lis a second life!

 Chapter 85 - 85 King Morton Fis

    Lis caressed the grey protective talisman in his hand, his expression odd as if he was pondering something.


    Ever since his return from McGwire��s Death Tomb, he had constantly felt that Joyce behaved a little strangely.


    First, he was given an excuse to visit the Library and meet that genius Mage, the albino girl with white hair and red eyes, and now he was handed a precious Shadow Talisman.


    Although he could sense that Joyce truly cared about him, how should he put it?


    It was like finding out your good college roommate and brother was actually a rich second-generation on the day of graduation.


    But speaking of which, where did Joyce get this Shadow Talisman?


    Was such a precious thing something an ordinary person could possess?


    Why did I, the butler, feel more and more mysterious?


    Lis rubbed his somewhat sore temples, still thinking.


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    Feeling that his strength had broken through, the matters requiring his attention had also be increasingly numerous.


    He should focus on the uing royal audience tomorrow, uncertain of what the situation would be like then.


    Lis carefully ced the Shadow Talisman on himself, ensuring everything was secure before copsing on the bed and falling into a peaceful sleep (fog��).


    ---------------


    The next morning.


    With the assistance of the maid Rossi, Lis donned the formal attire that Joyce had prepared for him in advance.


    Today, Lis wore a low-key yet dignified grey-blue formal suit, tailor-made with a touch of ribbon and ruffle, adding a sense of ssical elegance.


    Donning a pure ck cloak, he was the spitting image of a valiant young man straight out of a painting.


    Looking at himself in the mirror, Lis shook his head.


    "Being too handsome is a burden too," he said.


    In fact, the style of noble menswear in Feis Kingdom was gradually shifting towards military dress, but for today��s asion, Lis needed to dress more formally.


    Lis wasn��t quite used to it; he preferred looser clothing, and even Rossi thought it felt a bit tight while helping him get dressed.


    He couldn��t imagine how much tighter it would be for those nobledies in their evening gowns.


    Lis shook his head, casually removing Ang, who still wanted to cling onto his head.


    "Ang, I can��t take you with me today, stay at home, alright?" he said.


    "Oh, okay," she replied.


    Ang, who had originally wanted to follow Lis outside for some delicious food, had to obediently fly off to a corner; Lis rarely took such a serious tone with her.


    If possible, Lis would indeed like to take Ang with him every time he went out, but this time he was visiting the Royal Pce, where the guards were strict.


    Ang, a Gold Level Vampire, could not possibly be taken before the King.


    Moreover, the Feis Royal Family was rumored to harbor a Legendary Level powerhouse within it.


    If Lis remembered correctly, that Legendary Monk should now be within the Pce.


    Thus, Lis had no need to worry about his security.


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Once Lis was ready, the coachman Bender was already waiting at the courtyard gate to take him to the Royal Pce.


    Ang looked out the window of the residence, watching Lis board the carriage and depart, then thought for a moment and flew towards the Library.


    With Lis gone, and tired of sleeping on Rossi, Ang decided to seek out Miss Risa fromst time for a nap.


    ---------------


    Bright City, Feis Royal Pce.


    Rather than calling it a Royal Pce, it was more like a huge castle.


    The sturdy and magnificent walls separated the castle from the streets of Feis, creating what seemed like a small independent world within, with buildings and gardens distributed in an orderly and picturesque manner.


    The architectural style of the castle resembled the Gothic style of Lis��s previous life, with its tall, dark spires and white speckled walls, the marks of time adding to the castle��sposed and imposing presence.


    After several checks, Lis was finally led into a beautifully decorated reception room.


    Comfortable sofas, an array of exquisite desserts on the multi-tiered dessert stand, and the pce maids had already ced the steaming hot tea before Lis.


    This setting indeed felt like a private meeting, not too formal.


    Lis didn��t feel any nervousness at the thought of meeting His Majesty the King, instead he was eyeing the desserts in front of him, feeling that they indeed surpassed the skills of his own cook by a great margin.


    Lis wasn��t particrly skilled at making desserts; back in his life at the orphanage, there wasn��t an oven for him to get his hands on.


    After waiting for a while, the door was gently opened from the outside.


    Lis immediately stood up, slightly bowed to show respect.


    Duke Hade supported an elderly man as they walked in.


    This face was very familiar to Lis; it was the current reigning monarch of the Feis Kingdom, King Morton Fis.


    "Good morning, it��s an honor to meet you, Lord Morton."


    Lis��s demeanor was impable.


    After the mishap with Ya��er during thest evening banquet, Lis had specially studied a full set of noble etiquette with Joyce, and now nobody could find fault with it.


    "Lis, is it? Take a seat."


    Morton, seated in the ce of honor with Fusis��s assistance, said to Lis with a chuckle.


    After paying his respects, Lis also sat down respectfully on one side, not rxing at all despite the king��s neighborly and kind expression.


    Lis was well aware of the king��s ruthless methods in dealing with domestic rebellionter on.


    Morton nced at the desserts stand, and a maid nearby immediately understood, took a piece of honey fruit cake, cut it into small pieces, and ced it on the table in front of the king.


    Picking up a piece of cake and putting it into his mouth, Morton said with a smile:


    "As I get older, I find myself enjoying these sweets even more."


    Lis smiled and did not say a word, also taking a piece of dessert and cing it in front of himself.


    "Haha."


    Morton found this young man named Lis interesting, and asked:


    "I almost never saw our Viscount Kane at court banquets, did I?"


    "Previously, I was engrossed in magic research and rarely attended such gatherings, please forgive me, Your Majesty."


    Lis replied smoothly.


    "No wonder you are so outstanding at such a young age."


    Fusis nodded in agreement from the side, ying the role of a supportive stooge skillfully.


    Lis also echoed a few words with His Majesty, and the atmosphere was very harmonious.


    Morton, with a smiling face, said to Lis:


    "You must be curious about why I invited you here, right?"


    Upon hearing this, Lis knew the main event wasing, quickly straightened up, and listened attentively.


    "I must thank you for saving Little Taya once."


    Lis had a puzzled expression as if pondering who Little Taya, mentioned by Morton, was.


    Morton, looking at Lis��s confused face, said meaningfully:


    "Oh, I forget to tell you, Little Taya is my daughter, and also a member of your adventure team, Ya��er."


    "Ya��er is actually Princess Taya?"


    A flicker of surprise passed through the puzzled look on Lis��s face, as if he was learning about Ya��er��s identity for the first time.


    His Majesty, with a cheerful look, watched Lis and said:


    "Since you��ve saved my daughter, I won��t bother with thanks. What reward would you like?"


    Lis��s expression changed, and he said sincerely:


    "I dare not, even without me, Princess Taya wouldn��t have been in danger, as the Golden Lion Knights had already arrived."


    "But if Your Majesty insists on rewarding me, whatever it is, it will be an acknowledgment of me, and Lis will have nothing but gratitude in his heart."


    "Is that so." Morton looked at Lis and said:


    "Well then... why don��t you pick something yourself!"

 Chapter 86: Trial Card!

    "Then you pick one yourself!"


    When Lis heard the King say these words, he was somewhat stunned.


    Pick by myself, what does that mean?


    Fusis nced at Lis and reminded him:


    "His Majesty the King has allowed you to choose a treasure from the Royal Pce Treasure Vault by yourself; this is His Majesty��s affection toward you, you should thank him quickly."


    Only then did Lise to his senses and hurriedly bowed to Morton.


    Wow, to let oneself enter the Royal Treasury and pick at will��it was a kingdom��s treasure trove, even picking just one item was a tremendous gift.


    Why is the king so generous?


    Morton looked at the handsome young man in front of him and said with a deep meaning:


    "You��ll have to take extra care of Taya from now on."


    After speaking, he did not wait for Lis to respond, waved his hand, and had a servant take Lis to the Royal Pce Treasure Vault.


    ...


    After Lis left, Morton Fis fell silent for a while and then spoke to Fusis with interest:


    "Our Viscount Kane is quite interesting."


    "Yes, he is a clever, rational, and somewhat cunning young man."


    Fusis continued cheerfully:


    "Howe we never noticed him before."


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Haha, it shows that the two of us are getting old and our eyesight isn��t what it used to be."


    King seemed in good spirits too, seemingly reminiscing about the times he and Fusis had strived together in their youth.


    "Roel, what do you think?"


    As the King asked, a shadow slowly emerged from the wall beside them, apparently the King��s personal guard.


    "He seems to have ayer of gray fog around him, I cannot see through it, but based on his aura, he should already be at the Silver Rank."


    "Oh? You can��t see the truth or falsehood."


    Morton was slightly surprised; he knew well what skills Roel possessed, hinting that Lis must have high-level protective items or equipment.


    "An eighteen-year-old at the Silver Level? Although not as exceptional as Taya, he is still quite impressive."


    Fusis, sensing something, asked tentatively:


    "Are you thinking of...?"


    His Majesty the King bowed his head in thought for a moment and finally shook his head and sighed:


    "Let��s not, Taya already feels distant from me, best let her make her own decisions on this matter."


    Fusis nodded, inwardly sighing.


    Arsen is a good child, but just too headstrong.


    Even after hinting several times, he remains indifferent; now it seems like there��s not much hope left.


    That��s what Fusis thought, but he had no ill intentions towards Lis; unnecessarily making an enemy was not the style of the Hade family.


    Moreover, Fusis was beginning to feel that Viscount Kane was not as harmless as he appeared.


    ---------------


    Meanwhile, Lis followed the servant, continuously heading deeper into the castle.


    Looking at it, it seemed that the Royal Treasury should be right beneath the castle.


    However, Lis was not harboring any ulterior motives in observing these.


    Jokingly, even without mentioning the protection outside the Royal Pce and the Legendary Monks, just the dense early warning and trap magic arrays in the castle��legendary thieves might not pass through smoothly!


    Following the servant, when they reached the castle��s lowest level, a door made of a ckish metal appeared in front of Lis.


    When Lis and the servant entered, this heavy door rumbled open to both sides.


    Could there be an entity simr to the Tower Spirit covertly controlling it?


    Lis spected, but he did not see the servant make any move to open the door.


    ---------------


    "Lord Lis, please!"


    The servant bowed and stood aside to guide Lis through the door.


    "His Majesty the King has instructed that you may take one treasure from here. I will not go in, please take your time to choose."


    "You can only take one, remember, greed cannot hide here."


    The servant reminded Lis, then moved aside and fell silent.


    Lis nodded at him, reminding himself that someone was secretly watching, and not to take more than allowed.


    Without further thought, Lis entered the grand door of the treasure vault and was immediately blinded by the dazzling light of treasures.


    In the vast hall, mountains of gold coins were just the most ordinary items here, and even the magic gems, usually extremely rare and precious, weremon here.


    Countless rare materials, and within a nce, Lis noticed the extremely conspicuous Red Dragon w and Bimong��s fur.


    Sets of magic equipment were disyed around, shimmering with Spirit Light, none of which were ordinary; furthermore, many pieces emitted the fluctuations of Divine Arts from the Church of the Gods.


    However, in the midst of many weapons and equipment, there was a weapon stand that looked like it had once held a longsword, but it had now been taken.


    After a brief tour around the kingdom��s treasury, Lis had only one thought:


    Wealth, too much wealth!


    So this is the umtion and foundation of the Feis Dynasty?


    Lis was certain that what he saw was not everything, and the most precious treasures wouldn��t be here for him to choose from.


    Not to mention anything else, at least Lis had not seen any Legendary Level magic items or equipment.


    Thinking that such Legendary items, although extremely rare and precious, wouldn��t have a few umted in the Feis Kingdom was unbelievable to Lis.


    Probably they were put away.


    Lis mused, and also found Morton��sst statement a bit odd��perhaps he was overthinking.


    Shaking his head to dismiss those thoughts, Lis focused his attention on the treasures in front of him. Find exclusive content at NovelBin.C?m


    After a cursory look, Lis frowned, unable to find anything that suited his heart��s desire.


    Lis was looking for something that could effectively enhance his Spell Power.


    As for equipment and weapons, those present were merely Gold Level, not much better than Lis��s Jade Wand and Jade Talisman, so they were not worth considering.


    Other magic gems, high-level materials, Lis currently had no direct ability to use them, so he had to painfully give them up.


    Gold Coins?


    Unless Lis could take away all the gold coins in the treasure vault, there was truly no big temptation.


    That left only... these things?


    Lis turned his gaze to the items piled up on the right side of the vault.


    This assortment of items, emitting different magical lights, must be the collection of Magic Items from the Royal Treasury.


    The Shadow Talisman that Lis had gotten from Joyce was also a type of Magic Item, albeit an extremely powerful one.


    Lis didn��t expect to get a Magic Item of the same level as the Shadow Talisman; he would be very pleased to obtain a rtively powerful one.


    Lis thus began rummaging through them to check.


    Suddenly, among the gleaming magical items, Lis saw a grayish box, devoid of any magical luminescence.


    Lis was curious, as something so ordinary-looking, yet ced in the vault, ought to be far from simple.


    He reached out to pick up the box, gently opened it, and a pure ck cardy quietly inside.


    Holding the card in his hand and inspecting it thoroughly, a look of joy appeared on Lis��s face.


    Unexpectedly, there was one ced here.


    Such a great find!


    Fondling the special texture on the card, Lis whispered to himself:


    Trial Card!

 Chapter 87: Mirror Image Trial

    The servant who led Lis waited outside the vault, and as Lis emerged, the grand doors of the vault slowly closed behind him.


    Seeing the gray box in Lis��s hand, the servant in charge of the vault naturally knew what it was.


    "This card was delivered several years ago. The lords of the Royal Mage Corps had studied it and found no secrets within, but they were all certain that it harbored a mysterious power."


    "Lord Lis, are you sure you want to choose this one?"


    The servant kindly reminded Lis, implying there was still a chance to change his mind.


    "No need, this one will do."


    Lis naturally would not choose another, as obtaining a trial card here was already very fortunate.


    If one did not know the method to activate the trial card, then indeed it would seem no different from any ordinary card.


    But Lis happened to know the method to activate a trial card.


    This was a secret discovered only in theter versions of a past life��s game.


    In Lis��s eyes, its value was not much less than that of legendary magic items.


    Looking at the servant beside him, Lis suddenly remembered something and asked:


    "Earlier, I saw an empty weapon rack inside the vault. What was ced there before?"


    The servant hesitated for a moment, thinking it was not particrly secret information, and then said:


    "Previously, it held the longsword ��Despot��s Fury,�� used by the founding monarch of the Feis Kingdom. It waster removed and stored elsewhere."


    Oh, if it was that legendary sword, Lis already had a vague guess about who held it now.


    After following the servant through twists and turns to leave the underground, Lis learned that the king had already rested and was instructed to return on his own.


    Lis did not dy and immediately left the Royal Pce, boarding the carriage waiting outside to rush home.


    He was somewhat eager to find out what kind of trial was sealed within the trial card.


    -----------------


    Upon returning to his mansion, Lis did not bother changing his clothes and went straight into his undergroundboratory.


    Shutting the door, Lis took out the ck card he had obtained from the Royal Pce Treasure Vault and began examining it closely.


    Indeed, the trial card had existed for an unknown length of time. Some said it was a treasure crafted by the Magic Empire ages ago, while others spected it was a crystallization of divine power.


    Your next journey awaits at NovelBin.C?m


    But none of these spections had ever been confirmed.


    As the trial cards were extremely rare and evidently contained significant power, many collected and studied them, yet no one had yet uncovered their secrets.


    Thus, over time, they were treated as a unique type of magic collectible.


    However, Lis knew the effects of that mysterious power contained within; when triggered, it would pull the bearer into a special trial space, where different types of demons would appear. If the user sessfullypleted the trial, he would obtain correspondingly strong skills and specialties.


    Each card��s trial content was not the same; Lis knew of people who had passed the Giant Dragon Challenge Trial and gained the ��Dragon Body�� specialty, greatly enhancing their physical strength, while others faced amon Bear Demon Trial and received far lesser rewards.


    After studying it for a while and discovering nothing new, Lis decided to directly use the card to start the trial.


    Since there was no real danger in the trial space, and failure meant only diminished rewards, Lis had no hesitations.


    Lis held the ck card in his hands and with a forceful motion, tore it in two.


    Yes, the method to activate a trial card was simply to tear it apart, which would directly activate the power within.


    However, tearing a trial card apart required at least 50 points of Strength attribute, so for various reasons, the secret of the trial card was not discovered until muchter.


    As the card split in two, a burst of ck light erupted from it; Lis allowed it to wrap around him without resistance, and in an instant, he vanished from the spot.


    On the second floor of the mansion, Joyce meticulously arranged his attire when his motion suddenly froze.


    He sensed that Lis��s presence had disappeared from the basement, and the mark on the Shadow Talisman he had made himself became somewhat blurred. It seemed Lis was now in another dimension.


    After a careful perception, Joyce gave up the idea of using Shadow Jump to immediately reach Lis��s side.


    There should be no danger, as the Shadow Talisman that Lis carried with him had not been triggered.


    Little Lis really can create a fuss!


    Shaking his head, Joyce then remembered something else.


    Why hasn��t that old thinge back yet? Has he not received my message, or is it intentional?


    Joyce had a bit of a headache; if that guy intentionally wanted to hide, he really had no way to deal with him.


    -----------------


    After the weightlessness feeling of teleportation had disappeared, Lis opened his eyes.


    He felt increasingly familiar with the sensation of Space Transmission, wondering if this could aid in his mastery of the Space Element.


    While thinking, Lis scrutinized the space he was in, which was surrounded by numerous crystal-clear mirror surfaces.


    Lis��s reflection bounced back and forth in the mirrors, giving him the illusion of losing direction.


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Looking down, the entire space��s floor was one huge mirror, and in the center of the space, a humanoid transparent crystal stood, seemingly waiting for someone��s arrival.


    The system prompt also aptly chimed in Lis��s ear.


    -----------------


    [Ding~]


    [You have used the "Trial Card - Mirror Image"]


    [You have entered the Mirror Trial Space]


    [Trial mission triggered!]


    [Objective: Defeat Mirror Image-Lis]


    [Reward: Depending on thepletion of the task]


    -----------------


    Oh? It��s not a Magic Beast challenge trial but a special type of mirror trial.


    In his past life, Lis had not heard of this type of trial card, so he couldn��t guess what the rewards might be.


    Thinking too much is useless; better to try it out first!


    Lis took out the Jade Wand from his storage ring and slowly walked towards the transparent crystal in the center of the space.


    As Lis approached, the crystal suddenly shattered, revealing a mirror image figure before his eyes.


    Gradually, its body seemed to take on color, and its facial contours became identical to Lis��s.


    Eventually, an indistinguishable "Lis" appeared before the real Lis, the only difference possibly being a stiff expression and a rigid gaze,cking a bit of vitality and agility.


    Such a miraculous creation!


    Lis marveled in his heart, but his actions were not slow; he instantlyunched a "Blue Ball Skill" at the mirror image.


    While applying various enhancement buffs to himself, Lis saw that the mirror image, which looked exactly like him, also used the same magic wand to cast the same "Blue Ball Skill."


    The two "Blue Ball Skills" collided mid-air, scattering pale blue mes everywhere, without determining a winner.


    As expected!


    When Lis saw the name of this trial space, he had already spected.


    This mirror image��s attributes, equipment, and skills were all exactly the same as Lis��s.


    How to defeat "oneself"?


    This was the purpose of this trial!

 Chapter 88 Improvement of Combat Awareness

    After adding beneficial spells and a shield to himself, Lis attempted to attack the mirror image again.


    "Blue Ball Skill" + "Catastrophic Explosion"!


    "Blue Ball Skill" + "Fueling Technique"!


    "Ageing Ray"!


    Lis employed all the arcanebinations he knew, and the mirror image did the same, with identical power, casting speed, and target selection.


    Now what?


    After applying a new elemental shield to himself, Lis furrowed his brows.


    He initially thought it was a mere copy of all his skills and attributes, but now it seemed that even hisbat consciousness had been fully replicated.


    Lis bent down and took out a longsword from his storage ring, using thebat skill "Charge" as he rushed toward the mirror image.


    Honestly, after Lis had invested some Experience Points into his skill level, his other professional skills were already as powerful as those of other professionals of the same level.


    Although they still did not match the power he wielded when using spells, they were sufficient as a surprising tactic.


    Just as Lis dashed next to the mirror image and swung his sword, the mirror image''s magic wand disappeared abruptly, reced by a simr longsword in its hands.


    Their swords crossed, neither gaining the upper hand.


    Lis stepped back a few paces, now genuinely troubled.


    This time, he wanted to test whether the skills he obtained through his talent "All-Purpose" were also replicated, besides the mage profession skills.


    Even if the "All-Purpose" Talent was of Legendary level and unlikely to be replicated, regretfully, it did not directly enhance Lis''sbat power. The additional professional skills it provided were not exempt from replication by the mirror image.


    This also meant Lis''s Legendary talent could not alter the predicament he was facing.


    It appeared there were no shortcuts left to take; was he required to achieve a breakthrough in actualbat to defeat the mirror image?


    Too hard!


    Thebat consciousness Lis possessed was not that of a typical silver level mage, but was instead honed through countless Gold Level battles in his past life.


    Whether it was magic usage, casting speed, magic power allocation, or battle reactions, Lis found it difficult to make a breakthrough in a short duration.


    Abat consciousness and habits formed through rigorous training weren''t so easily changed!


    However, Lis had begun to faintly perceive the issues present within himself.


    Although progress seemed hard, Lis wanted to try out his new idea.


    After all, to think of having the same opportunity to train like this again would indeed be difficult!


    Lis patted his face, took a deep breath to adjust his status, unsure whether he was speaking to the mirror image "Lis" in front of him, or to himself:


    "Here Ie!"


    "Martial Arts: Secondary All Attributes Enhancement"


    "Martial Arts: Resistance Enhancement"


    "Martial Arts: Danger Prediction"


    "Hunter Battle Skills: Wind Walking Technique"


    "Hunter Battle Skills: Tree Skin Skill"


    ... Chapter Experience:


    The effects of the mage spells on him had not worn off yet, and there was no need for Lis to recast them, saving a bit of mana which might be crucial in the subsequent battle.


    Lis, still holding his sword, struck at the mirror image.


    "Martial Arts: Fury Strike"


    The mirror image also used a longsword, countering with "Fury Strike" in response to Lis.


    Lis, whose longsword bounced back, showed no surprise as he continuously shed several times at the opponent, pushing his strength and agility to the limits.


    The two identical "Lis" tangled together, the nging sounds of their battle ringing loud and clear.


    After a series of closebat, Lis suddenly retreated, his weapon shing briefly as the Jade Wand reappeared in his hands.


    "Three-Ring Magic: Blue Ball Skill!"


    "Four Rings Magic: Energy Gathering Explosion!"


    "Four Rings Magic: Lightning Spear!"


    Several spells of different colors materialized before Lis and hurtled toward the Mirror Image.


    Simr attacks also appeared before the Mirror Image "Lis"; some spells canceled each other out in mid-air, while others mmed into the "Lis"s'' Shield Magic, stirring up waves of bright light.


    In Lis''s hand, his weapon transformed once again, a green longbow appeared in his grasp.


    This was the longbow he had purchased from Ailina, a rather fine Elf Longbow named "Shade Weaver," which had cost all the Gold Coins Lis had earned frompleting adventure teammissions.


    "Hunter Battle Skills: Entangled Arrow!"


    "Hunter Battle Skills: st Shooting!"


    "Hunter Battle Skills: Piercing Shot!"


    A sequence of lights shed on the green longbow in Lis''s hands as a trio of consecutive Hunter shots directed straight toward the Mirror Image flew off.


    This time, the figure of the Mirror Image faltered and did not counterattack with Hunter Battle Skills as Lis had, but instead, it cast "Strong Deflection Force Field" and "Advanced Protective Field" to resist the three arrows.


    Exactly!


    Lis thought to himself, recognizing both spells well, as they were Protection Magicbinations he had often used in his past life to face Hunter arrow attacks.


    More importantly, the choices made in battle by the Mirror Image were now different from Lis''s.


    This is right, he needed to change hisbat habits and seek a breakthrough!


    His past self''sbat awareness and habits, though skilled and efficient, might not necessarily suit his current self!


    Lis seemed to enter a peculiar state, bing more adept in deploying various Professional Skills and linking them ever more smoothly, the feelings of barriers and unfamiliarity quickly fading.


    After all, Lis in his past life had been a pure Mage.


    But now, with the "All-Purpose" Talent, besides the Mage Professional Skills, he also mastered many other Professional Skills.


    In the past, Lis had mostly relied on his past life''s experience as a Mage in battle, subconsciously using other Professional Skills only to assist, or as a means to add supplementary damage.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    And using the appropriate Spells was Lis''s subconscious choice, not considering the use of other Professional Skills.


    However, such a method ofbat did not leverage the advantage of mastering multiple Professional Skills, and in fact, made Lis''sbat style somewhat disjointed.


    A change was essential!


    He could no longer rely entirely on his past life''sbat consciousness!


    He needed a fresh style ofbat that suited his present self!


    Lis silently told himself in his heart.


    It wasn''t just to pass this Mirror Image trial, but more so toy a foundation for Lis''s futurebat style.


    Gradually, as Lis lost himself inbat, the rotation among various Professional Skills also grew more proficient, and weapon switching became more fluid.


    The separation between Spells and other Professional Combat Skills wasn''t as pronounced as before.


    Meanwhile, in the relentless offensive from Lis''s many Professional Skills, the Mirror Image "Lis" gradually got overwhelmed.


    Eventually, the Mirror Image resortedpletely to Spells to sustain the battle, relying only on Lis''s rich past experience as a Mage to barely maintain the situation, let alone skillfully coordinate multiple Professional Skills like the current Lis.


    After all, the progress Lis made in this battle would not synchronize to the Mirror Image.


    Suddenly, his attacks were no longer blocked, and Lis paused, snapping out of that forgetful state.


    Before him was the scene of the Mirror Image shattering!


    -----------------


    [Ding~]


    [You have defeated Mirror Image- Lis]


    [Trial Mission Completed!]


    ...

 Chapter 89: Chapter 89 【All Techniques Return to Storage - Lis】

    What a pity!


    Lis looked at the defeated Mirror Image before him, still feeling a bit of regret.


    He hadn''t expected the Trial Card to be so effective for him!


    Why couldn''t the Mirror Image have resisted a bit longer? That way, his improvement would have been even greater!


    Suddenly, the Mirror Trial Space in front of Lis shattered loudly, and after a bout of dizziness, he found himself back in his undergroundboratory.


    Upstairs, Joyce sensed Lis''s presence reappearing in the mansion and finally rxed.


    Lis looked around the environment, knowing he had passed the Trial Card - Mirror Image, and casually opened the system panel to check.


    -----------------


    [You defeated Mirror Image - Lis]


    [Trial missionpleted!]


    [Settling the task... Completion 120%��Transcendence��!]


    [You have gained the Special Skill [Transcendence]]


    [You have gained the Skill [Mirror Body]]


    ...


    [Detecting new Special Skill in progress...]


    [You have gained a Personal Exclusive Special Skill [All Techniques Return to Storage - Lis]��20%��]


    -----------------


    Before even looking at the rewards of the trial mission, Lis''s attention was drawn by the information at the bottom.


    A Personal Exclusive Special Skill, is it what I think it is!


    -----------------


    [[All Techniques Return to Storage - Lis]��20%��]


    [Introduction: You integrate manybat techniques, advancing further, and have initially formed abat technique uniquely yours, already carrying a hint of an unfathomable charm.]


    [Effects: Each time you switch weapons for attack, you enter a five-second [Return to Storage] Status, increasing your skill damage by 10%; for each skill you possess, yourbat techniques improve. Skill count 1~20, each skill mastered grants a 1% damage increase;...]


    [[All Techniques Return to Storage - Lis] current total damage increase: 20%]


    -----------------


    Indeed, it was as he had thought!


    Lis''s heart zed with excitement. A Personal Exclusive Special Skill was only possessed by those who had reached the pinnacle in a certain domain, or who had the qualifications to create a new school of thought.


    In his previous life, Lis had only seen such personal-named special skills on a few rare NPC elites, never upon yers.


    This [All Techniques Return to Storage - Lis] Special Skill was uniquely his own, a disy of the breakthrough he achieved inbat techniques in the Mirror Trial Space!


    This meant that Lis had taken the most firm and crucial step on the path of creating his own uniquebat style!


    Although his exclusive Special Skill was not yet fully formed, he could already see its terrifying and powerful effects.


    Now, the [All Techniques Return to Storage - Lis] Special Skill had two effects. The first effect was gaining a five-second [Return to Storage] status when switching weapons, enhancing skill damage by ten percent, reflecting Lis''s frequent changes of weapons inbat, a very effective feature.


    The second was a passive effect: increasing damage enhancements ording to the number of skills Lis mastered��it was straightforward and powerful, a unique effect due to Lis possessing numerous professional skills.


    However, since Lis''s exclusive Special Skill was not fully formed yet, the second effect was currently active only in a small part, enhancing damage by twenty percent.


    What a rich harvest!


    Lis felt that even if he had not gained other rewards from the Mirror Space trial, just having this exclusive Special Skill waspletely satisfying.


    While he thought this in his mind, his body honestly clicked to open the other acquired skills. Chapter Experience:


    -----------------


    [[Transcendence]]


    [Introduction: You broke your limits, defeated yourself, and achieved amendable victory]


    [Effects: All Attributes +10%]


    ...


    [[Mirror Body]]


    [Introduction: You have passed the test of the [Trial Card - Mirror Image], grasping the ability to control your own mirror image]


    [Effect: Consumes 50% mana value, generates a mirror image with 50% of your attributes, which disappears after taking certain damage. This mirror image can fight autonomously or act under your control. Duration: ten minutes, cooldown: one day]


    [This skill can be upgraded]


    -----------------


    Wow!


    The skills obtained in the [Trial Card - Mirror Image] secret realm are really impressive!


    There''s no need to borate on the effect of the specialty [Transcendence], as its blunt and direct approach increased Lis'' all attributes by ten percent.


    Lis likes such specialties and even wants to get a dozen more.


    The greatness of every main character NPCes from umting many such specialties.


    And now, Lis is constantly progressing in that direction.


    The second skill [Mirror Body] is a very interesting skill. It can create a mirror image with 50% of Lis'' all attributes, and the biggest advantage is that this replica is controlled by Lis.


    Even though its duration is limited and it disappears after taking certain damage, from the description of this skill, Lis should be able to alleviate these shorings by improving the skill level.


    Upon seeing this skill, several clever strategies had already formed in Lis'' mind.


    For instance, using the mirror image for scouting or reconnaissance for Lis. After all, being destroyed would not affect Lis himself.


    Or when Lis is facing an enemy one-on-one, stealthily having the mirror image ambush.


    At worst, summoning the mirror image to clean or cook for Lis when there''s nothing else to do should also be feasible.


    Even, hehe...


    Lis is thinking about studying this thoroughly to write a book titled "Eighteen Uses of Mirror Images."


    After confirming all the gains from the trial card, Lis took a deep breath.


    He hadn''t expected the card to bring such great enhancements to himself!


    Lis felt that the breakthroughs he made in this trial were more important than the rewards he obtained.


    However, he still needed to strive, to keep training in real battles to mature hisbat techniques, and to perfect his [All Laws Return to Storage - Lis] specialty as soon as possible.


    But...


    Lis looked at the clock on the wall, and it was alreadyte. He decided against going out for training today and chose instead to flip through some books.


    Thinking this, Lis walked out from the basement, instructed the maid Rossi to prepare some dessert in the kitchen, and then retreated to the bedroom to lie on thefortable armchair with a magic book to ponder.


    Having a second chance at life, seizing control over power was essential, and Lis never shied away from the effort and sweat it required.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    But if he could live a bit morefortably, Lis wouldn''t refuse that either.


    Why y the ascetic if I''m not making use of my title as a noble viscount!


    -----------------


    On the other side of the mansion, the library.


    Ang was superzy today as well!


    It''s unclear why, but, despite desperately wanting to get out of the tomb, once she was out, she spent her days just wanting to sleep in one spot.


    At this moment, she was sprawled atop Risa''s head, sound asleep.


    Risa did not refuse Ang, rather, she was quite fond of the Little Bat, perhaps because their simr hair color made them feel closer?


    Today, Risa didn''t have her hood on, her white locks scattering a soft glow in the sunlight.


    Will Master Lis stille to the library?


    The girl thought to herself.


    After all, the first peer who showed her kindness would always leave an unparalleled mark in the naive girl''s heart.

 Chapter 90 This is a Small Step for Lis

    Early morning, at the Kane Mansion.


    Lis woke up with his spirit multiplied by a hundredfold. Every time he stayed upte working himself to the bone, he would not choose meditation but instead would sleep soundly. This made him feel as if both his mental and physical fatigue were thoroughly washed away.


    Lis felt that, as his strength increased, his energy levels were ever more vigorous.


    In other words, the time he spent working hard was getting longer, and his rest time shorter.


    He wondered whether, after breaking through to be a Legend, he would no longer need to rest at all.


    Lis dressed, picked up Ang who was still sleeping, and went downstairs for breakfast.


    This guy didn''te back until the middle ofst night and Lis had no idea what he had been up to.


    His schedule was more mysterious than a cat''s.


    He needed to hurry as he had important matters to tend to today!


    ---------------


    Feis Royal Magic Academy, Fifth Magic Workshop.


    Lis stood in front of the building, this time with Ang obediently perched on his shoulder.


    The reason was that Lis had rejected Ang''s idea of climbing onto his head, as that would be rather undignified for a noble, especially in the crowded Magic Academy.


    Staying on the shoulder was just right, since many mages also kept Magic Beast pets!


    Even so, the little white bat still attracted the curious gazes of many onlookers as they walked.


    Lis didn''t mind and headed straight for the Fifth Magic Workshop.


    The Magic Intelligent Life of the workshop detected Lis''s approach and automatically opened the doors.


    "Respected Mr. Lis, hello, and wee to the Fifth Magic Workshop."


    The cold and mechanical voice of the intelligent life sounded in Lis''s ear.


    Lis walked in and casually asked the intelligent life:


    "Where is Bernie now?"


    "Mr. Bernie is currently in the Magic Rune Laboratory on the third floor."


    Lis nodded and made his way directly to the third floor.


    At this time, the second floor of the workshop was no longer as deserted as it was during hisst visit; several figures were busy in theboratory, ignoring Lis as he passed.


    After all, anyone who could enter the workshop alone was someone with authority.


    However, it seemed the workshop''s intelligent life did not react to Ang on his shoulder, who was curiously looking around. Perhaps it wasn''t equipped with that function?


    Upon reaching the third level, Lis saw Bernie''s figure, busy with something at theboratory''s operation table.


    Lis gently pushed the door open and walked in, approaching Bernie. Chapter Read:


    Seeing that he was fully absorbed in engraving Magic Runes on a device, Lis did not speak to disturb him and quietly observed Bernie''s engraving technique from the side.


    Bernie, immersed in Magic Rune Engraving, waspletely unaware of the outside changes; all his thoughts were concentrated on the engraving pen in his hand.


    In Lis''s eyes, Bernie''s figure at that moment was like one of those great calligraphy masters from his previous life.


    Observing his force without loss, his posture noble without extravagance, his hand as ifmanding thousands of troops.


    Only after Bernie finished the engraving of the Magic Rune with satisfaction did Lis speak:


    "Impressive, truly worthy of being the youngest Intermediate Magic Rune Master in Bright City."


    Bernie wasn''t surprised and put down his Engraving Device, saying:


    "All right, it''s not our first meeting, no need for suchpliments."


    "I didn''t expect you toe today. Theboratory was just cleaned up a couple of days ago; I was about to notify you."


    ```


    "Haha, so here I am, showing up proactively!"


    When talking with his best buddy, both of them were quite rxed.


    Lis took a look at the Magic Rune Bernie had just finished and asked,


    "The one you engraved is... a Flowing Magic Rune?"


    "Hmm? You could tell?"


    Bernie was somewhat surprised, not because he underestimated Lis, but because the Flowing Magic Rune was a rather obscure and rarely seen Magic Rune, usually used inrge to medium-sized Magic Arrays for guiding the flow of Magic Power within the Array. Most Mages wouldn''t bother to learn this specific Magic Rune.


    Lis nodded, admitting that in his past life he might not have been able to recognize it either.


    However, after bing an Arcanist in this life, Lis had been persistent in studying Magic Rune knowledge, and now,bining it with the insights from his former life, his skill in Magic Runes had be quite impressive.


    Lis nodded again and said,


    "I can tell that this is a Flowing Magic Rune, but it seems like you''ve made a lot of modifications to it, Bernie?"


    "Yes."


    Bernie pointed at the freshly engraved Flowing Magic Rune in front of him and said to Lis,


    "This is the direction of my recent research. I''m trying to alter the Flowing Magic Rune to minimize the loss of Magic Power during its flow and conduction."


    "The object I''ve engraved the Magic Rune on is part of a medium-sized Magic Array. By reducing the loss within it, I want to lower the Magic Array''s consumption of Magic Power as much as possible."


    "I remember you were researching civilian Enchanted Products before?"


    Lis looked at the newlypleted Enchantmentponent and inquired.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Yep, so I''m looking for inspiration."


    Bernie shrugged nonchntly, willingly sharing his experimental ideas with Lis.


    "You know, the Enchanted Products designed initially are often not meant for civilian use; they are mostly applied in warfare weapons and magical research (for more details, refer to the rtionship between nuclear weapons and nuclear power stations), so I thought I''d get inspiration from the design of Magic Arrays first, then try to make a breakthrough in civilian Enchanted Products."


    "I get it!"


    Lis was well aware of these things. After all, civilian Enchanted Products were only a recent concept with very few actual applications, like the Magic Stone Lamp and a few others.


    In fact, the most widely diffused Magic Stone Lamps aren''t strictly Enchanted Products, but rather a special kind of stone that emits light, simply adorned with some Energy-Gathering Magic Patterns, something a Magic Apprentice could produce in great quantities in a day.


    "Do you want to give it a try?"


    Bernie said to Lis with a smile.


    "Come on, I have something interesting to show you!"


    Lis naturally wouldn''t refuse, as his purpose for visiting today was to demonstrate the "Self-Charging" Magic Rune to Bernie and thus gain the support of Bernie and Yousef Daher.


    He took the precious pen-shaped Engraving Device from Bernie''s hands, its smooth and satisfying touch confirming its quality, with Lis finding no resistance when channeling his own Magic Power through it, which befits an item made of Mithril and various special materials.


    Without hesitation, Lis took out an Elemental Crystal that had exhausted its Magic Power from his storage ring, picked up the Engraving Device, and began slowly engraving the "Self-Charging" Magic Rune onto it.


    Bernie stood by Lis''s side, considering whether he should offer some guidance, especially since he was well aware of Lis''s previous skill level �C solid fundamentals but not quite high.


    But soon enough, Bernie realized there was nothing he needed to remind Lis of. Although Lis''s engraving technique was a bit unpracticed and his hand movements not as smooth and fluid, these were minor issues that could easily be corrected with practice.


    Lis didn''t encounter any technical issues throughout the entire engraving process.


    The "Self-Charging" Magic Rune was quickly engraved; Lis had practiced it countless times before and it wasn''t aplex Magic Rune, the whole engraving process took less than a quarter of an hour.


    "Impressive, I didn''t expect you to make progress so quickly!"


    Bernie sincerely praised, feeling happy to see his friend''s improvement.


    "Forget about that,e on, do you recognize the Magic Rune I''ve engraved?"


    Lis handed over thepleted Elemental Crystal to Bernie with a smile and asked.


    "This is..."


    ```

 Chapter 91 Yet a Great Step for the Enchantment Industry

    Bernie took the elemental crystal with the Magic Rune engraved on it from Lis''s hands and studied it carefully.


    Seeing this, Lis didn''t disturb him and quietly waited nearby.


    After a while, Bernie put down the elemental crystal and asked Lis with confusion,


    "I didn''t recognize this Magic Rune, and what''s strange is that it doesn''t match the style of any current school of Magic Runes. Lis, where did you learn this from?"


    "Don''t rush. did you figure out what effects this Magic Rune has?"


    Lis waved his hand and asked again.


    "No, just tell me."


    Bernie replied straightforwardly. If he had figured it out, he definitely would have been able to match it with an existing school of Magic Runes.


    That was certain. It was a haphazard creation by yers from a previous life; it would be crazy if it resembled any existing school!


    Lis didn''t answer directly but hinted instead,


    "Try looking at it again with Elemental Vision."


    Upon hearing this, Bernie didn''t say much and immediately circted his magic power, focusing on the elemental crystal in his hands.


    At first, he noticed nothing, but Bernie soon spotted something amiss.


    "What''s this, this elemental crystal... it''s absorbing elemental particles!!!"


    Bernie''s amazed voice waspletely uncontroble, and the phenomenon was just too outrageous.


    You should know that restoring magic power was a phenomenon only seen with magic gems, but Bernie was sure that what he was holding was a true and genuine elemental crystal.


    That an elemental crystal could do this was simply a breakthrough that overturned Bernie''smon knowledge as a mage!


    "So... is it the effect of this special Magic Rune?"


    Bernie finally caught on and stared incredulously at the elemental crystal in his hand.


    Gently caressing the Magic Rune on it, Bernie looked at it as one might look at a most intimate lover.


    Lis patted his shoulder and said,


    "Snap out of it, it''s not as exaggerated as you think!"


    "No, you don''t understand!"


    Bernie, who was always deeply engaged in research on enchanted products for civilian use, was very excited, seemingly seeing the direction of his future efforts in this peculiar Magic Rune.


    "If I''m not mistaken, this Magic Rune allows the elemental crystal to re-condense magic power!"


    "This is no simple matter; it solves the biggest problem of civilian use of enchanted products, much stronger than my idea of reducing magic power loss."


    "Don''t talk, let me think, let me think!"


    Lis watched Bernie''s fanatic expression with some helplessness.


    Bernie was just like that,pletely absorbed when it came to interesting matters, paying no mind to anything else.


    Perhaps it was because of this personality that he became the first among the younger generation to break through as an Intermediate Magic Pattern Master.


    ...


    After a while, Bernie finally calmed down from his excitement, clutching the elemental crystal engraved with the "Self-Charging" Magic Rune and turning to look at Lis.


    "The principle of this crystal absorbing elemental particles is simple, because of this Magic Rune, this is..."


    "This is called the ''Self-Charging'' Magic Rune, I guess you could say...I developed it myself."


    Lis touched his nose, after all, he was indeed the first to engrave this Magic Rune in this world, so calling himself the developer was not wrong.


    "I see."


    Bernie didn''t hesitate and believed what Lis said.


    Because he was sure, such groundbreaking, innovative Magic Runes, if developed by someone else, as a rising star in the field of Magic Runes, Bernie would have heard some rumors.


    Lis developed a new type of Magic Rune, and Bernie was sincerely happy for his good friend.


    "I''m going to find the teacher; this Magic Rune is too astonishing, the teacher will be shocked too."


    Bernie was already eager for Daher to see the Magic Rune as well.


    "Wait a moment."


    Lis stopped Bernie, preventing him from going directly to Daher.


    The Magic Rune of course needed to be shown to Daher, which was Lis''s purpose that day, but there were still some things that needed to be rified with Bernie first.


    It wasn''t that Lis was worried Daher would forcibly take the "Self-Charging" Magic Rune; he was quite familiar with the master''s robust character. After all, in his past life, Daher was quite well-known, an important plot NPC.


    However, the following series of ns required Bernie''s cooperation, so they needed to discuss everything first.


    Lis pulled Bernie aside and sat down, staring at him seriously:


    "Bernie, do you think this ''Self-Charging'' Magic Rune is important?"


    "Of course!"


    Bernie replied without hesitation.


    "To put it in clich�� terms, how high do you think its value is?"


    Bernie was silent for a moment after hearing Lis''s words, then looked up and said seriously:


    "If I''m not wrong, it could significantly reduce the cost of enchanted products, truly achieving the civilian use of enchanted products."


    "The value of that... it''s huge, I can''t even imagine."


    "So, I want to keep the profits it generates in my own hands."


    Lis said word by word, his expression serious.


    "That... is difficult."


    Bernie shook his head but didn''t express doubts about Lis''s idea.


    As an Intermediate Magic Rune Master, he naturally knew that the "Self-Charging" Magic Rune was a goldmine. It wasn''t strange for his friend to want to keep it in his possession.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The key point was that this goldmine... was too big, too big for anyone who understood its true value to give up fighting for it.


    Especially since it was a treasure that could continuously, sustainably generate profits.


    After all, that''s what being a Magic Rune Master was about, earning wealth through enchanted products and reinvesting in new Magic Runes.


    That''s why Bernie, now an Intermediate Enchanter, might be even wealthier than Lis, a Court Viscount.


    "I know it''s difficult, but how can I not try?"


    If it wasn''t that he really needed money now, to the point of affecting the speed of Lis''s ability improvement, why else would Lis be willing to reveal the "Self-Charging" Magic Rune now?


    "Here''s what I''m thinking,st time I mentioned to Mora about the three of us setting up a guild together to produce and manage products rted to this Magic Rune."


    "For sales, we can leverage Mora''s Golden Vine Flower Commerce, and I also know the controller of Radiant United Commerce. We can get him on board to expand this venture." Chapter Find:


    "I met with His Majesty the King yesterday, so I think the Royal Family won''t be an obstacle for us anytime soon."


    "As for the Church of the Gods, they will be busy soon and won''t have time to focus on us."


    "Right now, the most urgent thing is to ask your teacher, Master Daher, if he can teach us the ''Hidden'' Magic Rune, which is very important for protecting the secrecy of the ''Self-Charging'' Magic Rune."


    "Regarding the ''Hidden'' Magic Rune, I think there won''t be a problem if I talk to the master."


    Bernie stammered, unable to help it; the shock of what Lis had just said was too much for him.


    What was going on? He was clear about Mora and the Golden Vine Flower Commerce, but since when was Lis so familiar with the controller of Radiant United Commerce that he could confidently pull them in for such a significant matter?


    And what about the fact that Lis met with King Feis yesterday, and it sounded like His Majesty had specifically seen him?


    What''s happening with the Church of the Gods? He hadn''t heard anything about problems there; was Lis''s information really that well-informed?


    At this moment, Lis seemed somewhat unfamiliarly brilliant in Bernie''s eyes.


    That''s great!


    Watching Lis''s earnest yet spirited demeanor, Bernie took a deep breath and couldn''t help but feel happy as well.

 Chapter 92: Chapter 92 Call me Teacher Daher!

    "I understand your general n, but what should I do now?"


    Bernie seriously asked Lis, quickly adjusting his position to prioritize Lis''s suggestions.


    This was a major venture, and Bernie naturally wanted to seize the opportunity since Lis was willing to include him.


    After all, the "Hidden" Magic Rune wasn''t exclusive to Master Daher alone; Lis could coborate with other Advanced Magic Rune Masters as well.


    "Is Master Daher here?"


    Lis asked since his main purpose today was to gain Master Daher''s support.


    "The teacher is in the fourth-floorboratory, but currently, only I can go up there, as the permission lies with the teacher,"


    Bernie said somewhat apologetically to Lis.


    "That''s fine. Take this Elemental Crystal to Master Daher, and I''ll wait here for you."


    Lis didn''t mind; he believed that once Daher saw the "Self-Charging" Magic Rune, he too would be unable to remain seated.


    Seeing that Lis agreed, Bernie no longer spoke further and took the crystal towards the fourth floor.


    ---------------


    The Fifth Magic Workshop, fourth floor.


    A middle-aged man who appeared to be in his fortiesyfortably in a bedroom chair, a small table next to him filled with delicate sweets and fruits, along with an expensive bottle of Arnold Wine and a tall wine ss.


    After being busy for a couple of months, he had finally secured the Fifth Magic Workshop and other resources had gradually fallen into ce, allowing Yousef to finally take a breather.


    He was very confident in entrusting the workshop''s other matters to Bernie.


    This kid was not only exceptionally talented in Magic Rune research but also had a rare grasp of interpersonal nuances, managing the many trivial tasks assigned to him efficiently and orderly.


    That indeed made things a lot more rxing for him.


    Where else could one find such a worry-free and talented apprentice?


    Yousef took a sip of the rose-red wine and sighed deeply.


    Hadn''t Bernie been thinking about bringing someone into the researchboratory of the workshop?


    He must be quite close to Bernie, as this apprentice had hardly ever asked him for any personal favors!


    It was called...what was it, Lis something?


    Should he offer some guidance as a way to look out for Bernie?n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Yousef idly swung his legs, suddenly hearing the sound of the door.


    "Come in."


    Yousef Daher didn''t even turn his head, giving themand directly.


    It could only be his apprentice Bernie who woulde here; he had already told him not to knock every time.


    "Master Yousef, good morning!"


    Bernie gently pushed open the door and walked over to Yousef, speaking respectfully.


    "Ah, Bernie, what''s up?"


    Yousef looked at his apprentice with satisfaction and asked kindly.


    "I''d like you to take a look at this?"


    Bernie handed the Elemental Crystal that he was holding to Yousef.


    "Oh? Are you wanting me to check on your progress?"


    Yousef took the Elemental Crystal, caressing the Magic Rune engraved upon it.


    "Hmm, this Magic Rune wasn''t engraved by you, was it?"


    Yousef knew immediately upon touching it that it wasn''t Bernie''s work, just as every person''s handwriting is different, so too are the styles of Magic Runes engraved by different people.


    "Not bad, the engraving technique is skilled, the Magic Rune is smooth and connected; you''re not far behind, Bernie."


    Yousef leisurely enjoyed the fragrance of the wine while evaluating the enchanted item in his hand.


    "This Magic Rune is a bit strange, though; I''ve never seen it before. Does it have any effects?"


    "...!!!"


    As an Advanced Magic Rune Master and a distinguished figure in Bright City, Yousef Daher had a naturally extraordinary perspective and soon discovered the unusual feature of the Elemental Crystal in his hands.


    "Is this...is this Elemental Crystal regenerating Magic Power?!"


    Yousef Daher suddenly rose from his lounge chair,pletely disregarding the Arnold Wine Bottle he knocked over, which was more valuable than gold, as the rose-colored wine slowly spread across the carpet.


    Staring dumbfounded at the Elemental Crystal in his hand, Yousef lost all the rxed demeanor of the master he had just shown.


    "Bernie, where did you get this from?"


    Yousef asked eagerly; he was well aware of the immense significance this Magic Rune represented.


    This could represent a major breakthrough capable of changing thendscape of the Magic Rune field.


    It represented not only significant prestige and status but also wealth that could rival nations.


    "This is a ''Self-Charging'' Magic Rune, created by Lis."


    Bernie spoke seriously and straightforwardly without a hint of concealment.


    "Lis...the person you wanted to bring into theboratoryst time? He has this ability and still needs your help?"


    Yousef looked down at the Elemental Crystal in his hand.


    Even without this "Self-Charging" Magic Rune, just with this engraving technique alone, it wouldn''t be hard to enter any Magic Workshop in the academy.


    "Uh..."


    Bernie had no response to that. How could he admit that he didn''t know why Lis''s level in Magic Rune technique had suddenly advanced by leaps and bounds?


    "Where is Lis now?"


    Yousef did not dwell on that issue and asked directly.


    Honestly, Yousef also hesitated for a moment when he first saw the "Self-Charging" Magic Rune, but he quickly made up his mind.


    He was not one of those who were at a dead end in their careers, only focused on making money; he aimed to go further.


    For Yousef, exploring higher levels of achievement was his life''s pursuit, more important than acquiring wealth, status, or fame.


    Perhaps Yousef could deceive others and keep this Magic Rune to himself, but he could not deceive his own heart.


    Yousef even felt somewhat apprehensive. If he hadn''t realized in time, would he have lost himself in the pursuit of wealth and status, exuding the very decay and corruption that he deeply detested, just like those antiquated members of the Magic Rune Association?


    "He''s waiting in theboratory on the third floor," Bernie said.


    "Teacher, I want to ask you..."


    But the impatient Yousef didn''t give Bernie a chance to speak; he grabbed him and they ttered down the stairs.


    ---------------


    In theboratory on the third floor.


    While waiting, Lis was trying to practice with the advanced Magic Rune Burner in front of him.


    It must be said that this device, which integrated various rare magic materials, was smooth and handy to use; Lis had grown fond of it and even wanted to have one in his ownboratory.


    It was not expensive; it probably cost about one or two Jade Wands.


    Just as Lis was focused on engraving Magic Patterns on the materials, theboratory door was suddenly flung open with a "bang."


    Lis jumped, and the nearlypleted Magic Pattern failed as a result.


    Looking up, Lis saw a very familiar figure entering.


    Magic Rune Master��Yousef Daher.


    "Are you Lis?"


    Daher eyes shone brightly as he stared at Lis and spoke.


    "Ah, yes, Master Daher."


    "Hey, don''t call me master!"


    Yousef waved his hand, pretending to be casual as he spoke.


    "Since you are in my Magic Workshop, like Bernie, you are my student. Just call me Master Daher."


    Lis was caught off guard and turned his gaze towards Bernie.


    What is going on, I wasn''t aware of this rule?

 Chapter 93 Take Care of the Teacher

    Bernie bowed his head, and, having followed Yousef for so long, how could he not guess what his teacher was thinking? Now, he felt somewhat embarrassed to look at Lis.


    Seeing this, Lis quickly realized something and immediately changed his tone, saying:


    "Teacher Daher, I am very grateful for this opportunity to learn at the Fifth Magic Workshop."


    "Hmm! Not bad."


    Seeing that Lis was so cooperative, Yousef nodded in satisfaction.


    That was exactly what he had in mind. Although his moral bottom line wouldn''t allow him to forcefully take possession of the "Self-Charging" Magic Rune in bad conscience, it was no problem to take a little advantage and be Lis''s teacher.


    "You are Lis Kain, aren''t you? Very impressive indeed!"


    On the way down just now, Yousef had already roughly learned about Lis''s identity from Bernie, including his status as a Court Noble Viscount, but this was rather ordinary in front of Yousef, the Magic Rune Master.


    "I didn''t expect someone as young as you to be at such a high level with Magic Runes. Have you studied under any teacher?"


    "No, I''ve always worked it out on my own; I''m not as outstanding as Bernie."


    Lis replied with a respectful face, wondering if Yousef was conducting some sort of investigation.


    Yousef was even more satisfied, nodding frequently and mentally noting this matter.


    "Enough about the rest, did you create this ''Self-Charging'' Magic Rune? Can you engrave it here for me to see?"


    "No problem."


    Lis naturally had no objections, picked up the Engraving Device on the table, and began to operate on a nk engraving te.


    He wasn''t worried at all that Yousef would record the process of engraving the Magic Rune. To be honest, with his insights and strength, Yousef could almost replicate itpletely upon first seeing the "Self-Charging" Magic Rune. It was better to be more open andy the foundation forter cooperation.


    Besides, Lis still kept some follow-up expansion Magic Runes for "Self-Charging" that he had not brought out!


    After Lis proficiently outlined the "Self-Charging" Magic Rune on the engraving te, Yousef eagerly took it over for close examination, as the engraving te could disy all the standard details of the Magic Rune.


    After quite a while, Yousef finally shifted his gaze away and put down the engraving te before saying to Lis:


    "This creation of yours is very impressive; with this Magic Rune alone, your future achievements will not be inferior to mine."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Go on, what are your thoughts? I assume you didn''te only to show me such a precious Magic Rune."


    Lis nodded earnestly and made his request very directly:


    "Not to hide anything from you, Teacher Daher, I need your help."


    "As you may also realize, the value of this Magic Rune is quite astonishing. I want to keep this secret and learn the ''Hidden'' Magic Rune from you."


    "Do you intend to swallow all the benefits by yourself?"


    Yousef frowned, feeling that his "student" was rather greedy. Yousef could already imagine how vast the wealth it represented would be, and before this enormous benefit, Lis''s status as a Court Viscount was negligible.


    "Of course not. I will bring some people together to work on this. Initially, the market shouldn''t be too big, and if I say the cost is ''a little higher,'' I suppose not many will take notice of me."


    "I''m nning to start a Guild with Bernie and another person to handle this matter, so that''s why I came promptly to seek Teacher Daher''s assistance!"


    Lis seized the opportunity to further take advantage of their "profound" teacher-student rtionship and yed the emotional card.


    Yousef, having no other intentions and seeing how outstanding his two students were, felt that it was a matter of great pride for himself; could he even be a good teacher if he did not offer his support?


    "No problem, leave it to me, teacher. ''Hidden'' Magic Rune, right? Easy!"


    Upon hearing that Lis had already made a n, Yousef stopped worrying.


    What harm could trying do? With him around, his student wouldn''t have to worry about being bullied and left with nothing in the Feis Kingdom.


    A minor setback could also lead to greater maturity.


    Hey! Howe I''m so awesome, attracting such excellent disciples to my doorstep!


    Next time, I''ll have to boast a bit in front of those old geezers. I don''t know why they''re always wearing such sour faces.


    Lis, unaware of the many thoughts that had shed through Yousef''s mind in just a short while, earnestly began to seek knowledge about the "Hidden" Magic Rune from Yousef.


    Only when he inquired did he find out that although the effects of the "Hidden" Magic Rune were good, the requirements for engraving it were not low. Although it had not yet reached the level of Advanced Magic Patterns, it was still considered to have a rtively high difficulty among Intermediate Magic Patterns.


    Not to mention that he had tobine the "Hidden" Magic Rune with the "Self-Charging" Magic Rune, which would take quite a bit of effort just on this aspect.


    Generally speaking, only Magic Rune Masters would need to use it to protect secret magic runes.


    After chatting for a while and seeing that Lis had roughly understood the principles of the "Hidden" Magic Rune, Yousef waved his hand grandly.


    "You don''t need to worry about thebination of magic runes; I happen to be free these couple days, I''ll take care of this matter for you."


    "Then I''ll be troubling you, Teacher Daher."


    Lis was quite happy; this was a great help. Otherwise, even if he managed to create the Combined Magic Pattern himself, the effect would definitely be far inferior to the work of a Magic Rune Master.


    "Haha."


    Yousef, of course, did not mind the effort it took, and chuckled while nodding his head.


    Honestly, the brief interaction with Lis just now made Yousef like his new, cleverly acquired student even more.


    Not only was hisprehension remarkable, he managed to depict the "Hidden" Magic Rune fairly urately after only being shown twice. Although there was still a considerable gap from actually performing Magic Rune Engraving, it was enough to show that Lis had barely reached the level of an Intermediate Enchanter.


    During their exchange, Yousef faintly perceived that Lis''s skill level with miniature magic patterns seemed even higher.


    Magic Runes, as one of the most basic methods for humans to utilize elemental power, are closely intertwined with Spells and other such transcendent powers. Any text or pattern that possesses elemental power or that can trigger elemental power is collectively referred to as a Magic Rune.


    Concurrently, with the gradual development of magic, Magic Runes have also been clearly categorized into three types.


    The first type is the giant magic pattern.


    There are almost no real messages of their existence, only records in some ancient texts.


    It is said that each giant magic pattern is a unique existence, having formed at the dawn of the world, with the ability to manipte the fundamental forces of nature.


    Therefore, some schrs suspect that giant runes might not exist, and are merely myths around certain natural phenomena.


    Other schrs believe in the existence of giant runes, insisting that they have been collected by the All Gods into the Divine Country, hence not appearing before humans for a long time.


    The second type is the intermediate magic pattern.


    It''s also the category to which "Self-Charging" Magic Runes belong. The majority of enchantments, Magic Arrays, and Magic Spells used involve intermediate magic patterns, which are the most familiar and most widely used by people.


    As for thest category, those are the miniature magic patterns.

 Chapter 94 He is Silver Level?

    Micro Magic Runes, as the most fundamental means of utilizing elemental power, are the cornerstone of most Magic Models and the soul of Spells.


    Because of the difficulty in observing and controlling Micro Magic Runes, most Mages only dabble in the study and research of these runes, content to understand and sessfully construct Magic Models without wanting to invest more effort.


    However, Yousef knew that studying and researching Micro Magic Runes was the correct path to truly mastering elemental power and ascending to the pinnacle of legend.


    And Lis, as a Mage at the Silver Early Stage, possessed a remarkably high level of control over Micro Magic Runes.


    Yousef was certain that even Bernie, who had dedicated time to studying Micro Magic Runes, was far from Lis''s level.


    Moreover, Lis remained exceedingly humble in hismunication with Yousef, devoid of any self-satisfaction.


    Therefore, Yousef waspletely satisfied with Lis no matter how he looked at him, almost ready to unt Lis in front of his old friends at that very moment.


    No hurry, no hurry, since Little Lis is still a student at the Magic Academy, it''s better to rify their rtionship first.


    Lis earnestly sought Yousef''s advice on the mass production of Enchanted Products, after all, although he, Mora, and Bernie might be good in terms of other experience, they were indeed not as skilled as Yousef, the master, in this area.


    Yousef naturally would not refuse and patiently exined the basics to Lis, promising that if he encountered any troubles in the future, he coulde directly to him for help.


    The promise of a Magic Rune Master was indeed precious!


    Lis felt grateful, to be honest, although he really hoped to gain Yousef''s support beforeing here, he never expected Yousef to be so decisive and supportive.


    As a result, Lis almost spent the entire day at the Fifth Magic Workshop, only leaving as evening approached.


    When leaving, Bernie personally escorted Lis downstairs, prompting the ordinary research students on the second floor to specte about the identity of the person who had made their senior apprentice brother so proactive.


    After arranging to meet Bernie at his ce the next day, Lis left with light steps, still puzzled as he felt like he had forgotten something.


    Momentster, Lis came back, found Ang who had already fallen asleep on the third floor, ced her on his shoulder, and then left with peace of mind.


    He had forgotten his bodyguard!


    Today''s gains were significant, and there was no need to expend too much effort in improving the "Self-Charging" Magic Rune!


    With Yousef and Bernie backing him, he could focus his energy elsewhere first.


    If he went to see Mora tomorrow...


    That would be easy to discuss, but he still needed the support of Baron Carl and Duke Hade to utilize the strength of the Golden Vine Flower Commerce and the Radiant United Commerce.


    It''s not a simple matter at all!


    Lis felt a bit of a headache, but there was no choice, to secure greater interests, spending this energy and time was necessary.


    After all, there''s no such thing as a free lunch, right?


    As Lis''s thoughts meandered, he suddenly remembered the Secret Treasure "Acadia''s Lucky Brooch" on him.


    If he didn''t use it in times of danger, would he actually encounter some stroke of incredible luck?


    But considering the misfortune he was set to faceter, it was better not to jinx himself.


    As Lis pondered, he coincidentally passed by the Academy''s practice arena, which was specially designated for students to practice their Spells or spar with each other, equipped with a Defensive Magic Array so there was no need to worry about injuring bystanders.


    Seeing a few people watching in the arena, it seemed there was a match going on.


    Lis didn''t pay much attention, his mind mostly upied with the matters he would be discussing tomorrow.


    Just as Lis was about to leave and head to the Academy gates to take a carriage home,


    suddenly, his Spiritual Sense emitted a warning, and Lis turned around sharply.


    The sounds of an explosion and shattering filled his ears, while the onlookers at the arena let out cries of rm.


    For some reason, the Magic Array in the arena broke apart under the attack of a Wind Element shing spell cast by a student, and the Wind de continued on its trajectory, heading straight for Lis.


    Seeing its power, it must be around the strength of a High-level Bronze.


    Lis''s mind sharpened, and an Advanced Elemental Shield shimmering with faint white light emerged beside him.


    Before the Wind de could strike the shield, the dozing Ang on Lis''s shoulder opened her eyes a crack. A speck of blood-colored light appeared out of thin air and shattered the Wind de to pieces.


    The dissipating airflow fluttered the corners of Lis''s clothes, but his expression was somewhat inscrutable.


    "Sorry about that, fellow student, you weren''t hurt, were you?"


    The two magicians who were sparring in the field hurried over, profusely apologizing. From their anxious manner, it seemed they hadn''t expected the defensive magic array on the field to fail.


    "No harm done, I wasn''t injured anyway," Lis said to them with a smile, appearing as if he wasn''t too concerned about the incident.


    The pair continued to apologize, and after Lis waved his hand dismissively, he promptly left.


    Interesting!


    Lis sauntered slowly toward the academy''s entrance, mulling things over.


    Coincidence?


    Lis never believed in such coincidences.


    There''s just over a month left until the Sacrificial Festival. Are they getting restless?


    I''m curious to see what other ''coincidences'' await me!


    -----------------


    Robert was in a secret hideout in Bright City, waiting for a response from his subordinates.


    Ever since he received the mission from the Second Prince, not only had he not found Camus, but Lis kept disappearing to who knows where, returning home only to stay cooped up there.


    This left Robert utterly unable to carry out his task of probing.


    Today, he finally got word that Lis had visited the Fifth Magic Workshop at the Feis Royal Magic Academy again. Robert rushed to set up his men on Lis''s usual route, in preparation to test Lis''s capabilities.


    The field''s defensive magic array was specifically tampered with, and an "idental" Wind de �� neither too conspicuous nor too weak �� was just right to elicit the information Robert wanted.


    Why haven''t they returned yet? How long was that Lis in the workshop?


    Robert nced out the window at the sky, tinted blood-red by the setting sun, looking both enchanting and somewhat dangerous.


    Boom~


    The door was pushed open from the outside. The person entering seemed to be in a hurry.


    Robert turned around and saw that the neer was his subordinate from the Magic Academy, the same student who had nearly "identally" hurt Lis.


    Robert walked over to his chair, sat down, and took a leisurely sip of wine from his ss, calmly waiting for his subordinate''s report.


    That was Robert''s principle �� no matter what happens, always stayposed. To be a leader, one had to be like that, or else how could he keep his followers in line?


    "Lord Robert, we did as you ordered and tested Lis," the subordinate reported.


    "I''m confident that Lis himself must be a Silver Rank mage!"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Spurt~cough cough!


    Robertpletely forgot to keep hisposure, and the wine he had just swallowed spurted out, his face wearing an expression of utter disbelief as he looked at his subordinate.


    What the hell!


    Silver Level?

 Chapter 95: Chapter 95 Robert is Numb! (Please subscribe first!)

    "You''re telling me Lis Kain is a Silver Mage? What a joke!"


    Robert was choked by such disbelief, but the incredulous look on his face undoubtedly raised such a question to his subordinate.


    "It''s definitely true, Lord Robert!"


    The subordinate dispelled Robert''sst hope with a very clear tone.


    "The Wind de I cast was somehow shattered, but I''m certain I saw that guy Lis use the Four Rings Magic ''Advanced Elemental Shield''!"


    If it was an ''Advanced Elemental Shield,'' then it could definitely be confirmed.


    Though hard to believe, Robert still epted the reality that Lis Kain was a Silver Level Mage.


    This is trouble!


    That was the first thought that came to Robert''s mind.


    Because all of the Prince and his ns had been based on the assumption that Lis was a Bronze-level Mage, this sudden discovery cast a shadow over Robert''s heart.


    Should we still carry on with the previous n?


    No, Lis has already be a Silver Mage, the assassination attempt at the Sacrificial Festival by the Golden Assassin might go wrong, even if there''s the slightest chance!


    And if he''s a Silver Level Mage, it''s not likely he just made the breakthrough recently!


    That means Lis has always been hiding his true strength!


    So Camus'' previous probe was just delivering himself to the door!


    No wonder no trace of Camus could be found, it''s very likely that he had fallen into Lis''s hands already.


    Robert suddenly realized that Lord Yatean''s n might go terribly wrong!


    If Camus was really captured or even killed by Lis, wouldn''t Lis be suspicious?


    Wouldn''t Camus reveal any bit of information?


    While Robert was pacing worriedly in the room, another intelligence agent from the Royal Pce knocked on the door, bringing him yet another piece of bad news.


    "What? You''re saying that Lis Kain was summoned by His Majesty the King yesterday?"


    Robert went numb, feeling a bit of pain in his heart, as the continuous bad news created the impression that things were spiraling out of control.


    This won''t do! We can''t make a move against Lis Kain anymore!


    No matter whether he''s a Silver Level Mage or whether he has learned about the Second Prince''s n, as soon as he entered the King''s field of vision, too many variables were introduced to the n.


    It was precisely because Lis was chosen as the target for the assassination at the Sacrificial Festival that he was weak, had few connections, and his status as a Court Viscount perfectly met the Prince''s requirements for creating an impact.


    Those of higher status, the negative impact of the assassination could exceed expectations, and might even implicate the Prince.


    For those of too low status, their deaths wouldn''t cause a ripple, and couldn''t make the Court Nobles empathize and unanimously demand that the Kingdom dere war.


    Thus, there were four targets selected for the assassination at the Sacrificial Festival, Lis was a Court Viscount, and the other three were Court Barons.


    The n had been well conceived, and now you''re telling me that Lis just visited His Majesty the King?


    The most important thing about this n was that it couldn''t arouse any suspicion from His Majesty the King!


    If those who died were some minor nobles with no presence, it wouldn''t matter since the King didn''t know them.


    But if a noble known to the King, even one he was paying attention to, died, that''s a different matter entirely.


    If the King became suspicious, whether forcefully suppressing the nobles'' cries for war or thoroughly investigating the assassinations during the Sacrificial Festival, both scenarios were uneptable for Lord Yatean and himself.


    One must know that no matter how tightly constructed the n and how wellid out, as long as a tremendous price is paid, in a world where legends and gods exist, no secret can remain hidden forever.


    "Why are you just bringing this news now, dying so many things!"


    Robert red at his subordinate stationed in the Royal Pce, reprimanding him.


    "If only you had told me earlier, I wouldn''t have arranged someone to test Lis today!"


    The subordinate, feeling somewhat aggrieved themselves, defended:


    "Wasn''t it yourmand toe to you again during the normal rest time since there is a Legendary Monk stationed at the Royal Pce?"


    Robert was taken aback, realizing that it had indeed been his own order.


    The perception of a Legendary Monk is extremely keen; anything out of the ordinary could potentially attract their attention, which is why he had instructed his subordinate to do so at the time.


    Robert couldn''t help but feel restless. After waving his subordinate away, he sat there in deep thought for a long while before hastily leaving the house under the cover of night, heading toward the direction of the small building on Feis Street that served as their outpost.


    -----------------


    Inside the secluded building, on the second-floor study,


    Second Prince Yatean sat behind the desk with a gloomy face, listening to Robert''s timorous report, his brows deeply furrowed.


    Even in the face of such bad news, he could no longer maintain his previously calm demeanor.


    "Can you confirm what you''re saying?"


    Yatean''s voice was slightly lowered, causing Robert to tense up, yet he assured:


    "Both pieces of intelligence should be correct; theye from my most reliable subordinates."


    "So you mean to say, Camus has disappeared, and the problem might involve Lis?"


    Robert cautiously raised his head to gauge Yatean''s mood and asked with some insecurity:


    "You mean... to take revenge for Camus?"


    Yatean cast a nce at Robert, who was standing in front of the desk, and cursed:


    "Has your brain gotten waterlogged like Camus''s? Knowing something''s off with this Lis and still going to trouble him?"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Do you want to keep Camuspany?"


    Although the Second Prince had scolded him, Robert felt a weight lift off his chest; this meant Lord Yatean hadn''t given up on him.


    "Don''t bother with Camus anymore, whether he''s dead or alive."


    Yatean decisively gave up on Camus, as one would expect of a Second Prince.


    "Robert, choose all new targets for the Sacrificial Festival, not just Lis, but the other three Barons as well," Yatean said, with a sharp gaze fixed on Robert.


    "Is there enough time?"


    Although Yatean was aware this might bring manyplications and there was a tight timeline, he was even less willing to ept a failed assassination plot for the Sacrificial Festival with the unstable factor that Lis presented.


    "No problem, Prince Yatean."


    Upon hearing this, Robert immediately and solemnly promised. Bright City was not short of inconspicuous minor Nobles; although it might be a bit troublesome, it was still more convenient to switch targets entirely instead of continuing to probe Lis.


    "Robert, all of the other ns are essentially ready; I don''t want any moreplications with this," Yatean''s calm voice echoed, causing Robert to break out in a cold sweat, subconsciously dropping to his knees.


    "Rest assured, Your Highness, there won''t be any more problems!"


    Yatean didn''t show any reaction to Robert''s resolve but instead said:


    "Keep collecting intelligence on Lis, but don''t have your men take any direct action anymore. Whether you buy it from information brokers or use other methods, I want a detailed dossier on this Lis Kain."


    "I''m starting to take an interest in our Viscount Kane!"


    Robert sneakily lifted his head only to see a faint smile shing across the face of the Second Prince.

 Chapter 98 Reaching Cooperation (Please Subscribe!)

    Hearing that this was also Master Daher''s idea, Baron Carl did not ask any further.


    Although he was the president of the Golden Vine Flower Commerce, Daher really did not need to pay attention to him, reflecting the status and pride of a Magic Rune Master.


    "So how do you want to cooperate with the Golden Vine Flower Commerce?"


    Not wanting to miss out on a connection with Daher, Vim was naturally keen on the opportunity, but still intended to fight for the benefits he deserved.


    "The Golden Vine Flower Commerce will invest ten thousand Gold Coins, holding ten percent of the shares in the new guild, and they will need to be responsible for the purchasing channels of raw materials and the sales of products."


    "Ten percent, isn''t that a bit too little? After all, it seems like most of the work will need to be done by the Golden Vine Flower Commerce."


    Baron Carl said with a light and breezy smile, but his words were not willing to make concessions.


    "It''s not too little. Master Daher himself will hold 50% of the shares, Bernie, Mora, and I each get 10%, which is non-negotiable. Ten percent for the Golden Vine Flower Commerce, and the remaining 10% I''m thinking of bringing in the Radiant United Commerce to coborate."


    Lis was just as unbudging, not only bringing out the renowned name of Daher but also mentioning the Radiant United Commerce, hinting that he was not without other options.


    Baron Carl now furrowed his brows; Lis''s mention of the Radiant United Commerce was unexpected. He tentatively said:


    "You''ve contacted the Radiant United Commerce too? As far as I know, it''s quite difficult to cooperate with them..."


    Baron Carl suddenly stopped what he was about to say, because he saw a golden card suddenly appearing in Lis''s hand. With his sharp eyesight, he naturally recognized it as the Diamond VIP Card from the Radiant United Commerce.


    This is... How could Lis, with his status, have this card?


    Let alone being a Court Viscount, even an Earl might not be able to get one.


    It seemed that Lis had a very close rtionship with the Radiant United Commerce, and possibly even with Duke Hade; now, it really wasn''t convenient to ask for more benefits.


    After all, Baron Carl was only looking for an opportunity to connect with Master Daher and did not believe the enchanted products Lis mentioned would have a big market.


    Even if the Magic Power consumption was reduced further, the cost of Elemental Crystals was there, and sales would not be high.


    "I didn''t expect you to have thought everything through so thoroughly, Lis. I agree. I''ll have the relevant person in charge from themerce to liaise with you... Just find Mora, right?"


    Vim said, smiling, without mentioning the Diamond VIP Card from the Bright Light Chamber of Commerce that Lis had just taken out.


    Seeing that his goal was achieved, Lis naturally did not say more, and thanked him:


    "Then, thank you for your care, Uncle Vim."


    As the Controller of the Golden Vine Flower Commerce, the Carl family naturally hadmerce staff stationed at home. Bernie called someone over, quickly drafted two copies of an agreement, and Lis and Baron Carl each signed their name and stamped their family crest on it.


    While they were the simplest of contracts, they were sufficient.


    Such cooperation was built on the trust that both parties were willing to actively honor until one side decided to withdraw.


    Overlyplicated contracts were not necessary. After all, no number of uses could restrain the existence with Extraordinary Power. Unless witnessed by a deity, there were too many ways to avoid fulfilling contract terms.


    After politely saying goodbye to Baron Carl, Lis and Mora walked shoulder to shoulder out of the Carl family mansion.


    They had finally been persuaded; this should ensure that there would be no problems with the Guild''s framework.


    Lis heaved a sigh of relief and pondered in his heart.


    Engaging in a battle of wits with someone as shrewd as Baron Carl was strenuous, but thankfully, he had two golden signs - Daher and Duke Hade.


    Lis felt no qualms. These connections were for times like this, when they were needed, as they wouldn''t generate Gold Coins just by being held onto.


    "The rest will be mostly up to you. The recruitment of guild personnel, the materials, and the merchandise routes all need to be gradually mastered by you. After all, we can''t always rely on the channels of other guilds."


    "I understand!"


    Mora didn''t say much, but the determination and fervor in his gaze revealed his excitement.


    Having been stifled at home for so long, how could he not seize an opportunity to show his worth?


    "Where to next?"


    "Gedo Street, let''s go find a friend of mine and settle the matter with Radiant United Commerce as well,"


    Lis said with a smile. Arsen was a much simpler matter; Radiant United Commerce could be said to be under the Hade family''splete control, so he just needed to speak with him.


    "Lis..."


    After settling into the carriage, Mora spoke up:


    "Beforeing here, Bernie talked to me, and I think he makes sense."


    "How so?"


    "We don''t need to hold that many shares; five percent is enough for each of us."


    Indeed, ording to the original n of the three, Lis would hold fifty percent of the shares, while Bernie and Mora would each have fifteen percent, with the remainder belonging to the Golden Vine Flower Commerce and Radiant United Commerce.


    Indeed, Lis had wanted to give some shares to Daher, but the Magic Rune Master had refused.


    As Daher put it, money was already just a number to him, so he wouldn''t get involved, telling Lis and Bernie to have at it.


    Seeing that Lis was about to say something, Mora hastily waved her hand to stop him, saying:n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Don''t rush, we''ve both thought this through seriously!"


    "Originally, the ''Self-Charging'' Magic Rune was your invention, Lis. Afterwards, all the ns were already arranged by you, and neither Bernie nor I helped much. Taking fifteen percent really isn''t appropriate."


    "If you can include Bernie and me and still retain five percent of the shares, both of us would be very satisfied, and it wouldn''t make us feel like we''re taking too much advantage of you."


    Lis looked at Mora''s earnest and resolute expression and shook his head helplessly, saying:


    "Alright, if you both insist."


    "Let''s work hard together, and let your father see just what you''re capable of. You''re no less than your older brother."


    "Mm!"


    Mora nodded emphatically, resolute in her heart.


    If I don''t seize such a good opportunity, I might as well give up on women forever!


    -----------------


    On the second floor of the Carl Mansion.


    Vim stood by the window, watching as Lis and Mora rode away in the carriage, his gaze enigmatic as if lost in thought.


    "Father, why agree to this? It''s a rare opportunity to establish a rtionship with Master Daher, and I think their product has a lot of potentials!"


    Mora''s older brother Jon, standing behind Vim, spoke with a tone of discontent andint.


    Baron Carl did not turn around, still standing by the window, and said:


    "Why? Do you think you could have done it?"


    Completely oblivious to the change in his father''s tone, Jon went on:


    "Of course, I believe if you were firm about it, Lis would probably have decided to cooperate directly with the guild."


    "Is that really what you think?"


    Baron Carl turned around, his face no longer bearing the mildness from before, but instead appeared somewhat disappointed.


    Jon noticed his father''s stern expression and lowered his head, not daring toin any further.


    "Your vision is still too narrow."


    "Making money has never been the primary goal of a guild, understand?"

 Chapter 97 Baron Carls Thoughts (Please Subscribe First!)

    116 Feis Street


    At the entrance of the Carl family mansion.


    Lis and Mora stepped down from the carriage while Bernie did not follow; these were not his areas of expertise. It was better to leave everything to Lis and Mora and return to the academy''s workshop to work on the Combined Magic Pattern earlier.


    Looking up at the luxurious vi before him, Lis felt somewhat emotional.


    Thest time he had been here, he had been just recently reborn as little Carami, and now he was respected as a Silver Mage, though only two short months had passed.


    The return of the Dragon King?


    Haha, Lis certainly did not entertain such thoughts; after all, he hade specifically to discuss a partnership with Mora''s father, Vim Carl, so such an event should not ur.


    The moment Mora got out of the carriage, he called over the family servants and asked,


    "Where is Father now?"


    Although the servant was curious as to why the second young master was returning home at this time, he still honestly replied:


    "The master is currently on the second floor, probably discussing matters with young master Jon."


    Hearing Jon''s name, Mora''s brow furrowed slightly, but he did not say much else and led Lis straight through the main gate.


    Lis knew who this Jon was, Jon Karl, Mora''s older brother and the heir to the Carl family.


    However, the rtionship between him and Mora was not very good, especially considering the issues of inheriting the great legacy of the Golden Vine Flower Commerce.


    But their rtionship was only somewhat stiff; it hadn''t reached the point of a life-and-death struggle.


    Mora had a servant take Lis to the parlor to rest for a while, as he went to the study first to exin the situation to his father.


    Lis was not in a hurry, resting on the sofa in the parlor, sipping lightly from a white jade-colored tea cup, and enjoying the exquisite desserts on the small table in front of him.


    Although Lis did not particrly like the bitter taste of the tea, it was quite nice when paired with the sweet treats.


    Mora had been gone for half a day and had not returned; just as Lis thought something unexpected might have happened, the door to the parlor was gently pushed open by a servant.


    The first to walk in was Mora''s father, Baron Vim Karl.


    Dressed in luxurious noble attire, his slightly graying hair neatly groomed, he had a strong presence but his face also bore a somewhat gentle smile.


    Mora followed his father into the room, but he looked rather upset.


    Soon, Lis understood why, as Mora''s brother Jon Karl also followed them in, appearing to be a very astute young man. Though he wore a smile, there was a somewhat sharp sense about him.


    Before Mora could speak, Jon stepped forward and extended his hand in a friendly manner towards Lis, saying,


    "It''s been a long time, Viscount Kane."


    "Hello."


    Lis shook Jon''s hand, maintaining a neutral demeanor, as he was already aware of the tension between him and Mora.


    Jon, unconcerned, walked over and sat down on a sofa nearby.


    Baron Karl had already taken a seat on the central sofa, smiling and gesturing for Lis and Mora to sit beside him.


    "I''ve heard you and Mora are looking to start a Guild together, is that right?"


    Having visited Mora''s house quite frequently, Vim Karl and Lis were already familiar with each other, naturally dispensing with many formalities.


    "Yes, Uncle Vim, I have some ideas, but would still appreciate the help of you and the Golden Vine Flower Commerce."\\p>


    Lis didn''t beat around the bush and directly stated the purpose of his visit today, and it was clear that he sought assistance from the top five guilds in the Kingdom, specifically the Golden Vine Flower Commerce, not just the Carl family.


    The difference was significant!


    Although the Carl family currently controlled the operations of the Golden Vine Flower Commerce, and Vim Carl was the chairman, the guild was not solely dictated by the Carl family.


    From Bernie, it was known that the Carl family owned approximately thirty percent of the shareholding in the Golden Vine Flower Commerce.


    Thus, Lis wanted to secure amitment from Baron Carl to gain support from the Golden Vine Flower Commerce, not just the assistance of the Carl family.


    This scenario was different from that of the Hade family. Radiant United Commerce also had many shareholders, but they were primarily Court Nobles from Feis Kingdom.


    Duke Hade, as the representative of the Court Nobles and a confidant of His Majesty the King, had significant influence within Radiant United Commerce, and naturally, others wouldn''t oppose Duke Hade''s ns.


    "Mora said you guys are nning to primarily deal in Master Daher''s Enchanted Products?"


    Vim said, smiling, as that was the reason for his interest.


    As the most famous Magic Rune Master in Bright City, Yousef Daher''s creations were naturally sought after by everyone.


    Vim was not worried that Lis would deceive him in this matter.


    However, he found it curious why Daher would entrust his Enchantment products to the new guild that Lis and his team were preparing to establish.


    Lis nced at Mora, realizing that the fellow had not yet informed Baron Carl about the specifics.


    Gathering his thoughts, Lis seriously said,n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "You are mistaken, we are not directly handling Master Daher''s personal creations, but rather Enchanted Products made from new Magic Patterns created by the Master, ones that significantly reduce the Magic Power consumption of Elemental Crystals."


    That was the n for Lis and his team; with Bernie there as a legitimate disciple, they first pinned the credit for creating Magic Patterns on Daher, so it wouldn''t be too surprising for others when they found out.


    After all, for a Magic Rune Master like Daher, creating a new Magic Pattern wasn''t considered something extraordinarily shocking.


    "Oh, is that so?"


    Hearing Lis say this, Vim''s interest grew even stronger.


    Although Master Daher''s creations were valuable, the problem was that they were too scarce to serve as a main product for a guild; they were best used at auctions to attract poprity.


    If it was a new Enchanted Product that could be mass-produced, that was much more intriguing.


    "At the end of the day, I haven''t seen your products yet, have I?"


    Vim said to Lis, smiling, his words carrying a clear implication.


    "Master Daher is still adjusting the Magic Patterns these days, so it might take some time before the products are ready."


    "However, I can tell you that one of our nned products can adjust the indoor temperature, along with several other rather precious decorative items."


    Jon, who had been listening all this time, became a bit restless, repeatedly looking towards Baron Carl.


    Baron Carl remainedposed and asked with a smile,


    "I naturally trust Master Daher''s ir, and I''m sure it will be a good business."


    "But why establish a separate guild? It might be more efficient to just entrust these Enchanted Products to our Golden Vine Flower Commerce for production and sales; you''d save time, and assuredly not a fraction of the profits intended for you and Master Daher would be lost."


    "No need, the three of us just wanted to start a little business on our own, and that''s also why Master Daher supports us." Lis said, smiling.


    Old man, thinking I would hand over the "Self-Charging" Magic Pattern products to you, dream on!

 Chapter 98 Reaching Cooperation (Please Subscribe!)

    Hearing that this was also Master Daher''s idea, Baron Carl did not ask any further.


    Although he was the president of the Golden Vine Flower Commerce, Daher really did not need to pay attention to him, reflecting the status and pride of a Magic Rune Master.


    "So how do you want to cooperate with the Golden Vine Flower Commerce?"


    Not wanting to miss out on a connection with Daher, Vim was naturally keen on the opportunity, but still intended to fight for the benefits he deserved.


    "The Golden Vine Flower Commerce will invest ten thousand Gold Coins, holding ten percent of the shares in the new guild, and they will need to be responsible for the purchasing channels of raw materials and the sales of products."


    "Ten percent, isn''t that a bit too little? After all, it seems like most of the work will need to be done by the Golden Vine Flower Commerce."


    Baron Carl said with a light and breezy smile, but his words were not willing to make concessions.


    "It''s not too little. Master Daher himself will hold 50% of the shares, Bernie, Mora, and I each get 10%, which is non-negotiable. Ten percent for the Golden Vine Flower Commerce, and the remaining 10% I''m thinking of bringing in the Radiant United Commerce to coborate."


    Lis was just as unbudging, not only bringing out the renowned name of Daher but also mentioning the Radiant United Commerce, hinting that he was not without other options.


    Baron Carl now furrowed his brows; Lis''s mention of the Radiant United Commerce was unexpected. He tentatively said:


    "You''ve contacted the Radiant United Commerce too? As far as I know, it''s quite difficult to cooperate with them..."


    Baron Carl suddenly stopped what he was about to say, because he saw a golden card suddenly appearing in Lis''s hand. With his sharp eyesight, he naturally recognized it as the Diamond VIP Card from the Radiant United Commerce.


    This is... How could Lis, with his status, have this card?


    Let alone being a Court Viscount, even an Earl might not be able to get one.


    It seemed that Lis had a very close rtionship with the Radiant United Commerce, and possibly even with Duke Hade; now, it really wasn''t convenient to ask for more benefits.


    After all, Baron Carl was only looking for an opportunity to connect with Master Daher and did not believe the enchanted products Lis mentioned would have a big market.


    Even if the Magic Power consumption was reduced further, the cost of Elemental Crystals was there, and sales would not be high.


    "I didn''t expect you to have thought everything through so thoroughly, Lis. I agree. I''ll have the relevant person in charge from themerce to liaise with you... Just find Mora, right?"


    Vim said, smiling, without mentioning the Diamond VIP Card from the Bright Light Chamber of Commerce that Lis had just taken out.


    Seeing that his goal was achieved, Lis naturally did not say more, and thanked him:


    "Then, thank you for your care, Uncle Vim."


    As the Controller of the Golden Vine Flower Commerce, the Carl family naturally hadmerce staff stationed at home. Bernie called someone over, quickly drafted two copies of an agreement, and Lis and Baron Carl each signed their name and stamped their family crest on it.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    While they were the simplest of contracts, they were sufficient.


    Such cooperation was built on the trust that both parties were willing to actively honor until one side decided to withdraw.


    Overlyplicated contracts were not necessary. After all, no number of uses could restrain the existence with Extraordinary Power. Unless witnessed by a deity, there were too many ways to avoid fulfilling contract terms.


    After politely saying goodbye to Baron Carl, Lis and Mora walked shoulder to shoulder out of the Carl family mansion.


    They had finally been persuaded; this should ensure that there would be no problems with the Guild''s framework.


    Lis heaved a sigh of relief and pondered in his heart.


    Engaging in a battle of wits with someone as shrewd as Baron Carl was strenuous, but thankfully, he had two golden signs - Daher and Duke Hade.


    Lis felt no qualms. These connections were for times like this, when they were needed, as they wouldn''t generate Gold Coins just by being held onto.


    "The rest will be mostly up to you. The recruitment of guild personnel, the materials, and the merchandise routes all need to be gradually mastered by you. After all, we can''t always rely on the channels of other guilds."


    "I understand!"


    Mora didn''t say much, but the determination and fervor in his gaze revealed his excitement.


    Having been stifled at home for so long, how could he not seize an opportunity to show his worth?


    "Where to next?"


    "Gedo Street, let''s go find a friend of mine and settle the matter with Radiant United Commerce as well,"


    Lis said with a smile. Arsen was a much simpler matter; Radiant United Commerce could be said to be under the Hade family''splete control, so he just needed to speak with him.


    "Lis..."


    After settling into the carriage, Mora spoke up:


    "Beforeing here, Bernie talked to me, and I think he makes sense."


    "How so?"


    "We don''t need to hold that many shares; five percent is enough for each of us."


    Indeed, ording to the original n of the three, Lis would hold fifty percent of the shares, while Bernie and Mora would each have fifteen percent, with the remainder belonging to the Golden Vine Flower Commerce and Radiant United Commerce.


    Indeed, Lis had wanted to give some shares to Daher, but the Magic Rune Master had refused.


    As Daher put it, money was already just a number to him, so he wouldn''t get involved, telling Lis and Bernie to have at it.


    Seeing that Lis was about to say something, Mora hastily waved her hand to stop him, saying:


    "Don''t rush, we''ve both thought this through seriously!"


    "Originally, the ''Self-Charging'' Magic Rune was your invention, Lis. Afterwards, all the ns were already arranged by you, and neither Bernie nor I helped much. Taking fifteen percent really isn''t appropriate."


    "If you can include Bernie and me and still retain five percent of the shares, both of us would be very satisfied, and it wouldn''t make us feel like we''re taking too much advantage of you."


    Lis looked at Mora''s earnest and resolute expression and shook his head helplessly, saying:


    "Alright, if you both insist."


    "Let''s work hard together, and let your father see just what you''re capable of. You''re no less than your older brother."


    "Mm!"


    Mora nodded emphatically, resolute in her heart.


    If I don''t seize such a good opportunity, I might as well give up on women forever!


    -----------------


    On the second floor of the Carl Mansion.


    Vim stood by the window, watching as Lis and Mora rode away in the carriage, his gaze enigmatic as if lost in thought.


    "Father, why agree to this? It''s a rare opportunity to establish a rtionship with Master Daher, and I think their product has a lot of potentials!"


    Mora''s older brother Jon, standing behind Vim, spoke with a tone of discontent andint.


    Baron Carl did not turn around, still standing by the window, and said:


    "Why? Do you think you could have done it?"


    Completely oblivious to the change in his father''s tone, Jon went on:


    "Of course, I believe if you were firm about it, Lis would probably have decided to cooperate directly with the guild."


    "Is that really what you think?"


    Baron Carl turned around, his face no longer bearing the mildness from before, but instead appeared somewhat disappointed.


    Jon noticed his father''s stern expression and lowered his head, not daring toin any further.


    "Your vision is still too narrow."


    "Making money has never been the primary goal of a guild, understand?"

 Chapter 99: Chapter 99 What! The disciple you took in is also named Lis? (Seeking first order!)

    On the same day that Lis went to the Carl family.


    Royal Magic Academy of Feis.


    Today, Yousef was in a particrly good mood, or rather, he had been in a great mood these past few days.


    After all, who wouldn''t be happy to suddenly receive such an outstanding student as Lis?


    It felt almost like finding five million while walking!


    When Lis had asked him if he could use his title of Magic Rune Master as a front, Yousef couldn''t have been more eager, even wanting to proactively publicize it himself.


    After all, the invention of the "Self-Charging" magic rune was destined to leave a profound mark in the history books of magic rune, or even the entire history of magic, and as Lis''s teacher, he was sure to get his share of the limelight.


    So today, Yousef made a rare trip out. Naturally, with his temperament, having finally managed to settle all the affairs of the Fifth Magic Workshop and nning to stay indoors for several months without leaving the workshop.


    Those who have reached the master level in the fields of enchantment and magic runes often have one basic skill: they must be able to sit still.


    How could you possibly make any breakthroughs in your research if you''re out running around every day!


    Yousef strolled leisurely around the academy, heading towards the center, with students recognizing and respectfully making way for him as he passed.


    Soon, Yousef arrived at his destination for the day, the administrative building of the Royal Magic Academy of Feis where all daily affairs of the academy were handled.


    Yousef went straight to the third floor and walked into the innermost room.


    "Dalton, I''vee to see you again!"


    As he entered, Yousef noticed another person sitting in front of Dalton, seemingly in the middle of a conversation.


    Yousef knew this man, or rather, was quite familiar with him.


    "Isn''t that Odysseus? What brings you, the vice principal, here today?"


    Odysseus Blumer was indeed the same person Lis had met previously at the Nest of the Undead Tree Demon; he was both the deputy leader of the Royal Mage Group of Feis and also the vice principal of the Royal Magic Academy of Feis.


    "You, why aren''t you staying in your Magic Workshop anymore? If you''re bored of it, you can lend it to me," said Odysseus jestingly.


    He knew all too well how hard Yousef had worked to secure the Fifth Magic Workshop, even asking him, the vice principal, to put in a word for him.


    After all, aside from the First Magic Workshop, which the principal used consistently, the facilities of the second to fifth Magic Workshops were all the same, equipped with Magic Intelligent Life and extremely precious, high-end magic research equipment.


    As for the workshops numbered sixth and beyond, they were much poorer inparison.


    Due to the huge cost involved and the enormous amount of maintenance funds required, both the academy and kingdom were very strict about applications for the top five Magic Workshops.


    Previously, only two vice principals, including Odysseus, possessed one of the top five Magic Workshops. Now there was an additional Magic Rune Master, Yousef.


    But Yousef also paid a substantial price,mitting to provide the kingdom with top-tier enchanted weapons and equipment every year.


    "Oh, leave off, you already have the Third Magic Workshop, giving it to you would be pointless."


    Yousef jokingly scolded him a few times, but it was all in good fun between friends.


    However, Dalton nearby didn''t share the good mood, speaking irritably to Yousef:


    "Yousef, you rascal, what are you doing here again? The budget I approved for you is already exceeded!"


    As the steward of the academy, Dalton Boggs had been utterly annoyed by Yousef recently; he had never seen such a persistent master.


    This guy is really ridiculous.


    Clearly, he''s not short on money, but he loves to apply for funds. You say he even asks for the top-tier Magic Rune Burner; that''s like being armed to the teeth.


    And what''s with applying for a toilet too? Is it because his butt''s too big!


    Yousef knew that he had annoyed him quite a bit before, but Dalton had never shortchanged him on what was due, so he thought Dalton was a pretty decent guy.


    With a casual wave of his hand, Yousef said,


    "Don''t worry, I didn''te here today to apply for funds. Can you help me retrieve a student''s information card?"


    When Dalton heard that Yousef wasn''t here for funds, he breathed a sigh of relief and a smile appeared on his face, saying,


    "Are you taking on a disciple? I wonder which student caught your eye. I remember you only have Bernie as a disciple right now."


    In the Royal Magic Academy, each enrolled student is provided with an identity information card, which records their basic information including their courses, their proficient magic categories, and their Mage Rank. This is a measure by the Kingdom to better control the domestic mages.


    If a teacheres to retrieve a student''s information card, it generally means one thing, they are preparing to officially take on that student as a disciple and update the relevant information on the student''s information card.


    This also signifies that both the academy and the Kingdom have recognized the master-apprentice rtionship between the two.


    Yousef stroked his short beard, smiling as he said,


    "Pretty good, almost on the same level as Bernie."


    In fact, Yousef was dying to brag about how outstanding Lis was and how proud he made him, but since their rtionship hadn''t been confirmed yet, and Little Lis also said he didn''t want to reveal the existence of the "Self-Charging" Magic Rune for the time being, Yousef had to reluctantly restrain himself a bit longer.


    "Okay, what''s the name of the student you''re looking for?"


    Dalton said with a smile, as long as it wasn''t about funds, anything was fine. If Yousef wanted to take on another disciple at the academy, he was naturally all for it.


    In general, such cases required both the teacher and the student to be present ??for confirmation, but Dalton didn''t delve too deeply into it.


    How could a student eyed by Yousef, a Magic Rune Master, evoke any other response but agreement?


    Odysseus, watching from the side, stayed silent. Although he was also here to take on a disciple today, he hadn''t noticed anything amiss and was actually a bit curious about the disciple Yousef wanted to take on.


    But his curiosity soon faded.


    "Lis Kain, should have enrolled about seven or eight years ago, hurry up and help me look for him."


    Hearing the name Lis from Yousef''s mouth, Dalton''s expression turned a bit odd.


    Is this the same Lis I heard about ten minutes ago?


    What, the disciple you''re taking on is also named Lis?


    Dalton looked towards Odysseus, seated opposite him, and noticed that the face of the vice-chancellor had also changed.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "What''s wrong, is there a problem?"


    Yousef, seeing Dalton''s prolonged inaction, asked curiously.


    "There''s no problem on my end."


    Dalton waved his hand and pointed at Odysseus, saying,


    "If it is that Court Viscount Lis Kain you''re referring to, his information card isn''t with me anymore. It''s with him."


    Yousef''s expression changed and he looked in the direction Dalton was pointing.

 Chapter 100 The Competition to Snatch Disciples, on the Verge of Eruption!

    Yousef followed the direction of Dalton''s pointing and saw that it was indeed the vice-principal who had just joked with him. His face changed, and he pretended to be indifferent as he said,


    "Why are you taking Little Lis''s information card? Give it to me now."


    "Why should I give it back to you?"


    Audis''s expression remained calm as a pristine white card slowly floated out from his hand and hovered in mid-air.


    "That''s my disciple''s information card."


    "Okay, okay, you old man, I was going to leave you some dignity. So you''re snatching my disciple, huh."


    Yousef could no longer contain his anger and reached out to grab the information card in front of Audis.


    "What''s the rush!"


    With a wave of his hand, Audis summoned a Wind Element that created a breeze, pushing Yousef to the other side of the room. As the vicemander of the Feis Royal Mage Corps, Audis''s strength indeed surpassed Yousef by a notch.


    "I am quite curious, Yousef, why did you take Lis as your disciple? As far as I know, his performance at the academy was quite ordinary."


    Audis held Lis''s identity information card in his hand, asking curiously.


    On the surface, the two were fighting over Lis''s information card, but the focal point was not about who got Lis''s card in their hands, but to make the other give up on the idea of taking Lis as a disciple. Otherwise, if it was just about an identity card, the academy could simply issue another one.


    Obviously, both believed that with their status and strength, Lis would not refuse to be their disciple.


    "His talent in Magic Rune is outstanding, is that not enough?"


    Yousef said irritably, after all, although Audis was an Arcanist, he was not particrly skilled in medium Magic Runes.


    "And you, why are youpeting with me?"


    Audis let out augh but did not respond directly.


    Ever since hest saw Lis, Audis had been preupied with this matter. After returning to the academy and dealing with rted affairs, he came here for Lis''s information card.


    After all, based on what he learnedter, Lis had always kept a low profile at the academy. His ssmates thought hecked talent and he was just an ordinary Bronze Mage.


    But in the eyes of Audis, that was not the case!


    Lis had lingered at the Bronze Rank for so long, was it not to umte knowledge and foundations to be an Arcanist?


    Audis, being an Arcanist himself, how could he not know the high difficulty of bing one?


    To be honest, before meeting Lis, if someone had told Audis that one could be an Arcanist at the Bronze Rank, Audis would haveughed at their ignorance.


    But when Lis appeared in front of Audis, he had to admit that there might really be such monstrous talents!


    So after returning to the academy and confirming that Lis had not be the formal disciple of any high-level Mage, Audis had already contemted taking him as a disciple.


    As for his previous disciples? Ha, just a bunch of unsatisfactory ones, with slim hopes of breaking through to the Gold Level.


    The fact that Lis had be an Arcanist could not be disclosed carelessly. Otherwise, anyone who heard of a Bronze Level Arcanist would know about Lis''s terrifying talent.


    Bing a Golden Mage was just his lower limit; the Legendary Domain was within reach to try and touch.


    Naturally, Audis would not casually tell others, but the current situation was quite troublesome.


    Seeing the way Yousef was, it was clear he was not willing to give up easily.


    What a hassle!


    Audis sighed. What should one do when the disciple one wants to take has too much talent?


    "You, you rascal!"


    Yousef was getting a bit angry now. I''ve already told you the reason, and you''re still beating around the bush. What are you doing?


    "You really think I''m afraid of you?"


    With a wave of Yousef''s hand, a jet-ck Magic Wand studded with dazzling gemstones appeared in his grip. If Lis had been there, he would have been shocked at the number of Magic Gems densely embedded on the wand.


    Goodness, with five or six Advanced Magic Gemsparable in value to Jade Gemstones, and all of the same Fire Element type, not to mention the various Low-level Magic Gems and the Mithril used for Engraving Magic Patterns, just this Magic Wand alone must be worth a hundred thousand Gold Coins.


    That wasn''t all; a silver Magic Robe materialized on Yousef in an instant.


    This was no ordinary garment. The magic fluctuations and Spirit Light it emitted were proof that it was an exceptionally valuable piece of Magic Equipment.


    Above all, various glimmers of magical light were shing across Yousef''s body �� his rings, nes, earrings, and brooches were all High-level Magic Equipment without exception.


    If there was one thing you could say about Yousef, it''s that he was loaded. As a Magic Rune Master, he had naturally equipped himself to the teeth.


    Dalton stood by, almost blinded by the dazzling light shining off Yousef''s treasures.


    "That Yousef, so wealthy and yeting to me every day to cry poor. I''m a dog if I agree to his additional funding requests again!"


    Audis felt a headacheing on, but still took his Magic Wand into his hand.


    This definitely wasn''t going to end amicably!


    Although he didn''t want to sh with Yousef, that hard-shelled turtle, giving up on taking Lis as an apprentice?


    "You really think I''m a pushover?"


    "Today I''ll show you that I didn''t be the Deputy Headmaster for nothing!"


    As the tension between Audis and Yousef thickened, Dalton quickly stepped in and shouted:


    "Don''t fight here, go to the Fran Magic Arena!"


    Damn it, if you two start fighting here, what will be of my office? All repaired with my dear little Gold Coins!


    Yousef snorted coldly and flew out of the window.


    Audis couldn''t show weakness, naturally, and followed Yousef to the Fran Magic Arena.


    The Fran Magic Arena was also a venue for inner academy personnel to spar, but it was different from thebat field where Lis was ambushed yesterday. The Fran Magic Arena was intended for the use of Gold-level Mages to practice andpete.


    It was named after the academy headmaster because "Judgement me" Fran Stephens had personally set up a highly Advanced Defensive Magic Array here. Attacks below the Legendary tier had almost no chance of breaking through the Defensive Magic Array.


    Yousef and Audis stood in the center of the Fran Magic Arena, waiting for the academy staff to activate the Defensive Magic Array.


    "You already have such an excellent apprentice as Bernie, just let me have Lis!"


    Audis tried to persuade him, making onest effort.


    "Oh, shut up, Audis! I have only Bernie as my apprentice, and don''t think I''m not aware that you''ve got enough apprentices to assemble a kingdom''s squad."


    Yousef didn''t give Audis any face at all.


    "Can they even bepared? They are all talentless folks."


    Audis said realistically, as innate Talent was far more important than hard work in the Profession of a Mage.


    Just then, many of the academy''s students noticed the Magic Light illuminating the Fran Magic Arena.


    "What''s this... The Magic Arena''s Magic Array is active, are Gold-level Mages going to have a match?"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Hurry, hurry, you don''te across this kind of event even once a year!"


    ...


    Before long, the students still at the Magic Academy were all rushing towards the Fran Magic Arena.

 Chapter 101 The Battle to Snatch Disciples Heats Up!

    Yousef and Audis traded barbs in the center of the arena, oblivious to the growing crowd gathering in the stands around them.


    Because the Fran Magic Arena was protected by a magic array set up by a Legendary Mage, there was no need to worry about harming the spectators, so the academy simply built a set of stands around the arena for onlookers to observe and learn.


    As the audience entered and saw the two people standing in the magic battle arena, they were all taken aback.


    "One of them is Vice Principal Blumer!"


    "Who''s the other person? This is too exaggerated; he''s decked out in magic equipment!"


    "It seems to be... Master Magic Rune Master Daher!"


    "How did these two big shots start quarreling, to the point of even activating the magic battle arena?"


    ...


    Seeing the defensive magic array beside the field was fully activated, with an invisible, transparent magic shield enveloping the entire area, Yousef no longer waited for his district''s turn.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    With a thought, the many fire magic gems on his luxurious magic wand began to shine with a dazzling red light, and an extremelyrge deep red fireball condensed above his head.


    The wand waved gently, and the huge fireball was hurled fiercely towards Audis under Yousef''s control.


    Facing the attack of the gigantic fireball, Audis remained unflustered. He mmed his magic wand into the ground, and a massive wall of earth rapidly stretched up from the ground, intercepting the fireball mid-air.


    Boom!


    The deafening sound of the explosion, apanied by a fierce wind, spread in all directions but did not cause the slightest ripple when it struck the protective shield formed by the magic array.


    Audis was rtively at ease. Unlike Yousef, who had put most of his efforts into researching magic runes and enchantments, Audis, as an arcanist, had always been earnestly exploring the roots and nature of magic power. With years of experiments and umtion, the number of his exclusive arcane spells outnumbered those of Lis.


    Seven-Circle Arcane "Audis''s Luminous me Burst Fireball"!


    The names Audis gave to his exclusive arcane spells were far more impressive than those of Lis, a habitmon among most arcanists when naming their own created arcanes, typicallybining the creator''s name with the spell they took inspiration from.


    Because an arcanist''s life is filled with the creation of numerous exclusive arcane spells, unless it''s something very special or an arcane that wasn''t developed through modifying an existing magic model but was apletely original creation, most arcanists wouldn''t bother toe up with a unique name for their spells.


    Yousef, looking at the ze-like fireball appearing above Audis, faintly sensed the explosive and destructive fluctuations within it, and his expression shifted.


    This was far stronger than the fireball he had just unleashed!


    This was an arcanist''s power��indeed, with sufficient knowledge umted, they became synonymous with strength and might.


    Although Audis was powerful, Yousef had no intention of backing down.


    If you were to ask where his confidence came from?


    It was nothing other than this suit of gear that had drained the heart''s blood and savings of a Magic Rune Master. Even if Yousef was not adept atbat, he was confident he could prolong the duel.


    Unless a Legendary Strongman intervened, no one could take him down quickly.


    A massive green shield appeared in front of Yousef, blocking Audis''s ze-like fireball entirely, but after fully blocking this attack, the shield also gradually shattered and vanished.


    If the onlookers were paying attention, they would notice a ring on Yousef''s right index finger set with a green magic gem. The spirit light on it also dimmed, suggesting it might need some time to recover.


    But Yousef wore a magic ring ofparable level on each finger!


    Not to mention all the other magic equipment and items he had on him.


    Sorry, that''s the power of Gold Coins!


    Audis felt a headacheing on; this was why he didn''t want to fight with Yousef��his magic equipment was mostly enchanted with various high-level defensive magic, creating an imprable shell around him.


    Just the magic embedded in that suit of armor was enough for Audis to be upied for quite a while.


    Despite thinking this, his hands didn''t stop moving. Arcanes of various colors congregated by his side like fireworks, bombarding Yousef.


    Meanwhile, Audis didn''t stop talking either, trying to persuade:


    "What''s the point, Yousef? You''re not short of talented disciples, let me have this one. It doesn''t look good for you to continue fighting like this, does it?"


    Yousef''s face twisted in anger, and while continuously casting defensive spells, he cursed:


    "Damn you, old man, have you no shame,ing here to steal my disciple!"


    "What ''your disciple''? I met Little Lis a long time ago, and I already asked for his opinion back then."


    This was a lie!


    In fact, Audis could clearly tell from the situation that Yousef probably had noticed something special about Lis and might have already taken him as a disciple.


    But this wouldn''t do, Audis had long suffered from ack of good disciples!


    Every day he had to endure his old friends boasting about their outstanding disciples. Who could stand that?


    Having taken on so many disciples, Audis had taught them with care, but the lottery he scratched off was always a ''thank you for your participation,'' not one of them had the potential to break through to the Gold Level.


    This often became a joke among his old friends at gatherings.


    So, upon seeing Lis, Audis was resolute in his thought: this was his chance to turn the tables!


    A Bronze Level Arcanist, what a face-saving addition for himself!


    Audis didn''t yet know that Lis had already broken through to the Silver Level, but that didn''t change his mind, even if it meanting to blows with Yousef.


    In fact, he was already feeling some regret. Why hadn''t he acted earlier? If he had taken Lis as a disciple on the spot, there would have been no need to go back to the academy to investigate his background.


    But what''s done is done, and there was no use in talking about it now.


    It''s just a turtle shell, and today I, Audis, am going to shatter that shell!


    "You''re full of crap!"


    Yousef was boiling with rage, the Magic Light radiating from his body growing even brighter.


    He had already asked Lis, who had not received any specialized guidance from a teacher, meaning there was no truth to Audis''s im of having Lis as a disciple.


    Although Yousef had not interacted with Lis for long, he felt no deceit or disguise from Lis. Instead, Lis had shared openly about the self-charging Magic Rune and a series of subsequent ns, a trust that made Yousef feelfortable and happy.


    Naturally, he believed Lis wouldn''t lie to him about such a trivial matter.


    What for? In fact, even if Lis already had other teachers, Yousef wouldn''t mind, as long as secrets were not disclosed externally. He was not one to hold a bias against other schools of thought.


    After all, exchanging knowledge is the most important way for Mages to make progress.


    But even so, Audis, you''ve gone too far. You think you can deceive me?


    All sorts of Magic Light red up around Yousef, and he no longer just defended passively but began to attack Audis aggressively.


    For a while, the battle in the Fran Magic Arena intensified.


    ...


    Meanwhile, somewhere in the academy.


    A figure suddenly appeared on the road, looking to be a handsome young man in his twenties, with dark brown short hair and a ck Mage Robe that gave off a somewhat dusty appearance, as though he had justpleted a long journey.


    Despite his youthful appearance, he carried a certain air of time-worn experience.


    With a wave of his hand, the young man''s attire became instantly clean, and he mused to himself while stroking his chin:


    "Coming back here is such a hassle. Why did that fellow rush me so much!"


    "Hmm? The Magic Battle Arena is activated, let''s see who''s stirring up trouble."

 Chapter 102: Chapter 102 "Judgement Flame" Fran Stephens

    Royal Magic Academy of the Feis Royal Family, Fran Magic Battle Arena.


    Yousef and Audis were unleashing various advanced spells in the center of the arena, yet their feet remained anchored to where they had started, not moving an inch.


    For them, though slightly heated, it wasn''t to the extent of fighting for their lives; they mainly focused on overpowering each other with straightforward magic assaults.


    Though Audis was an Arcanist with numerous techniques at his disposal, Yousef, d in luxurious magic equipment, could temporarily hold his own, not faltering before Audis.


    However, to the observing students, with their level of perception, these subtleties were not apparent; they were merely astonished by the formidable power and ingenious tactics of the duo.


    "Aren''t these two usually quite amiable? Why are they suddenly attacking so fiercely?"


    The spectators intently watched, discussing among friends.


    "Didn''t you hear? It seems these two arepeting for a student named Lis!"


    "What kind of talent is this Lis to rm such prominent figures and even spark apetition for discipleship?"


    "Exactly, one is the Academy''s vice-president and the other, a Magic Rune Master!"


    "I wish they would take me as a disciple too; then I''d definitely break through to the silver level."


    "Stop dreaming, by the way, do you know this person named Lis? They must be a student at the Academy too."


    "No idea, I''ve never heard of a talent named Lis."


    ...


    Perhaps because Lis usually kept a low profile or was assumed tock talent, no one believed the student Yousef and Audis were vying for was the inconspicuous Viscount Lis Kain.


    Just as the tension between Yousef and Audis grew fiercer, the protective shield illuminating around the Magic Battle Arena suddenly flickered and disappeared, along with the high level spells they had just cast.


    What?!!


    This unexpected development caught Yousef and Audis off guard, prompting them to cease their actions and cautiously survey their surroundings.


    The onlooking students on the stands went pale; the moment the protective shield vanished, the fear that the massive fireball and wind de might hit them made them feel as though they were facing death.


    Just when they wanted to ask what had happened, all students vanished from the stands in a blur.


    When they recovered from the dizzying sensation of teleportation, they found themselves in the za in front of the Academy''s main entrance.


    All the teleported individuals looked at one another in confusion, while passers-by curiously nced at therge group of suddenly appearing students.


    This, this, this... Did someone use a mass teleport to bring us here?


    This is incredible, but who did it?


    Some were still disoriented by reality, their thoughts scattered in the wind.


    Others seemed to realize something and, as if mad, turned and rushed toward the direction of the Fran Magic Battle Arena.


    ...


    Yousef and Audis, seeing all the students around them disappear, also changed expressions.


    Is it really this dramatic?


    Just as the two grew suspicious, a gentle voice rang in their ears.


    "Long time no see, Audis."


    "Why have you started fighting with someone?"


    This is!


    Upon hearing this familiar voice, Audis''s expression turned solemn with a look of respect.


    Next to him, Yousef appeared puzzled; the voice was unfamiliar, but the speaker was evidently no ordinary figure.


    A figure d in a ck mage robe appeared before them, his young and handsome face wearing a faint smile.


    "Lord Fran!"


    Upon seeing the young man, Audis immediately bowed respectfully, also giving Yousef standing beside him a meaningful nce.


    This was... Feis Royal Magic Academy''s Headmaster, Legendary Mage Fran Stephens!n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Only then did Yousef realize who was standing before him, and he hastily followed Audis in bowing.


    Yousef had joined the Feis Royal Magic Academy just ten years ago; at the time of his joining, the Headmaster had already gone out traveling, so he had not had the chance to meet this preeminent figure of the kingdom, the sole Legendary Mage.


    Thinking back, the man before him did indeed bear a striking resemnce to the portrait of the Headmaster that hung in the administrative building.


    Yousef was thrilled, for seeing this legendary strongman was a rare opportunity; any anger from his earlier argument with Audis hadpletely dissipated.


    This was none other than the Head of the Royal Mage Corps, the Headmaster of the Feis Royal Magic Academy, a Legendary Mage, a top-tier stic Energy Mage, "Judgement me" Lord Fran Stephens.


    This was also one of the reasons Yousef had chosen to join the Feis Royal Magic Academy. Even though the academy provided him generous resources, as a Magic Rune Master, Yousef could have received simr treatment elsewhere.


    But this ce was different. Although Yousef had traveled to many nations across the Fanor Continent, the only Legendary Mage who appeared frequently was none other than "Judgement me" Lord Stephens himself.


    Being able to receive guidance from a Legendary Mage was among Yousef''s conditions for joining the academy.


    Fran tilted his head slightly, seemingly having obtained information about Yousef from the academy''s Magic Intelligent Life, and nodded, saying:


    "Yousef, right? Not bad, young man, reaching the level of Advanced Magic Rune Master at such a young age. Keep up the good work."


    "You cane to me during the time I am here at the academy."


    Yousef was incredibly excited and didn''t mind being called a young man at all.


    After all, every life that breaks through to the Legendary level sees their lifespan significantly extended, at least around five hundred years. Besides, Legendary strongmen possess various means to further extend life.


    So, despite Fran''s youthful appearance, his actual age was certainly much greater than Yousef''s mere fifty years.


    Quickly bowing again, Yousef respectfully said:


    "Thank you for your generosity, Lord Stephens!"


    "Mhm."


    Fran then turned his head toward Audis, asking with a trace of amusement:


    "So what''s the situation here, Audis?"


    "Ie back to find you and Yousef sparring here. Are you really that free as the Deputy Headmaster?"


    Audis, who was rather familiar with the Headmaster, knew that in the Headmaster''s absence, he often handled most of the academy''s affairs, and recognized that the Headmaster was just teasing him.


    "Nothing serious, just shaking off some rust, practicing a bit with Yousef."


    "Oh?"


    Observing Audis, who still seemed as if he was hiding something, Fran''s smile deepened. He turned to Yousef and asked:


    "Tell me, Yousef. What''s the matter?"


    "Yes, Lord Stephens."


    Yousef stood up straight and pointing at Audis indignantly said:


    "This Deputy Headmaster was trying to steal my disciple. That''s just too much."


    "I did not. I wasn''t. Don''t talk nonsense!"


    Audis quickly countered with a few denials, lowering his head and ignoring Yousef''s usations.


    "I see..."


    Fran stroked his chin, bing intrigued.


    "What sort of talent could cause both a Deputy Headmaster and a Magic Rune Master to vie for him? I''m very curious, Audis."

 Chapter 103 Why are you two fighting over my disciple?

    Feeling the dean''s gaze upon him, Audis realized he couldn''t hide it anymore and honestly said:


    "A student from the academy named Lis Kain, he is a Bronze Rank Arcanist."


    "Arcanist?"


    Yousef turned his head in shock towards Audis.


    No wonder, no wonder Audis would shamelesslypete with him for an apprentice!


    No wonder Lis''s talent and skill in micro magic runes are so high!


    So he had already transitioned into an Arcanist!


    As a Magic Rune Master, Yousef knew very well what it meant to be an Arcanist��it represents the potential to reach the Legendary Domain, not to mention an Arcanist who had transitioned at the Bronze Rank.


    "A Bronze Level Arcanist?"


    "Judgement me," stroking his chin, grew even more interested.


    No wonder these two were vying for him. Never mind Audis, he himself was bing interested.


    Good teachers are hard to find, good apprentices even harder.


    You see, among the many apprentices Audis has taken, not one ismendable.


    "This fellow you mentioned who has transitioned into an Arcanist, called Lis Kain? From the Kane family?"


    Fran suddenly seemed to recall something and asked with a curious look.


    "Uh... If you''re referring to the one from the family with a Court Viscount, yes, that''s him."


    Audis felt somewhat puzzled.


    What''s going on, did the dean know Lis before?


    That shouldn''t be right, Cour Viacount titles and such, even if they mean little in front of a Legendary Mage, wouldn''t matter to him either.


    That''s not right; Lis shouldn''t have even been born when the dean left the academy to wanderst time.


    Fran ignored Audis''s perplexed expression, remembering a message he had received a while ago.


    [Fran, this is Joyce. Lis Kain, my elder brother''s child; take him as your apprentice, and consider my debt to you repaid.]


    This was a message left specifically for him through a Magic Item capable of sending messages wherever he was.


    Fran had kept one at the Magic Academy and left one with the Feis Royal Family, and this time, the messaging Magic Item he used was specifically left for that Legendary Shadow Dancer still in the Royal Capital.


    If he didn''t owe a favor, he would never have helped Joyce hide from the kingdom, allowing a Legendary Shadow Dancer not from his own forces to remain in the Royal Capital; how generous must the King''s heart be!


    But Joyce also promised not to strike at the Royal Family gratuitously, which is why Fran helped him keep it hidden.


    Thus, Joyce stayed in the Royal Capital for so many years without being detected by the Legendary Monk of the Royal Pce.


    There''s no real way to easily repay a favor owed, especially when owed to another Legendary Strongman.


    Simply taking an apprentice was rtively easy.


    So, after receiving this message, though he was far from the Feis Kingdom, Fran nevertheless hurried back by employing consecutive long-distance Teleports.


    So, the apprentice that Joey guy wants me to take is also this Lis Kain?


    Originally, Fran had decided, if Joyce''s favor couldn''t be avoided and if Lis had decent talent, he would invest more effort; if the talent was mediocre, he would simply teach him adequately, knowing Joyce would understand too.


    But, unexpectedly, Lis''s talent was not just good, it was impressively stunning.


    Fran, who had be an Arcanist only after advancing to Gold Level and had gradually broken into the Legendary Domain, naturally understood what being an Arcanist meant. Thus, he became very interested in Lis.


    With the talent exhibited by Lis, he fully qualified to be his apprentice.


    Very well, not only could he repay Joyce''s favor, but he could also take a promising apprentice, quite fortunate indeed.


    Fran''s mind stirred, feeling that it was a good deal unlike what he had initially thought.


    Actually, although Joyce knew that Lis had be an Arcanist and was exceptionally talented, he was not a Mage and did not realize how extraordinary it was to be a Bronze Level Arcanist, which led to this situation.


    Originally, his n was to have Fran take Risa as his disciple��it was only Lis''s change and progress that altered this n.


    "Who did I think it was? Being fought over like this, it turns out you are fighting over my disciple. Well, then there''s no issue."


    Fran said with a smile to the two in front of him.


    "What?"


    Yousef and Audis looked at each other, bewildered. When had Lis be a disciple of the "Judgment me"? They were not aware.


    Seeing their doubtful gazes, Fran cleared his throat and put on a stern face.


    "What, you doubt I''m telling the truth? Actually, although Little Lis''s talent is good, it''s just so-so. If it weren''t for an old friend asking me, he would still becking a bit to be my disciple!"


    So that''s how it was��it seemed there was a big figure behind Lis!


    Yousef and Audis thought to themselves and hastily stopped questioning.


    Kidding aside, they barely had the courage to resist with their gazes��a Legendary Strongman exining to you was alreadymendable, what more could they want?


    Moreover, they didn''t think the Dean would joke about such a matter, as after all, if he really forcefully wanted to take Lis as a disciple, neither of them would dare to object.


    "Alright then, let''s head back early. Don''t be so impulsive next time, or others might think our academy is full of warmongers!"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Fran waved his hand, and his figure disappeared in front of Yousef and Audis; Lis''s Identity Information Card on Audis also vanished.


    "Ah~"


    Audis was somewhat mncholic for not receiving the disciple he wanted. He ignored Yousef and flew straight out of the Magic Battle Arena.


    Yousef, unlike Audis, did not mind much since Lis had already acknowledged himself as his student. Competing with Audis was one thing, butpeting with the "Judgment me" was another; the current situation was quite good.


    Plus, having his student favored by a Legendary Mage...


    Seemed to add more honor to himself indeed!


    The sparring with Audis was good, a chance to move after being pent up for so long, and since the Magic Power in the Magic Equipment would recover by the next day, there waspletely no loss.


    Especially since Lord Stephens had returned to the academy, which was good news for Yousef.


    Joining the Feis Kingdom Royal Magic Academy was to get guidance from a Legendary Mage. Fran had also said that he could ask for advice during this time, which gave Yousef, who had waited ten years, a sense of seeing the clouds clear after a long storm.


    Quickly, he thought to create the Combined Magic Pattern needed by Little Lis, and then use the rest of the time to seek advice from the Dean.


    Yousef walked cheerfully towards the Fifth Magic Workshop, showing no signs of having his disciple taken away.


    -----------------


    Meanwhile, after confirming their cooperation with the Radiant United Commerce alongside Mora, Lis returned directly to his home.


    Mora said it was a big deal, and he needed to n properly, so he left first.


    It was great, the first time seeing Mora this motivated, except when it involved women.


    It was still early, so Lis did not dy and went straight to the undergroundboratory to continue his previous arcane research.


    Since his breakthrough to Silver Level, Lis had many new ideas but had yet to make a breakthrough.


    After a while, Joyce, who was busy in the mansion, suddenly stopped and looked toward the basement.


    "So, the old man has finallye!"


    Lis in the basement waspletely unaware of the changes around him, still deeply focused on the analysis and construction of the Magic Model.


    Suddenly, a voice broke the silence of the basement.


    "If you construct it this way, it will explode in three seconds!"

 Chapter 104 I Became a Disciple of a Legendary Mage?

    Startled by the sudden noise beside him, Lis jerked, and his hair stood on end.


    The magic model he was constructing in his hands almost failed to maintain its structure, and Lis hurriedly reorganized his control over the magic elements to stabilize the nearly out-of-control magic model and then slowly dissipated it.


    Luckily, Lis now possessed elemental control that was quite outstanding, already on par with a typical Gold-level Mage. Otherwise, he would have certainly witnessed an explosion on the spot given such a fright.


    "Not bad, your elemental control is quite outstanding already,"


    the same voice sounded again from beside him, causing Lis to take a deep breath before turning to look.


    A young man dressed in a ck mage robe stood behind him, smiling kindly at him.


    Although this young man was just standing there ordinarily, in Lis''s eyes, he seemed like the center of the entire world.


    Numerous magic elements spontaneously revolved around him, even the most explosive Fire Element and the most stable Earth Element behaved tamely likembs in his presence.


    This scene was familiar to Lis, and without any hesitation, he bowed deeply and said:


    "Honored Lord Stephens, it is a great honor to meet you."


    "Oh, you have seen me before?"


    Fran asked with a smile, his demeanor very friendly yet imposing immense pressure on Lis.


    Why was this big-shot back in Bright City at this time? In his previous life, this individual had returned only after the assassination at the Sacrificial Festival.


    And to appear in his ownboratory?


    Lis''s brain was rapidly thinking, pondering all possibilities, yet he respectfully replied:


    "Yes, I have seen a portrait of the Dean at the academy."


    Lest to say about Lis having seen this "Judgment me" in his previous life, just the extraordinary situation around him��other than a Legendary-level Mage, who else could it be? And Bright City just so happened to be the residence of a Legendary Mage.


    "Hehe."


    Fran waved his hand, and two chairs leaning against the wall floated over.


    "Sit," Fran said with a smile, seating himself in one of the chairs.


    Even though it was Lis''s house, Fran acted as if he naturally belonged there; however, Lis did not find anything inappropriate about it.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Are you kidding? This man was a Legendary Strongman. He behaved the same way even at the king''s court, not to mention in front of a mere Viscount like himself.


    Lis obediently sat down in the other chair, looking like he was waiting for the big shot to give orders.


    Fran suddenly turned his head to nce at a shadow on the wall, then smilingly said to Lis:


    "You''re Lis, right? Audis told me you''ve already be an Arcanist?"


    In fact, the moment Fran saw Lis, he knew that he was indeed a true Arcanist.


    The phenomenon of magic elements gathering around Lis''s body was very conspicuous in the eyes of another Arcanist.


    "Yes, Dean,"


    "Good," Fran nodded, then smilingly asked:


    "I''ve been asked to take you as my disciple; would you be willing to?"


    What is this situation?


    Lis''s brain was reeling, feeling as if you were lyingfortably at home in your previous life when suddenly a group of men in ck burst in, and the leading man in a suit respectfully tells you that you are the illegitimate child of the nation''s wealthiest man, asking you to inherit all his fortune.


    Stunned somewhat by the news, Lis, however, did not hesitate in his response.


    "I am willing, Dean!"


    Joking aside, this was about bing a disciple of a Legendary Mage!


    Speaking seriously, merely by the status of a disciple of a Legendary Mage, his standing was not beneath that of Second Prince Yatean.


    No need to worry about the Second Prince attempting to assassinate him; just by announcing his status, standing there would make the Second Prince dare noty a finger on him.


    However, it was strange, why did "Judgement me" suddenly take him as a disciple?


    Did he find out from the Vice Chancellor Audis?


    That shouldn''t be, even if his sessful transition to an Arcanist proved his talent, the Chancellor should still not be in the Royal Capital at this time; he couldn''t havee back just because of him!


    And what he just mentioned, entrusted by someone?


    The elders of his own family should all be gone, could it be....


    Lis suddenly had a vague guess, but he still needed to confirm some things.


    "Hmm, just call me teacher from now on."


    Fran was quite satisfied, taking such a genius as a disciple was much better than teaching a blockhead.


    "Yes, Teacher."


    Lis spoke very naturally, as if he had practiced it many times before.


    "Haha!"


    Franughed and said,


    "I once had a disciple, but he didn''t break through to Legendary and has passed away. So now, you are my only disciple."


    "I don''t have any special requirements, after all, learning and growth are your own matters, you have to be clear about this."


    "I will be in the academy during this period, starting from now,e to the First Magic Workshop every morning."


    "How much you can learn during my time at the academy depends on you."


    "Now that you''ve be an Arcanist, I''ll leave you with these words,"


    "Knowledge is the true existence we should revere, not the gods."


    Fran stood up, casually delivering this sphemous statement to Lis in the eyes of the Church of the Gods.


    "Oh, nearly forgot."


    Fran moved his right hand, and a brass ring with an ancient design emitting a crystal-clear glow appeared in front of Lis.


    Indicating Lis to take the ring, Fran winked and said with a smile,


    "Since I''ve taken you as a disciple, as a teacher, I naturally won''t be stingy, this ring is for you."


    After speaking, Fran''s figure vanished from the basement silently, just as when he had appeared.


    At the same time, a white Identity Information Card appeared on the table.


    Lis swallowed, took the floating brass ring in front of him, but instead of rushing to inspect it, he calmed his emotions and started to ponder his current situation.


    So now I am the disciple of a Legendary Mage?


    This sudden surprise made Lis somewhat unustomed, feeling like he was in a dream.


    He pinched himself hard, Lis expressionlessly confirmed the situation again.


    Yes, it hurt, not dreaming!


    No wonder Lis was so excited, the situation was truly astonishing.


    You see, it''s still before the great tide of the Gaia World era, not yet the chaotic times when all demons ran amok.


    Even by that time, a Legendary Mage was still among the strongest.


    And now, his Highness at the Feis Royal Magic Academy, indeed, is the only Legendary Strongman publicly known in the Feis Kingdom.


    This is truly a top-tier protective talisman!


    This also means that Lis can now strut around within the Feis Kingdom territory, as long as he doesn''t do anything outrageous, even the King would not dare touch him!


    Truth be told, Lis felt a strong urge to rush up to the Second Prince and punch him in the face.

 Chapter 105: Chapter 105 【Stephens Teleportation Ring】

    However, Lis was not the impulsive type, primarily because there was no point in being so.


    Lis was the kind of person who wouldn''t offend anyone unless they offended him first; if you crossed him, he would end you.


    Although Second Prince Yatean wanted to kill Lis during the Sacrificial Festival, Lis now felt that the one in danger should be the Second Prince himself.


    Lis was not a forgiving person who could easily let bygones be bygones with a smile.


    Even so far, it was Yatean who had suffered the greater losses.


    Feeling quite pleased, Lis gathered his thoughts and calmed down.


    He couldn''t afford to be too carried away. After all, being epted as a disciple by the Legendary Mage didn''t guarantee that Lis would break through to be a Legendary Mage himself.


    It was merely a better and higher starting point; Lis still had a long way to go before reaching the Legendary realm!


    Bing a disciple of a Legendary Mage was not his goal; bing a Legendary Mage was!


    But there was no rush; Lis was now quite confident in his future.


    Lis felt the brass ring in his hand; it was time to see what Mr. Stephens had given him.


    Touching the ring, Lis slipped it onto his right index finger and infused it with magic power.


    The ring began to emit a brilliant light, and Lis''s system panel shed with a notification.


    -----------------


    [You''ve acquired equipment "Stephen''s Teleportation Ring"]


    [Equipment: "Stephen''s Teleportation Ring"]


    Description: Created by the Legendary Mage Fran Stephens using extremely special materials and alchemy, this magic ring is engraved with an intricate magic array that allows you to use space teleportation spells without any cost.


    Equipment Effect 1: "Teleportation Technique," usable three times a day with five-ring magic.


    Equipment Effect 2: "Advanced Teleportation Technique," usable once a day with seven-ring magic.


    Equipment Effect 3: "Dimension Shield," usable once a day with seven-ring magic.


    Equipment Effect 4: Self mana recovery speed +10%


    Equipment Effect 5: Space magic damage resistance +10%]


    -----------------


    Tsk!


    This ring is somewhat invincible.


    Lis looked at the brass ring in his hand, stunned. The gift his teacher had given him for their first meeting was a bit too precious.


    As he caressed the tiny, intricate magic pattern circuits on the ring, Lis marveled at the Legendary Mage''s extravagant techniques and gestures.


    Teleportation spells, unlike the general attack and defense spells, are extremely difficult to master, and cannot be replicated by simple magic patternbinations, which is why wands and magic equipment often incorporate attack and defense spells, but teleportation can only be achieved through precise magic arrays.


    The "Judgement me," by engraving miniature arrays on this Teleportation Ring and achieving the enchantment of teleportation spells, had done something truly terrifying.


    It''s likely that even Yousef Daher, as a Magic Rune Master, couldn''t aplish this.


    This "Stephen''s Teleportation Ring" far surpasses the most precious magic ring Lis obtained in his previous life. Is this the work of a Legendary Mage?


    The possibility to use "Teleportation Technique" three times a day goes without saying, although it''s not convenient to use in Bright City, it''s indeed a divine technique for outdoor adventures; the only drawback of this spell is that it requires presetting spatial coordinates beforehand.


    The ability to use "Advanced Teleportation Technique" once a day is an advanced version of the "Teleportation Technique," which can ignore spatial fluctuations, break through most spatial blockades, and doesn''t require spatial coordinates for use (non-directional teleportation), truly a life-saving divine technique.


    Once a day, the use of "Dimension Shield" is permissible; this is one of the rare protective spells within space magic that, besides the typical protective capacity of a Seven-Circle Magic, has a very high judgement level, capable of immunizing against negative effects of the same level or lower.


    Thebination of "Advanced Teleportation Technique" and "Dimension Shield" is already sufficient to handle most perilous situations.


    Mr. Stephens probably gifted this ring to me to protect and prevent an untimely demise of his disciple.


    As for the effects of increasing my own mana recovery speed and resistance to space magic damage, they must have been included as part of the enchantment��better than nothing, I suppose.


    Speaking of which, although Lis has already be a Silver Mage and can start learning Five-Ring Magic, due to the high difficulty of learning space magic, Lis hasn''t yet mastered the "Teleportation Technique."


    Nevertheless, Lis isn''t in a hurry. In his previous life, he only mastered the "Teleportation Technique" after bing a Golden Mage. As for the "Advanced Teleportation Technique," among all the yers, only a few could master this advanced spell, and naturally, Lis was not one of them.


    Now that Lis has "Stephen''s Teleportation Ring," he can repeatedly use "Teleportation Technique" and "Advanced Teleportation Technique" to deepen his understanding of spatial energy, which should also increase his chances of mastering these space spells.


    ying with his newly acquired magic ring, Lis''s thoughts shifted to the impact of bing a disciple of a Legendary Mage.


    Bing a disciple of a Legendary Mage is something that cannot be concealed, nor is there a need to hide it. In fact, it is a good thing for him.


    Having a Legendary Mage as a mentor, many matters that previously required cautious consideration can now be pursued.


    Should I change my n?


    Lis pondered, finding it crucial to continue with the previously nned progression in civilian enchantment goods.


    It''s not that Lis is overly cautious; rather, the revolution and impact brought about by the "Self-Charging" Magic Pattern are too significant, affecting not only the Fanor Continent but also the entire Gaia World.


    If it were ordinary interests, others might give him face because of Lis''s status as a disciple of a Legendary Mage. However, with interests this substantial, not even Fran Stephens, the Legendary Mage himself could be of use.


    Once the value of the "Self-Charging" Magic Pattern is truly unleashed, it will incite major conflicts and strife; not just several legendary strongmen, even the Church of the Gods can''t help but be tempted to enter the fray.


    Now, it''s still best to keep a low profile, take it slow, and not be anxious. Start by making a few tens or hundreds of thousands of Gold Coins for expenses; other matters can wait until I have strengthened my own powers.


    As for the Sacrificial Festival and matters concerning the Second Prince, to be honest, Lis is even considering giving up his initial ns.


    Come, a Gold-level Assassin, right?


    In my left hand, the "Shadow Talisman" offers Legendary level "Shadow Shield" and "Shadow Jump;"


    My right hand holds "Stephen''s Teleportation Ring," which carries the Legendary Mage''s "Advanced Teleportation Technique" and "Dimension Shield."


    With these preparations, even if I stood here and let you attempt to assassinate me, what could you do?


    Right, there''s also a Gold Boss Level Vampire Ang protecting me.


    Unknowingly, Lis suddenly felt that he no longer needed to worry about the danger of assassination.


    If I''m not in danger, then....n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The tables have turned, Yatean!

 Chapter 106: Chapter 106 First Magic Workshop

    Lis was still in the undergroundboratory,


    on the second floor of the mansion, in Joyce''s bedroom.


    Fran Stephens, who had just left the basement, appeared directly in the room and sat down in a nearby armchair without concern for anything else.


    Next to him was the butler Joyce, who at that moment, poured a cup of emerald-green glowing wine into a ss and ced it in front of Fran.


    Fran looked at Joyce''s graying temples and smacked his lips, saying,


    "You''re still quite young, why insist on making yourself look so old?"


    "You just have to be like you, an old fellow who still tries to appear young."


    Joyce didn''t mind; his appearance was deliberately changed, otherwise it wouldn''t make sense for a moner" who had been in a mansion for over a decade to still look like a young man.


    "So for the sake of your deceased brother Brandon, you just went ahead and used up a favor?"


    "I must remind you thatst time you were putting your life at risk to help me, and to repay me this easily somewhat embarrasses me,"


    Fran said with a smile, indicating a good rtionship between these two Legendary Strongmen.


    "It''s worth whatever I feel it''s worth,"


    Joyce, unconcerned with such matters, responded,


    "If you feel embarrassed, just put more effort."


    "Certainly, rest assured, Little Lis has quite impressive talent."


    Fran sipped the emerald-green glowing drink with a bit of surprise and asked,


    "This is brewed from Elf n''s Tree of Life sap, where did you get such fine stuff?"


    In front of a peer, both rxed a great deal.


    "Got it with a Shadow Avatar, and you know I''ve always been staying in Bright City."


    "That Shadow Avatar of yours reallyes in handy, I should study up and make one next time."


    -----------------


    The next day, at the Royal Magic Academy.


    Lis got up early, and before heading to the First Magic Workshop, he first stopped by the academy''s office building.


    The teacher had left behind a white card when leaving yesterday, which Lis found to be his Identity Information Card, and he roughly understood what the dean meant.


    He gently knocked on the door and, upon hearing e in" from inside, Lis pushed the door open and entered.


    Inside, the academy''s chief steward Dalton Boggs was sitting behind arge desk, seemingly swamped with endless tasks.


    "Lord Boggs, I apologize for the interruption, I am here to return the Identity Information Card," Lis said as he closed the door.


    Upon hearing this, Dalton did not put down the pen in his hand but looked up at Lis.


    "Hmm, you are Lis Kain?"


    Dalton did not actually know Lis before, but when Audis came to fetch Lis''s Identity Information Card yesterday, he had nced at it, which gave him a slight impression.


    Moreover, with themotion that Audis and Yousef caused yesterday whilepeting over Lis, how could Dalton not pay attention?


    Although it was Dean Fran''s return that ultimately controlled the situation, it also underscored the exceptional nature of this Lis Kain.


    After all, Dalton had never seen such a senior deputy dean and Lord Magic Runee to blows over taking a disciple.


    He wondered whose disciple Lis ultimately became?


    Even though a person could learn from multiple teachers, in the academy, the master-student rtionship recorded in the Identity Information Card was most crucial.


    Dalton smiled as he took the white Identity Information Card from Lis''s hands, his consciousness probing into it to start reading the updated information.


    The space for Lis''s teacher''s name read: Fran Stephens.


    Fran Stephens?!


    This... isn''t this the Dean?


    Dalton was stunned by this shocking news, feeling somewhat dizzy.


    What''s going on? Weren''t Yousef and Audispeting for an apprentice yesterday, and now Lis has be the Dean''s apprentice?n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    This is the apprentice of a Legendary Strongman, such a status is a bit exaggerated!


    "Lord Boggs, if there is no problem, I will leave first, my teacher is still waiting for me at the First Magic Workshop."


    Seeing that Dalton was holding the card and not responding for a while, Lis spoke up.


    "Yes, yes, Lis my boy, you hurry on, don''t keep the Dean waiting."


    Dalton said hurriedly, startled.


    The First Magic Workshop! It seems it''s not a hoax.


    After Lis left, Dalton couldn''t focus on the tasks in his hands any more; he paced around the room several times.


    I must hurry and report to His Majesty the King. The Dean has taken an apprentice, and this is a big deal!


    Dalton calmed down, and as the appointed chief steward of the Royal Magic Academy of the Kingdom of Feis, it was naturally his duty to report such important news to His Majesty the King immediately.


    -----------------


    After leaving Dalton, Lis hurried towards the location of the First Magic Workshop of the academy.


    As for Dalton, Lis guessed that Stephens had him return the Identity Information Card to let the kingdom know about this news.


    "Lis Kain has be my apprentice, keep an eye on this!"


    This was naturally good news for him, and Lis was willing to make the effort to confirm "Judgement me" as his backing.


    However, what was more important now was to receive teaching from his teacher. It was unknown how the Legendary Mage would instruct his apprentice; it couldn''t possibly be enlightenment, could it?


    By the time Lis arrived, unlike other magic workshops, the First Magic Workshop looked more like a standard Mage Tower; its slightly red hue seemed to resonate with the moniker "Judgement me."


    As Lis approached the workshop, the doors opened with a loud "rumbling" sound, and a pleasant female voice carried through.


    "Honored Lord Lis Kain, wee to the First Magic Workshop. Pleasee in!"


    Lis nodded his head and walked into the workshop.


    The artificial intelligence of the First Magic Workshop seemed much more advanced than that of the Fifth Magic Workshop; the tone was not so cold, almost as if a gentle and beautiful girl was talking to him.


    As he walked into the workshop, Lis''s eyes met a variety of peculiar decorations, seemingly all part of the Dean''s collection��Dragon Teeth, Dragon Bones, various crystals and minerals, special magic items, and even several exotic nts with protruding parts on the right side of the wall.


    Lis only nced briefly and paid no further attention.


    These items were all collections of a Legendary Mage, undoubtedly precious, but touching them carelessly could mean not knowing how he could die.


    "Where is the teacher?"


    "Lord Stephens is waiting for you on the third floor."


    Upon hearing this, Lis immediately headed up the stairs to the third floor.


    Arriving on the third floor, he saw the youthful-looking Fran Stephens leaning on the sofa, writing something in the magic book in his hands.


    Upon seeing Lis arrive, Fran pointed to the sofa across from him to invite Lis to sit down, and with a wave of his hand, the small table in front of them was filled with steaming red tea and exquisite desserts.


    "You''re here early, let''s talk while we eat."

 Chapter 107: Chapter 107 The Essence of Arcane—Controlling the Rules!

    "After traveling for so long, it is only when I return that I can rest properly. Don''t mind it, Lis."


    Fran leaned back on the sofa with a rxed expression, enjoying the ck tea and desserts, and said with a smile,


    "Of course not, Mr. Stephens."


    Although Lis had not expected his first lesson to be in the form of a tea party, he certainly wouldn''t refuse given the Legendary Mage''s genial attitude.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "You started as a Bronze Level Arcanist, and now you have already been promoted to Silver Level, haven''t you?"


    "Yes, teacher."


    Lis''s strength naturally couldn''t be hidden from the Legendary Mage before him, so he straightforwardly admitted it.


    "Since you''ve already transitioned to an Arcanist, I won''t ask about those basics."


    Fran nodded and said,


    "Straight to the point, then. What do you think arcane magic is?"


    Lis pondered for a moment and stated earnestly,


    "I believe that arcane magic is essentially about researching and managing the properties of Magic Elements, developing unique Spells based on one''s own traits. The key lies in how to better control the power of Magic Elements."


    "Hmm, that''s a decent understanding,"


    Fran said with a smile, quickly adding,


    "But you haven''t grasped the essence of arcane."


    "Teacher, what is the essence of arcane?"


    Lis looked puzzledly at Fran, waiting for the Legendary Mage to enlighten him.


    "This so-called control over the power of Magic Elements is actually about mastering the Laws of the World."


    "Why do the characteristics of the Fire Element include heat, ascension, and explosion?"


    "Why do the characteristics of the Water Element include coolness, flow, and change?"


    "Why does the Wind Element represent Light Spirit, while the Earth Element signifies heaviness?"


    "These are the World Laws that were defined at the birth of the Gaia Great World, and as the world became moreplete, more and more Laws have continually precipitated, emerged, and stabilized."


    "It is also because of these World Laws that we have the world we live in now."


    As he spoke, with the movement of Fran''s fingers, various elements like fire, water, wind, and earth manifested around Lis, continuously demonstrating their characteristics.


    "Of course, as the Gaia World continues to develop and progress, new World Laws appear, such as Punishment, Hunting, ughter, and other higher-level World Laws, which are also the domains of those deities."


    "However, those have nothing to do with us Arcanists. Our goal is to master the World Laws represented by Magic Elements, which are also known as Foundation Principles."


    "Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, these most basic andmon elements, as well as Shadow, Light, Death, Life, Space, and so on, all of these are our targets."


    Fran revealed step by step to Lis the most critical and grand secrets of the Arcanists. This is the advantage of having a legacy, allowing you to have a clear direction forward, avoiding missteps.


    "So, teacher, the exclusive arcane we create is merely a means and process for us to explore and master the World Laws, not the end goal, right?"


    "Right, you''re very intelligent," Fran said, pping his hands andughing.


    "Many Spells today are merely idental findings from our predecessors'' exploration of the mysteries of the elements."


    "You must have created quite a few exclusive arcane yourself. How do you feel about that?"


    Recalling his own previous insights, Lis said with a furrowed brow,


    "I feel like I was just messing around before. If I identally created a new arcane, I would feel proud, but it was onlyter that I woke up to that."


    "Right, that''s amon mistake for young people who transition to Arcanist roles prematurely. If they had already been promoted to a Golden Mage, they wouldn''t do this."


    Fran waved his hand, and another ordinary Small Fireball appeared in front of him. He pointed at it and asked,


    "Do you notice anything different about this fireball?"


    Lis observed the fireball carefully, filled with the Fire Element, hot and dangerous, but that was it.


    Seeing Lis shake his head, Fran narrowed his eyes and condensed another reddish sphere, asking,


    "What about now?"


    Lis looked at the new Fireball Fran had formed, which, although also manifested from the Fire Element,cked the intense, explosive heat of the Fire Element and instead gave a cool, gentle sensation.


    Lis thought his perception was misled and reached out to touch it doubtingly.


    Indeed, it was just as he felt before, clearly the Fire Element, but it felt like he was facing the Water Element.


    Watching the puzzled expression on Lis''s face, Franughed, dissipated the two fiery orbs in front of him, and took a sip of his tea.


    "As I said earlier, we are Arcanists, people who explore thews of elements and master the Foundation Principles, but that is what we need to do before bing a legend, and after advancing to a legend?"


    "After controlling thews is... changing thews?"


    A spark of enlightenment shed through Lis''s mind as he answered.


    "Exactly!"


    Fran looked at Lis with some surprise, not expecting the boy to be so perceptive.


    "The second Fireball just now, I formed it through the Fire Element too, but I altered thews of the Fire Element within it, making it behave like the Water Element."


    "This is also the ability an Arcanist possesses after advancing to a legend or, let''s say, the payoff for our exploration and mastery of the world''s Foundation Principles."


    "I can make the Fire Element more explosive, or gentle like water, and simrly, I can change the properties of other Magic Elements."


    "The extent to which we can alter Magic Elements entirely depends on our mastery of the elementalws."


    "So, do you now understand what the ultimate goal of an Arcanist is?"


    Facing Fran''s question, Lis pondered deep in his mind.


    Honestly, today''s teachings by the Legendary Magepletely overturned Lis''s previous understanding of Arcanists; Lis felt as though he were standing at a higher level, overlooking the problems he had encountered before.


    At this moment, Lis was very d that after his rebirth, he gave up other professions that seemed more powerful and chose to switch to being an Arcanist.


    He had not expected to touch upon such a magnificent and grand secret of the world.


    Controlws, changews!


    What aspirational and thrilling terms they were!


    As for Fran''s question, Lis already had his own answer in his heart at this moment.


    "Createws!"


    "Exactly!"


    Fran was genuinely surprised this time; he hadn''t expected Lis to think this far, as when he himself had just switched to being an Arcanist, he hadn''t been able to answer his teacher''s question.


    This boy, truly a genius whopleted the Arcanist switch on his own, indeed had talent.


    "This is the dream of all Arcanists, to createws of our own."


    "But unfortunately, so far, no one has seeded."


    "You must have noticed, the altered Fire Element I just changed, returnedpletely to its original state once it left my control."


    Fran continued to exin to Lis.

 Chapter 108: Impact Diffusion

    "This is because the Fire Element Law already exists, so my alteration of the Fire Element is temporary and will soon be dissolved," Fran patiently exined to Lis:


    "Therefore, long ago, Arcanists hypothesized that only bypletely recreating a new worldw could such a change be permanently stabilized, much like when the Gaia World was initially formed."


    "It��s the goal many Arcanists work toward, but so far, no Arcanist has been able to achieve it, so it remains a hypothesis to this day."


    "However, this is still far off for you, Lis; what you need to do now is learn and umte."


    "You must quickly master the Elemental Rules and then the Foundation Principles."


    "Yes, Mr. Stephens."


    Fran looked at the gifted disciple sitting before him, finding Lis��s talent and perceptiveness even better than he expected, and couldn��t help but give a word of caution:


    "Starting from now,e to me every morning, and you can use the second-floorboratory in the workshop whenever you like; if there��s anything you don��t understand, you cane to me."


    "While researching the Elemental Rules, don��tpletely set aside the development of exclusive arcane studies either; the twoplement each other."


    "Yes!"


    While heading upstairs, Lis had noticed that the second floor of the First Magic Workshop was like Master Daher��s Fifth Magic Workshop, rtively ordinarypared to a researchb.


    But this was only rtive to the personalbs of Legendary Mages; the standardbs of the First Magic Workshop were already much better than Bernie��sb on the third floor of the Fifth Magic Workshop, probably not far off from Yousef��s exclusiveb.


    Is this the handiwork of a Legendary Mage?


    Loved it!


    With such a great opportunity, Lis of course seized it.


    "By the way, have you been studying Magic Rune with Yousef?" Fran seemed to suddenly remember something and asked Lis.


    "Yes, I previously studied Magic Rune and Enchantment with Master Daher," Lis honestly replied, unsure why his teacher suddenly asked this.


    "Hmm, that��s very helpful for your progress. As an Arcanist, it��s important to draw from various sources of knowledge. Learning Magic Rune will greatly assist you in mastering the Elemental Rules. Yousef is quite capable; learn as much as you can from him."


    "Understood, teacher."


    Lis would have continued to learn Magic Rune and Enchantment even without Fran mentioning it; they were incredibly practical skills after all.


    "Let��s go to theb and see how well you��ve mastered it so far."


    Fran stood up and led Lis to theboratory, ready to start this morning��s instruction.


    -----------------


    While Lis was beginning his arcane studies with "Judgement me,"


    Bright City, Feis Royal Pce.


    The old King Morton Fis stood by the window, lost in thought.


    "Your Majesty."


    Duke Hade entered and bowed to the old king, wondering why he had been urgently summoned to the Royal Pce today.


    There hadn��t been any significant news recently, had there?


    "Fusis, you��ve arrived!"


    Morton handed Fusis Hard a piece of paper filled with intelligence, motioning him to read it before discussing it.


    Fusis received the document, puzzled, as it contained little information apart from a single sentence:


    "Lis Kain has been taken as a disciple by ��Judgement me�� Fran Stephens."


    "This?"


    Fusis looked at the king in shock, struggling to believe it.


    What was going on? Was this the same Lis he had met just a few days ago, now a disciple of a Legendary Mage?


    Incredible!


    "Fusis, I want to know why Lis was taken as a disciple by ��Judgement me��?"


    Morton Fis said gravely:


    "Is it because of some special reason, or because Viscount Kane��s talent has already attracted the attention of the Legendary Mage?"


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Fusis immediately understood His Majesty��s implication.


    If it were due to some special reason, it would have been one thing, but if it were because Lis��s talent had attracted the eye of the Legendary Mage, it almost signified that Fran Stephens believed Lis could potentially break through to the Legendary Domain.


    It should be noted that the Kingdom had rmended many disciples to this Legendary Mage before, and without exception, all were rejected.


    "Your Majesty, do you mean for me to inquire or test the waters?"


    Duke Hade��s expression also became serious as he respectfully asked.


    The old king pondered for a moment, shook his head at Fusis, and said:


    "No matter the reason, he is already a disciple of a Legendary Mage, and these tests arepletely unnecessary."


    "Rather, I do hope Lis truly possesses the talent to be a Legendary Mage."


    A smile appeared on the King��s face.


    "Um..."


    Fusis was momentarily stunned, frozen in ce.


    "If Lis can break through to the legend in the future, and with my daughter Taya, even if I am no longer here, Feis Kingdom should be able to prosper indefinitely."


    Morton thought somewhat contentedly and turned to Fusis, saying:


    "Now that you know, keep it understated on the Kingdom��s end. Don��t let too many people know."


    "As for Lis, the Kingdom needs to show more goodwill. I will leave this matter to you."


    "Yes, Your Majesty."


    ...


    Gedo Street, a hidden manor.


    Second Prince Yatean was dealing with state affairs today and hade to the study here.


    With the Sacrificial Festival drawing ever closer, Yatean spent increasingly more time here, apparently the only way to alleviate some of the pressure he felt.


    After all, leading the assassination of Kingdom Nobles, once discovered, even being the Second Prince would not save him from irreversible doom.


    While Yatean was perusing the reports on the desk, the study door was knocked on.


    Upon Yatean��s permission, an attendant entered and ced a piece of correspondence in front of Yatean, respectfully saying:


    "This is a letter sent from the Royal Pce for you."


    "Hmm."


    After waving the attendant out, Yatean picked up the envelope and nced at it.


    It indeed was an official letter from the Royal Pce. Why didn��t they notify me when I was there this morning, but are sending it now?


    Yatean found it odd, but still opened the envelope.


    "Notification from the Royal Magic Academy, Lis Kain has been taken as a disciple by ��Judgement me�� Fran Stephens."


    Yatean confirmed the information on the letter repeatedly with an expressionless face, took a deep breath, and stood by the window.


    His expression inscrutable, who knew what the Second Prince was thinking about.


    ...


    The same letter was delivered to the Gedo Street adventure team vi.


    Ya��er nced at the letter in her hand, thought for a moment, and directly threw it into her storage ring, pushing the matter to the back of her mind.


    From her experience, a letter from the Royal Pce was definitely not good news. It was probably another call to endure the old king��s nagging.


    Better out of sight, out of mind. If something really happened, she would just im she forgot to read it.


    After all, she really hadn��t opened it!


    ...


    Although the news surfaced muchter, in the following days, it gradually spread among the upper echelons of Bright City.


    This Viscount Lis Kain also gradually became the focus of discussions at many gatherings.

 Chapter 109 Testing Joyce

    In the following days, Lis''s activities were very regr every day.


    Every morning, he would go to the First Magic Workshop to study with Mr. Stephens, and if there was any spare time, he would go to the Fifth Magic Workshop to research new Magic Runes and Enchantment techniques with Bernie.


    Sometimes, Lis would even bump into Yousef, who was seeking advice from the dean, and that''s when he realized that his teacher was almost an all-rounder, far superior to Yousef, the Magic Rune Master, in the realm of Magic Runes.


    Could it be said that an Arcanist hardly has any weaknesses?


    Lis resolved to move in that direction, determined not to fail the name of his "All-Purpose" Talent!


    After a day of studying, when Lis returned home, he rarely went down to the researchb again.


    Don''t ask. Theb at the First Magic Workshop was just too enticing!


    At that time, Lis would flip through Magic Books, and sometimes he''d go to the Library to stay for a while, sitting beside Risa and reading together.


    Of course, he had no other intentions whatsoever.


    Perhaps because they were spending more time together, Risa gradually became more familiar and wasn''t as shy as the first time.


    At that point, Ang became rather conflicted. Should she sleep on Lis''s head or on Risa''s head?


    She liked the scent of both people.


    Little Bat had many worries too!


    ---------------


    September 1, morning.


    Kane Mansion.


    Today was the first day of autumn ording to the Chenxi Calendar, and all families in the Feis Kingdom would prepare delicious foods in anticipation of the uing harvest.


    Although the Kane family had no worries about the harvest, Housekeeper Joyce still instructed the kitchen to prepare a lot of fine food, allowing the servants to take a slight break today.


    In the dining room, Lis also sat at the table enjoying thevish meal.


    Savory grilled ribs, Feis roast chicken, Bright City sashimi tter, apple ck pudding, onion soup, and more, Ang was so delighted she dived right in without saying a word.


    Seeing Housekeeper Joyce busy nearby, Lis''s eyes lit up, and he said,


    "Joyce, don''t be busy,e eat with us. I actually have some things I want to ask you."


    On hearing this, Joyce didn''t refuse but walked to the side of the dining table, respectfully bowed, and then sat down to the left of Lis.


    However, Joyce didn''t start eating but sat elegantly and quietly, waiting for Lis''s questions.


    For some reason, although Lis had always respected this housekeeper, now that Joyce was looking at him, he felt somehow pressured.


    Forget these thoughts, onto official business!


    Lis shook his head, and in almost the same tone as before, he asked,


    "Joyce, did you know that Dean Fran Stephens has taken me as his apprentice?"


    "Yes, young master, this news has spread among the nobles of Bright City. Recently, the invitations for you to attend gatherings have increased by more than tenfold," Joyce responded meticulously.


    "Right. I''ve got something for you to remember..."


    Lis organized his thoughts and continued,


    "Mr. Stephens said he was entrusted by someone to take me as his apprentice, but I can''t figure out who this person could be?"


    After a pause, Lis continued,


    "Joyce, you''ve been with the Kane family for a long time, do you know if there are any other forebears of the Kane family still around?"


    Lis pretended to look puzzled but intently watched Joyce''s reactions.


    This old guy is really nosy!


    Joyce couldn''t help but inwardlyin about the Legendary Mage.


    He had clearly told him not to mention himself to Lis, yet he slipped up anyway.


    It wasn''t a simple mistake; it was his mischievous nature!


    Although Joyce was inwardly scolding Fran, his expression remained unchanged.


    "This�� I don''t think so, I haven''t heard from the master that the Kane family had any other predecessors around."


    "Moreover, I heard from the master that the Kane family has been a single line of session up to his generation."


    Lis nodded slightly, pretending to be indifferent, and said,


    "Is that so? Joyce, were you close to my father before?"


    Joyce looked up at Lis and his face, which rarely showed emotions, now bore a slight smile.


    "Yes, I was adopted by the Kane family when I was a child and grew up with Master Brandon."N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Brandon was Lis''s father, the former Viscount Kane.


    "Oh, I see."


    Lis got the answer he wanted, and his suspicions gradually became clearer.


    Changing the subject, Lis started asking about other matters.


    "The librarian in the library, Risa, do you know her, Joyce?"


    "Yes, she was brought here by the master and has been living in the mansion since then, though she seldom goes out," Joyce said calmly.


    "Does she have great mage talent?"


    "Yes, that was also the reason the master adopted her."


    As expected!


    Nodding, Lis indicated that he had asked all he wanted to know. Seeing this, Joyce also stood up to leave, his smile now slightly more pronounced.


    After Joyce left, Lis tasted the food in front of him slowly, though his mind wasn''t really on the food.


    His teacher said he was acting on someone''s request, so it couldn''t have been a joke.


    Besides his family''s ancestors, Lis couldn''t think of anyone else who might show such great favor, not even the King!


    The key point was that a Legendary Mage valued someone else''s request, which meant that this requester must be on the same level.


    Coincidentally, Lis had a clue in his hands.


    The "Shadow Talisman" from that Legendary Shadow Dancer!


    The housekeeper giving him a talisman containing legendary power, and a Legendary Mage taking him as a disciple upon someone''s request... It all seemed suspicious!


    All these clues were rted to his housekeeper, and all urred after his own breakthrough to the silver level.


    Moreover, from his recent replies and reactions, it seemed that there were no such forebearers left in the Kane family; the only possibility was this old housekeeper himself.


    He was also very close to Lis''s father and even hinted at these facts to Lis, whether intentionally or not.


    His housekeeper, Joyce, was very suspicious!


    Could Joyce be that Legendary Shadow Dancer?


    It was unexpected to have such a prominent figure at home; Lis was somewhat restless.


    It wasn''t that he wanted to rush to hold onto the housekeeper''s coattails; it was more that Lis felt somewhat guilty.


    He knew he wasn''t truly Lis Kain but a soul from another world that had taken over this body.


    Recent changes in him might have been noticed by this powerhouse, and there might be a chance that the housekeeper had sensed something was amiss.


    However, this powerhouse had given him a life-saving talisman and found a Legendary Mage to teach him; likely, he hadn''t discovered anything amiss.


    Well, since the powerhouse hadn''t explicitly mentioned it, it was best to pretend to know nothing for now.


    As Lis thought this, suddenly a notification sound from the system panel rang beside his ear.


    Calling out the system, Lis was somewhat surprised.


    The "Forum" button, which had previously been grey and unselectable, had turned bright again!

 Chapter 110 Player Forum Launches!

    Blue Star, Hua Country, Sky City.


    Liu Tai strolled through the streets, feeling cheerful.


    Having just shed his status as a working drone, he felt a weight lift off his shoulders, no longer bound to the previous 9-9-6 lifestyle.


    With enough savings to rx for a long while, the confident Liu Tai didn''t n on looking for a job right away, opting to rest for a bit first.


    As Liu Tai pondered over what to eat, his gaze was identally drawn to an advertisement ying on arge screen nearby.


    "Join the new version of the undefeatable fleet in Divine Revtion, brotherse and challenge me in the game!"


    "So, you y ''Divine Revtion'' too!"


    "No need to spend any money, just a gaming helmet, and you can experience a 100% virtual reality game from your own home."


    "What are you waiting for?"


    ...


    This gamingpany is so wealthy, how many advertisements did theyunch!


    Liu Tai shook his head. He was an adult now, gaming was something he could skip.


    ...


    Not even an hourter, Liu Tai carefully took off the gaming helmet once he was back home and set it on a table next to him.


    It must be said, the virtual reality was incredible!


    Despite himself, Liu Tai couldn''t resist and spent 7777 yuan on a Divine Revtion gaming helmet!


    Not for anything else, just to critique the exaggerated promotions, iming it was 100% realistic?


    Yet, just moments after trying the helmet for a little while, Liu Tai was thoroughly impressed!


    The game hadn''t even started service yet, and Liu Tai entered a hundred square meter area of space where he could experience skills from professions like mage, warrior, and assassin.


    He could also switch the environment of this space, towns, deserts, forests, mountains, ice fields, oceans...


    The varied exotdscapes made Liu Tai feel as if he was truly traveling in reality.


    This game is really awesome!


    Liu Tai hadn''t yed games in a long time and found his interest rekindled. However, seeing the opening time of the Divine Revtion game, he couldn''t help but feel vexed.


    It only starts on October 7th, and today is just September 1st!


    Why did I have to discover this game so early?


    He had to endure more than a month, which was truly agonizing!


    Having no other choice, Liu Tai went online and found the yer forum for Divine Revtion, hoping to find some game-rted intel.


    Although he was only in his twenties, life had already smoothed his edges, but at this moment, he felt a surge of excitement and eager anticipation.


    It felt like returning to childhood, fighting alongside friends in the arcade.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    He clicked into the game forums, and right at the top was a highlighted game announcement.


    Liu Tai clicked on it, and a detailed announcement appeared before him.


    ---------------


    Game Announcement:


    We thank all yers for choosing ourpany''s first major game, Divine Revtion!


    This epoch-making masterpiece achieves a simtion of reality that is one hundred percent, hoping to provide you with a fantastic and wonderful journey.


    Opening time: 2XXX year October 7th at 9 AM


    Precautions:


    1. Each ount is bound to real identity information of the yer, after determining profession aptitude, only three opportunities are given to create character talents, from which a yer can pick one Gold Level talent, three silver Level talents, and five Bronze Level talents.


    (Talents are extremely important for character development, please choose carefully!)


    2. In Divine Revtion, all NPCs are simted by artificial intelligence with built-in logical thinking. To ensure the gaming experience for all yers, please refrain from revealing any real-world relevant information during the game. The system monitors throughout and any rule-breaking information leaked in any form will be automatically reced, please be attentive while gaming.


    3. In Divine Revtion, all yers are required to follow public norms and not engage in any behavior that vites the game rules, which include but are not limited to nudity, uncivilnguage, etc. The system will monitor automatically.


    Attachment: Divine Revtion yer''s Code of Conduct (First Edition)


    4. Each character in the game has only one resurrection opportunity within 24 hours, and as the yer''s strength levels increase, the penalties for resurrection be more severe. yers are advised to y cautiously and make thoughtful decisions.


    (Factors within the game not covered include but are not limited to Resurrection Technique, Holy Resurrection Technique, etc.)


    ...


    Seeing dozens of such tips, Liu Tai felt even more interested.


    With so many rules, it seems like the game is telling yers to disguise themselves well and avoid detection by the natives. It looks like the gamingpany really values the yer''s experience.


    Anyway, Liu Tai wasn''t a nonsensical person; the role-ying element made the game more appealing to him.


    Liu Tai thought about it, used his usual online name "Liu''s Titan," and registered a Divine Revtion ount, then started browsing the yer interaction area.


    There were numerous posts from yers, new ones popping up with each refresh.


    Seventy-nine is too expensive: Damn, this game is incredible, really exaggerated. Do other games even stand a chance now?


    Lord of Pride: Three years have passed, and I return with pride!


    MT Brothers: Silver Scales Breastte, blue quality, five gold each!


    Universe''s Number One Beautiful Girl: Any GGs and MMs want to y together?


    Yu Qian Liuli: The Cute Boys'' Guild is recruiting, those with game experience preferred! If you''re a brother, let''s be cute together!


    Show It Ben: Looking at the announcements from the gamepany, it seems our Hua Country has its own server this time, making quite the disy!


    European, Eat My Spear: Damn, it looks like this game has a Luck Value setting too, I don''t want to y then!


    Ting Yu: Heard that almost all gaming guilds dered this morning that they are fully moving to Divine Revtion. Are they going to organize professionalpetitions now?


    Thousand Gold Easy Come Easy Go: Why the heck! I protest, why can''t we have nudity, limiting game freedom! Everyone, join me in protest!


    (Co-signed voting portal: ...)


    Liu Tai couldn''t resist, clicked in, and gave this brave warrior a thumbs-up before happily continuing to browse the forum.


    Gradually, posts with high likes got bumped up.


    Bing Gan Sui Sui: (Serious discussion) Specting about the main storyline direction and the possibilities for initial game exploration


    No Hua Fruit: Predicting yer career development based on character Talent types


    Loving Family: Organizing travel, living, fishing, and food groups, those interested join 788183xxx


    ...


    Liu Tai clicked on the post made by No Hua Fruit.


    ---------------


    You all saw the announcement from the game forum, right? It seems that the Talent and Profession tendency you choose initially corresponds to the Talents you get randomly, suitable for a particr Profession.


    For instance, Talents that increase Intelligence and Mana recovery suit advancing as a Mage; Talents that boost Strength and melee output suit being a warrior.


    Currently, the official Talent choices are divided into six categories based on Attributes.


    Intelligence, Endurance, Mysterious, Strength, Agility, Charm.


    So, I guess each Attribute corresponds to one or more Basic Professions...


    ---------------


    Liu Tai browsed for a long while, and before he knew it, the sky outside the window had darkened.


    Moving his sore neck a bit, Liu Tai was still somewhat reluctant to stop.


    It would be great if I could y the game tomorrow!


    Thinking it over, Liu Tai tapped on his keyboard and also posted a message on the forum.


    Liu''s Titan: Newbie yer seeking group, any veterans willing to guide me?

 Chapter 111: How to Handle Players!

    Gaia World, Fanor Continent, Feis Kingdom, Bright City.


    Kane Mansion, dining room.


    Lis looked at the system panel before him with some surprise, his eyes focusing on the illuminated "Forum" button.


    Had the yer forums been activated?


    So, would yers from his past life descend again?


    It had been a long time since Lis paid attention to this matter, and he was somewhat unprepared. Although he had spected that yers might really appear, he had been too busytely following the Legendary Mage and had not made any preparations.


    But there was still time!


    Lis had already entered the forum to check, finding that the current date and time in both worlds matched, both being September 1st.


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    However, Lis also knew that during the version updates, the time flow rate between the two sides would change.


    One version updateter, it could be just a few days on Blue Star, but decades could have passed in the Gaia World.


    Flipping through the game notifications he found exceptionally familiar, along with various nonsensicalments from yers, Lis felt some emotion. This was the experience from his past life, but now he had traversed into the real Gaia World, wielding an Extraordinary Power filled with infinite Charm.


    Thus, even though he felt nostalgic, Lis did not wish to return to Blue Star to be an ordinary person again.


    However...


    Lis fell silent for a moment and then began searching for a name in the yer forums, "I Don��t Want to Be Lis."


    This was the nickname Lis used when he entered the "Divine Revtion" game in his past life. When the yer forums opened in his past life, Lis had rushed in, helping his penniless game studio to advertise, deceiving quite a few people, andying a solid foundation forter flourishing development.


    After operating for a while, Lis looked at the search bar and, seeing the "no such person" prompt, he breathed a sigh of relief.


    Honestly, Lis also didn��t know how he would face another "Lis" if there was one on Blue Star.


    It was better this way, not having to confront the "self" from his past life.


    Lis adjusted his mood and began to search for various information in the yer forums.


    The majority of yer spections about the content of "Divine Revtion" were useless to him. After all, with his experience from his past life and his knowledge from this life, he was far ahead of these yers in many aspects.


    Lis mainly looked at the various notices and the movements of various game guilds in the yer forums.


    After "Divine Revtion" began in his past life, almost all game guilds concentrated manpower to join the game, along with the highest number of casual yers.


    Although there were many yers, the Gaia World was simply too vast, and their numbers merely caused a small ssh, creating no significant waves.


    Moreover, at the early stages of the game, the yers�� capabilities were even less than ordinary mercenaries, so they were mostly spectators of the main storyline, not catching the attention of higher powers.


    However, Lis did not underestimate this force. As a yer himself in his past life, he knew that once the yers reached the Gold tier, coupled with their exaggerated numbers, even without Legendary Strongmen, this was a tremendously terrifying force.


    Unfortunately, the yers�� thoughts were too difficult to control, which was a consensus most attempts to recruit and control yer forces reached in theter stages of the past life��s game.


    Except when they were assigned tasks and given rewards, which made them particrly obedient, the yers�� wild ideas were simply beyondprehension at other times.


    Is bungee jumping from the top of Dawn Cathedral really that interesting?


    And why would someone steal underwear from Her Majesty the Queen of Feis?


    Gold Level strongmen walking just fine, and suddenly someone rushes out to cling to your leg calling you "daddy?" How do you deal with that?


    The countless senseless behaviors made various forces very troubled. When recruiting yers, attention had to be paid, but aside from a few, arge number of yers were dangerous elements who thrived in chaos. So much so that for a time, the natives regarded the yers as messengers of Hell, believers of the Evil God.


    However, what most interested the native forces was the yers�� ability to resurrect.


    In the world of Gaia, Resurrection abilities did exist, but mostly, they were a manifestation of divine power, a special ability of the Church of the Gods�� Divine Arts.


    But the yers�� resurrections didn��t have a simr divine essence and didn��t require the assistance of others.


    Even though the yers�� resurrections came at a cost, this undying trait was enough to interest certain people.


    As far as Lis knew, there was once a Legendary Mage who captured some yers for research, but ultimately, he didn��t obtain any useful information.


    Some spected that the yers�� resurrection abilities came from the Death God Yeager, a god whose powers had been from ancient times, but in the end, this was only a spection without any evidence to support it.


    Lis didn��t want to waste energy researching why yers appeared, after all, his memories from a previous life had told him it was all in vain. It was better to think about how to properly utilize these yers.


    You see, they were an excellent workforce, as long as they were given properpensation and tasks, their work enthusiasm could rival those of fanatics.


    Or rather, they were a group of fanatics who loved gaming.


    So, where should he start to control these yers?


    Lis couldn��t even enjoy the food before him anymore and stood up, heading towards the basementboratory.


    Now, he needed a quiet space to carefully n the matter of the yers�� appearance.


    The maid Rossi, standing to the side, watched as the untested apple ck pudding before Master Lis was all tossed into Ang��s mouth, feeling somewhat downcast, but quickly clenched her fists to cheer herself up.


    Next time, she must make it tastier and let the young master thoroughly enjoy it!


    (Testing the author��s newly applied illustration feature, it cost me quite a lot of ink!)


    -----------------


    Sitting in theboratory, Lis habitually pulled out a piece of parchment, beginning to sketch and write.


    Based on the erroneous methods those forces in his past life tried to control yers, trying to control yers through force or coercion was a pipe dream.


    Better dead than unfree!


    In other words, because yers could resurrect and could specify their resurrection point, if you dared to force them, they dared to die to spite you.


    The most vexing thing was, after the yers resurrected, they would bring a group to cause trouble for you, using gueri tactics, assassinations, setting traps, poisoning, and so on, as vile as possible. Many yers treated it as just a virtual game,pletely disregarding any moral boundaries, which truly tormented many smaller forces to the point of despair.


    Seems like it��s essential to grasp these yers right from the root!


    Lis had a great advantage in this aspect; after all, in his past life, he was a top-ss hardcore yer, familiar with many such schemes and methods.


    When ites down to it, there��s just one method.


    That is interests!


    yers are people who won��t stir without profit. As long as there are sufficient benefits, be it experience, money, or magical items, not to mention working for Lis, they would even risk their lives.


    Worker Leek Version.jpg

 Chapter 112: Legendary Talent "Elemental Torrent Dominator"!

    ```


    Having determined his direction, Lis began to n the specifics of his scheme to harvest the yers�� wealth on paper.


    He wasn��t sure if he could issue tasks to the yers directly, but he assumed it should be possible, or he could simply have others publish the tasks for him.


    yers appearing in the Gaia World were restricted in some of their actions by the game system (fog~), but their bodies were no different from those of real humans.


    So, like anyone else, yers needed to eat, rest, and even when they logged off, their bodies wouldn��t vanish like in some games, but rather remained, unconscious like someone in a vegetative state, utterly defenseless.


    It was as if the character you controlled truly existed within the Gaia World, and if you didn��t log in for a long time, your character could potentially die from starvation.


    But there wasn��t too much to worry about, as after death, apart from experience penalties and other losses, there would be no other changes; yers just needed to resurrect themselves.


    Therefore, the first issue that yers faced when entering the game was simply survival.


    yer characters, being newborns in the game, had nk attribute panels, with all their traits simr to those of an average person apart from their Talents.


    All yer characters were Civilian Level 1, dreaming of taking up an Extraordinary profession? Unless you were one of the Lucky few, you��d better start working and earning money.


    This was why the Mercenary Guild was the most popr ce for yers in the early stages of the game, and it was also one of the rmended paths by the game officials.


    First was the opportunity to earn money, and second was the chance to learn Extraordinary Abilities.


    Let��s be honest, even though the yers didn��t have much, their Talents were exceptional, and they had no problems grasping Extraordinary Abilities or leveling up as Professionals.


    Should he try to rece the influence of the Mercenary Guild among new yers born in the Bright City area?


    Even recing just a part of it would be immensely helpful in controlling the yers�� actions!


    Gold Coins, tasks? His Guild, which was in the midst of establishment,cked nothing more thanborers of all kinds.


    After all, the yers were prime ��crops��, hardworking and willing, articte and skilled in various areas��this was a deal he couldn��t lose on.


    Moreover, he was well aware of the yers�� early difficulties, and by offering services like amodation, clothing, and food in addition to employment, it was possible that he could make back even more than he spent!


    The more Lis thought about it, the more feasible it seemed, recalling the real-world struggles of new yers when a gameunched, with many resorting to begging on the streets of Feis, iming it to be some sort of performance art, sadly to be caught by patrolling Guards.


    He made a mental note of this to have Mora arrange itter.


    As for the more creative methods of harvesting the crop, Lis wasn��t nning to use them just yet.


    s, the ��crop�� wasn��t yet ripe for the reaping, feelingckluster; it was better to let them grow plump and tender.


    A certain matter came to mind that Lis felt had to be prioritized.


    That was to cultivate some Magic Rune workers among the yers.


    Lis had previously noticed that yers engraved Magic Patterns differently from natives, mastering the process quickly without needing to understand the underlying principles, caring only about the ��how����not the ��why����and doing so more efficiently.


    The most important aspect was that, provided Lis set strict confidentiality requirements and punitive measures, there was almost no chance of yers leaking secrets, which was of paramount importance to him.


    However, to train yers to handle "Self-Charging" Magic Runebinations was still a long way off; Lis had plenty of time to do this gradually, as the initial production capacity wasn��t high and Bernie could handle it all for now.


    Soon, the parchment in front of Lis was filled to the brim with writing.


    That was about it, Lis nodded, storing the parchment in his storage ring.


    With a month left until the game��sunch, Lis settled down.


    The appearance of the yers meant that the subsequent major events and the main storylines�� development wouldn��t change too drastically, as Lis still held a considerable advantage as a Prophet!


    -----------------


    The next morning, Lis did not head to the First Magic Workshop to study with his teacher; instead, he made his way to the Library.


    He wasn��t sure what kept Mr. Stephens busy these days, as he told him to study on his own and didn��t need toe to him anymore.


    However, Lis also felt that Fran had already imparted to him much of the basic knowledge; what was more important now was his ownprehension, practice, and ultimate mastery.


    Angyzily atop Risa��s head, having apparently eaten too much the previous day, settling for a meager half-table of food this morning.


    Lis watched Risa, who was slowly flipping through a Magic Book in the gentle morning sunlight, her creamy, baster hair seemingly emitting a mysterious glow in the light.


    Risa had grown quite ustomed to her young master by now and was used to having such a bookpanion.


    Together, the two sat quietly by the window and read for the better part of the day, both content to sit and be still.


    Lis put down the "Harmony and Resonance of the Four Fundamentals��by Fran Stephens" he held in his hands and asked Risa:


    "You��ve been reading for a while now, Risa, aren��t you tired?"


    "Yes, a little,"


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Risa replied, her interactions having be more rxed over many encounters.


    ```


    "Speaking of which, Risa, have you always stayed in the library? You��re already a Silver Level Mage, why haven��t I seen you practice spells in the courtyard?"


    All professionals find it hard to improve by simply burying their heads in books. Only throughbining acquired knowledge with practical exercises can one achieve breakthroughs, as the twoplement each other.


    However, Lis hadn��t ever noticed Risa practicing spells in his memories, which was quite absurd.


    "Mr. Lis, I did practice when I was studying at the Magic Academy, but since returning, I haven��t really practiced in the library," Risa replied.


    "It hasn��t had much of an effect, though; I can practice some simple spells inside the library."


    Risa tilted her head, pondering for a moment, before speaking softly.


    Lis was somewhat speechless. To reach such a high level of Silver strength without practice, her talent must indeed be remarkable.


    However, Lis could guess the probable reason Risa kept it a secret, so he didn��t inquire further. He hade today with a different purpose in mind.


    "How about a sparring session in the courtyard? It would be a good chance to get some exercise."


    Lis suggested, ready to verify some of his own spections throughbat.


    "Umm... all right."


    Risa hesitated, instinctively not wanting to leave the library, but that encouraging look in Lis��s eyes made her unconsciously agree.


    ...


    Standing in the courtyard, Lis looked at Risa, who was cloaked in a ck cape that wrapped her from head to toe, finding it somewhat helpless.


    The style was growing more simr to the one he had suspected, wasn��t it?


    Seeing Risa retrieve a goldbat wand iid with a high-grade Water Element Magic Gem from her storage ring, Lis didn��t pay it much mind; all this was within his expectations.


    "Here Ie!"


    Lis called out, waving the Jade Wand, conjuring a solid, emerald Wind de in midair, shooting straight toward Risa.


    But halfway there, it was blocked by the Elemental Shield that Risa had cast.


    However, Lis had reached his goal.


    Lis looked at the system panel that refreshed in front of his eyes, showing the challenge information of Risa.


    -----------------


    [Based on your level, you��ve obtained the following information.]


    Name: Risa Kane


    Race: Human


    Level: 88


    Life Value: 9024/9024


    Mana Value: ???


    Main Profession: Elemental Mage


    Secondary Profession: None


    Talent: Elemental Torrent Dominator (Legendary Talent)


    Attributes:


    Strength 267


    Agility 268


    Intelligence?


    Charm?


    Mysterious?


    Endurance 267


    Luck?


    Danger Level: Dangerous! (Yellow)


    Evaluation: A powerhouse! Far surpasses peers!


    -----------------

 Chapter 113 Turns Out to Be a Rookie Mage

    Just as I suspected!


    Lis silently observed Risa''s status panel while continuing to spar with her.


    Following Risa''s challenge notice, the system also refreshed with a new challenge task.


    -----------------


    [Ding~]


    [Limited Challenge Task Triggered]


    [Objective: Defeat Silver Mage Risa Kane]


    [Reward: To be determined based on thepletion of the task]


    -----------------


    Now is not the time to consider Risa''s identity!


    The thought of stripping skills and specialties from Risa, a holder of legendary talent, excited Lis.


    I have to try it. Although my strength is still far from Risa''s, how would I know if it''s possible without trying?


    Lis gripped his Jade Wand tightly, first casting simple Shield Magic and Beneficial Magic on himself, then, fully prepared, he earnestlyunched his Attack Magic at Risa.


    Risa didn''t know what had happened, why had Master Lis suddenly be serious? Wasn''t it agreed that this was just a training exercise?


    Somewhat at a loss, Risa could only cast a Magic Shield on herself to block Lis''s attacks for the time being.


    Master Lis seems to have broken through to silver recently, how does he feel a bit strong?


    Risa was puzzled, but then ceased to ponder on it, attributing it to Master Lis being a genius.


    I also need to put in effort, can''t let the young master down!


    Thinking this, Risa channeled magic power into her Frost Cold Staff, the high-level Water Element magic gem red up with a dangerously enchanting deep blue glow.


    A huge and translucent blue Ice Cone appeared in mid-air, paused briefly before smashing fiercely towards Lis.


    Five-Ring Shape Changing Magic, "Ice Cone"!


    Lis''s eyes twitched at the sight, the power was outrageous!


    He didn''t even consider trying to withstand the attack with his Shield Magic and awkwardly dodged to the side, narrowly escaping the massive Ice Cone.


    Goodness me!


    Is this the buff effecting from the Talent "Elemental Torrent Dominator"?


    Indeed it is deserving of a fully offensive legendary talent, the enhancement to spell power is terrifying!


    Although it wasn''t disyed on the panel, Lis remembered the detailed information about this legendary talent from his memory.


    -----------------


    [Talent: Elemental Torrent Dominator]


    [Rank: Legendary]


    [Effect: You are the darling of the elements, a genius of Shape Changing Magic! When using Shape Changing Magic, spell power is increased by 100%, mana consumption is reduced by 50%, and the cooldown period of spells is significantly decreased]n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    -----------------


    Violence!


    Pure, unadulterated violent output!


    What is Shape Changing Magic?


    As the name suggests, it''s the kind of magic that shapes magic elements and energy to form tangible spells with different effects, like the Fireball Technique, Ice Cone Skill, Lightning Technique, and so on.


    Shape Changing Magic is also known by a more familiar term, Elemental Magic.


    From the effects of the talent "Elemental Torrent Dominator," we can see how absurdly exaggerated the enhancement is for the Shape Changing Magic that Risa uses.


    And in his previous life, as a legendary mage, Risa''s terrifying manner of engaging inbat was something Lis still remembered.


    The sky was filled with colorful clusters of light, which appeared beautiful but actually contained terrifying powers; they were all Shape Changing Magic spells cast by the mage.


    Indeed worthy of the name "Torrent," Risa was truly the epitome of a barrage-style Legendary Mage!


    At that time, Risa was also yfully referred to by yers as the Legendary Mage of barrage.


    However, the one facing this challenge was no longer the Blood Rose Princess Taya of the past, but the current Lis.


    Lis swiftly dodged the massive Ice Cone, looking at the deep pit created in the courtyard with a click of his tongue.


    Having you around would definitely make for a cool summer!


    This won''t do, facing a barrage mage like Risa, it''s essential to close the distance. If Lis allowed Risa to output without pressure, that could spell trouble.


    With that n in mind, Lis moved closer to Risa.


    Risa herself was startled by the power of her own spells and became somewhat hesitant to cast more.


    She felt that a few more spells from her and she would destroy the Kane Mansion''s courtyard.


    Not to mention worrying about being med by Lis and Lord Joyce, Risa didn''t want it either.


    During the years she spent in the library, this delicate courtyard was also a part of her small world, and she didn''t want to destroy it just like that.


    So, after casting an Advanced Elemental Shield and Advanced Anti-Magic Domain on herself, Risa only used control-oriented spells and didn''t employ the high-power Shape Changing Magic she had used earlier.


    Lis didn''t pay much attention to the control spells cast by Risa, as he had noticed a problem with Risa right after they started shing.


    She had nobat experience and almost no fighting finesse!


    Risa''s way of fighting was simple: stand still, cast a shield �� attack with spells �� cast a shield �� attack with spells...


    In short, she had no real strategy; she only stood in ce, continuously casting spells. The crucial point was that Risa''s uracy with her spells was not high, and Lis easily dodged most of them.


    This was probably because Risa had always stayed in the library with few opportunities for practice.


    Though Risa became a Legendary Mage in the future, whose staple in battle was to output from a fixed position, it was only because that was the most suitable approach to leverage her abilities and talent. Legendary Mage Risa''sbat skills were indeed terrifying.


    Just thinking about Risa, casting spells like fireworks filling the sky and still managing to hit each target with precision, illustrates her horrifying level of control.


    Byparison, the current novice Risa was sorelycking, leaving far too many openings for Lis.


    Not to mention that in order not to cause too much damage to the courtyard, Risa was now using even more low-power and control spells, reducing the threat to Lis even further.


    So after deftly evading the magical attacks, Lis easily rushed up to Risa''s side.


    Three-Cycle Arcane "Blue Ball Skill"!


    Three-Cycle Arcane "Catastrophic Explosion"!


    Thebination effect of the two arcane spells was as effective as ever,pletely shattering Risa''s cast defensive spells.


    Risa didn''t seem to expect Lis to break her shield so easily and, in a panic, hastily cast a new Elemental Shield.


    Seeing this, Lis chuckled lightly and charged next to Risa.


    His Jade Wand shed in his hand, transforming into a fiercely cold Longsword, and he thrust it at Risa, who was looking on with a hint of terror in her eyes.


    -----------------


    [You have switched weapons, "All Techniques Return to Storage - Lis" effect activated!]


    [You have entered the "Return to Storage" status, skill damage increased by 10%]


    -----------------


    The newly formed Elemental Shield had almost no resistance to the physical Martial Arts attack, maintaining for only a moment in Lis''s sword light before shattering directly.


    Risa no longer had time to cast another spell, as Lis''s sword tip steadily pointed at her chest.


    Risa''s eyes were filled with bewilderment.


    Isn''t Young Master Lis a mage? Why did he suddenly pull out a Longsword?


    After a moment of hesitation, Risa said in a somewhat pitiful tone:


    "It''s... it''s my loss, Young Master Lis."

 Chapter 114 Azela Floating City!

    Just after Risa conceded defeat, Lis''s system panel emitted the crisp notification sound of taskpletion.


    Without hurrying to check the status of thepleted task, Lis smiled and said to Risa:


    "I got a bit serious just now, you okay, Risa?"


    Risa quickly shook her head and replied:


    "I''m fine, young master, it''s just that I was a bit too forceful, and the courtyard..."


    Lis looked around at the surrounding courtyard. The huge ice cone Risa released was still embedded in the ground, and the garden andwn that the gardener had meticulously cared for were covered with the scorch marks left by spells, with a lot of the dark soil even turned over.


    Lis didn''t mind these things; instead, he winked at Risa and said:


    "No worries, it was all my doing, got it?"


    "Oh."


    Risa seemed to understand Lis''s intent, quietly replying, and feeling a lot more at ease.


    "However, Risa, don''t you fight very often? You seemed a bit nervous just now."


    Lis used Mage''s Hand to pull out the ice cone and gently ced it to the side.


    "Yes, so just now my mind went a little nk."


    Risa said with a bit of embarrassment.


    "That won''t do. When you have time in the future,e with me to the Magic Academy to practice spells. There, you can really let loose."


    "Yes, young master."


    Risa had already be somewhat ustomed to following Lis''s arrangements and obediently nodded in agreement.


    Lis asked the servants at home to help the gardener clean up the yard, and seeing this, Risa also returned to the Library.


    ...


    After making the arrangements, Lis returned to his bedroom, ced the sleeping Ang in the little basket he had prepared for her, and theny down on his own bed.


    Lis first started checking the limited challenge task he had justpleted.


    -----------------


    [You easily defeated Risa,pleting the limited challenge task]


    [Judgement: Cross-level Challenge... Judgement failed, reward remains unchanged]


    [Judgement: Full-effort Combat... Judgement failed (Risa did not use 100% strength), reward decreased]


    [Judgement (Hidden): With Ease... Judgement passed (You did not use 100% strength), reward increased]


    [Taskpletion 90%, reward distribution in progress...]


    [You have gained 100w Experience Points]


    [You have acquired the specialty [Advanced Water Element Affinity]]


    [You have acquired the skill [Five-Ring Magic: Ice Cone]]


    [[Advanced Water Element Affinity]��Your affinity for Water Element particles has almost reached the peak, when using Water Magic you receive a 50% damage bonus, and rted Water Element effects are significantly increased]


    -----------------


    The taskpletion wasn''t high, which Lis had already braced himself for.


    After all, to minimize the destruction, apart from the initial Five-Ring Magic [Ice Cone], Risa didn''t use any other high-powered Shape Changing Magic and failed to showcase the power of her Legendary Talent.


    The most important thing was that Risa''sbat experience wascking, so much so that even with the ability topletely overpower Lis, she wasn''t able to pose any threat to him.


    This should not be the performance Risa is meant to disy, she needs to be corrected.


    Lis took note of this and suddenly realized there was something he could try.


    However, obtaining the specialty of "Advanced Water Element Affinity" satisfied Lis greatly.


    Since Risa possessed the Legendary Talent "Elemental Torrent Dominator," it was presumed that she would have the highest level of specialty affinities for various elements.


    He could slowly take advantage of that in the future!


    After all, since he had to help Risa improve herbat skills, that''s what Lis thought.


    But what needed attention now was not that. From the challenge information disyed by the system just before, Lis finally confirmed Risa''s identity.


    Or rather, the identity Risa would present to the yers and the world in the future.


    "Elemental Catastrophe" Az!


    In his past life, this female Legendary Mage was an extremely mysterious individual, with no one knowing her true identity.


    If Taya''s identity became widely known after she became the Legendary Warrior and seeded to the throne, then the identity of Legendary Mage Az was shrouded in mystery from beginning to end.


    Who is she? What does she look like? How did she break through to Legendary status?


    Every time she appeared, there was a thinyer of mist surrounding her, concealing her features.


    Moreover, it seemed she had solidified advanced Anti-detection Magic on herself, and even the yers'' system panels couldn''t obtain any useful information about her, only recognizing her talent as the Legendary "Elemental Torrent Dominator."


    As a result, her name remained unknown, and people could only use the name of the force she established as the title for this Legendary Mage.


    Yes, the realm of this Legendary Mage was��


    Az Floating City!


    The Floating City, as the pinnacle of ancient Magic Empire''s wisdom, is a magic city powered by Mise''s Core, floating high in the sky, symbolizing glorious magical achievements and a terrifying martial foundation.


    Thus, the Floating City has always been a ce that mages in the Gaia World aspire to.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Before Az Floating City, there was no Floating City on the Fanor Continent.


    This azure Floating City that rose from the Eastern Fanor Sea was the first fully operational Floating City on the Fanor Continent.


    And the master of Az Floating City was "Elemental Catastrophe" Az!


    Frankly, Lis had not initially linked Risa with this fearsome Legendary Mage of the future; the gap between them was too great.


    However, after essentially confirming yesterday that the butler was a Legendary Shadow Dancer, he started to specte about Risa''s identity.


    After all, as the age of chaos approached and more Legendary Mages emerged, the possibility that one of them could be Risa was rather limited.


    As the first Floating City on the Fanor Continent, it naturally aroused great envy, and even though it was controlled by a Legendary Mage, not everyone was willing to give up on seizing it.


    Lis remembered that after Az Floating City rose from the sea, an incognito Legendary Mage challenged its ruler, hoping to im the Floating City as their own.


    Just when this unknown Legendary Mage battled with Az above the East Sea, a Legendary Shadow Dancer covertlyunched an attack and nearly left this mage forever in the eastern part of the continent.


    This incident sent shockwaves across the continent. After all, a force that boasts two Legendary-level powerhouses is a top-tier force in the Fanor Continent, and even many Human Kingdomsck even one Legendary Strongman.


    Since then, no one dared to covet the Floating City any longer.


    And the Shadow Dancer, being a highly rare advanced profession among assassin Professionals, had only a few who reached Legendary status.


    If Joyce was the unnamed Legendary Shadow Dancer who appeared at that time, then Risa was very likely to be that Legendary Mage, Az.


    After all, given Risa''s talent, it was very likely for her to break through to the Legendary Level, and Joyce had also vaguely revealed that Risa was the genius the Kane family had been nurturing from a young age.


    So this means, the secret of the Kane family...


    Is it that Floating City quietly submerged in the Eastern Sea!!!

 Chapter 115 The Tragic Future of Yatean

    Is that the Floating City quietly suspended over the eastern seas?


    Lis sat up from the bed, his expression grave.


    To be honest, this was beyond his imagination��it was a still-functioning Floating City!


    Having a Floating City was a temptation even Legendary Mages couldn''t resist, let alone others.


    Although Lis had anticipated something, he truly hadn''t expected the Kane family''s secret to be that Az Floating City.


    Controlling a Floating City required at least one Legendary Mage, so when Risa advanced to be a Legend, that Floating City truly appeared in the world!


    However, Lis suddenly recalled a past event.


    After the Legendary Mage Az and the Shadow Dancer repelled an invading Legendary Mage, these two Legendary Strongmen did not start establishing power right away; instead, they drove the Floating City all the way toward the Feis Kingdom''s capital, Bright City.


    When the Floating City was less than a hundred kilometers from Bright City, it was intercepted by the Feis Kingdom''s Legendary Warrior "Blood Rose Princess" Taya Fis and Legendary Monk "Broken Mountain" Avin Dern.


    It''s unclear what caused the conflict between them, but the four Legendary Strongmen battled fiercely in those mountains. Many yers were present at the time, so videos of the fight spread.


    Lis had seen them. It was one of the rarerge brawls among several Legendary Strongmen early in the game, turning the mountain range where the battle took ce to ashes.


    Latter, under the mediation of "Judgement me" Fran Stephens, both sides ceased fighting and departed.


    Although the oue of that battle wasn''t known, some signs afterward suggested that the Feis Kingdom came out worse.


    After that great battle, Az Floating City settled near the eastern coastal area of the continent, precisely where the former Boditch Kingdom was situated.


    By then, version 2.0 of the game''s main storyline "Total War" had ended, and the Boditch Kingdom hadpletely be part of history, incorporated into the Feis Kingdom.


    The Feis Kingdom could no longer restrict people from going to Az Floating City, and all the supplies needed by the Floating City were provided by the Feis Kingdom at low prices.


    Since that battle, the rtionship between Az Floating City and the Feis Kingdom had been quite harmonious��there was no longer a feeling of strained hostility, which puzzled many yers.


    What was it that caused these two Legendary Strongmen to go to such lengths?


    And what exactly did the Feis Kingdom sacrifice to resolve this conflict?


    After all, it involved two Legendary figures and a Floating City��this setup was enough to obliterate some smaller countries!


    Lis from a previous life couldn''t figure it out, but now, as an insider, he seemed to vaguely grasp something.


    Could it be because of his assassination by the Second Prince in his previous life?


    If that were the case, many things would be exined!


    Why did Joyce and Risa, after gaining sufficient power, immediately be hostile to the Feis Kingdom?


    Why did the Second Prince Yatean appear so infrequentlyter on, and even then, eventually disappearedpletely?


    Could it be... the price the Feis Kingdomter paid was...


    Wow, if that''s the case, Yatean is kind of pitiful!


    He lost his throne and ended up with a grim fate.


    But no matter, Lis didn''t have much sympathy for the Second Prince; on the contrary, he was actually preparing to trick the Prince.


    Come to think of it, tricking him was also a way to protect him.


    Otherwise, should he really let Joyce negotiate with him?


    Thinking this way, I''m really too great!


    Yatean should thank me!


    Lis thought to himself smugly, feeling absolutely justified in tricking someone��it''s the best feeling.


    Regarding Joyce and Risa''s identities and the Kane family''s secrets, Lis decided to keep quiet for now.


    He had no intention of asking Joyce,n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Joyce, does my family own a Floating City?"


    But Lis couldn''t exin where this information came from, especially since the Kane family had kept such a low profile for so long, possibly to control the Floating City.


    If he really brought it up, the likelihood of Joyce honestly confessing was lower than the possibility of Joyce capturing Lis to study whether he was possessed by some other soul.


    After figuring out most of the issues, Lis felt relieved; recently, many strange things had happened to him, which had been quite stressful.


    Now, he felt at ease, knowing that as long as he was in Bright City, he had at least two Legendary figures behind him, and he was well-acquainted with two future Legendary Strongmen. It couldn''t be more secure.


    Naturally, this made Lis''s desire to be a Legendary Mage even stronger!


    In terms of Talent, he was not inferior to Taya and Risa and naturally harbored the ambition to be a Legendary Mage.


    It was time to n well, he could not stay in Bright City forever!


    An easy life was indeedfortable, and a Mage''s advancement did indeed require spending a lot of time in closed-door research, but that did not mean he should only work in istion.


    If theory could not be applied to practice, it would be utterly meaningless.


    Moreover, there were so many hidden treasures and opportunities buried across the continent that Lis did not want to miss.


    Take it slow, after the Sacrificial Festival is over!


    Lis got up from the bed, ignoring the still sound asleep Ang, and headed to the basementboratory.


    He needed to make the most of every minute!


    -----------------


    Midnight, outside Bright City.


    A handsome man with a sturdy physique appeared from the darkness, quietly watching the brightly lit Bright City in the night.


    This was the Vampire Marion, who had hurriedlye from the south, standing there quietly, as if sensing something.


    "Strange, why is there no scent of my kin, but rather a few disgusting hybrids?"


    Marion scratched his head, muttering to himself.


    Something wasn''t right. Lord Burns had sent him to Bright City to find the Divine Son named Ang, who was surely a pure member of the Blood n. However, he could only sense the aura of Fallen Vampires.


    The dirty, desire-filled, greedy and revolting scent made Marion frown.


    That wasn''t supposed to happen; Lord Cain''s oracle couldn''t be wrong. She must be hiding, or inside some Barrier concealing her aura.


    This was going to be troublesome!


    Marion, believing he would easily fulfill his task, scratched his head again, a gesture he often made when troubled.


    "I''ll just have to search slowly; I can''t just go back like this."


    Thinking this, a peaceful smile appeared on Marion''s face.


    "If I happen to encounter those Fallen hybrids while searching for the Divine Son, there''s nothing I can do but intervene."


    "I''m sure Lord Burns wouldn''t me me, after all, I''m just trying toplete my mission!"


    Marion chuckled as he looked ahead at Bright City and slowly walked forward.


    In the night, Marion''s form turned into a pitch-ck mass, flying toward Bright City.


    The arrival of the shadow of war meant that Bright City would wee more visitors, many more indeed!

 Chapter 116: Chapter 116 Finding a Teacher for Risa

    In the following days, Lis returned to a very regr routine.


    He practiced at the First Magic Workshop of the Royal Magic Academy during the day, and if Mr. Stephens was there, he''d go to receive guidance. Afterwards, he would study with Risa, asionally sparring with her to practice spellcasting techniques.


    He also opened up the basementboratory in his mansion to Risa, repurposing the experimental equipment there.


    After all, Lis now had ess to theboratories at the First Magic Workshop.


    If Lis wasn''t mistaken, after his previous incarnation''s death, Housekeeper Joyce must have asked Fran Stephens to take Risa as a disciple. It was likely because of this that Risa quickly made up for her shorings in practicalbat and managed to break through to the Legendary level.


    In this way, Lis too was enjoying the treatment Risa received in his past life.


    However, Lis didn''t want Risa to continue practicing alone indefinitely, as this was not very beneficial to her development.


    This was a future Female Mage God, after all!


    Moreover, Risa had a strong affection for the Kane family, making her worthy of Lis''s effort to recruit and cultivate.


    There were no other ulterior motives!


    Yet, it wouldn''t work for Lis to teach her, as there was still a big gap between him and Risa. However, Lis already had some ideas in mind.


    ...


    Royal Magic Academy, First Magic Workshop.


    After being authenticated by the Magic Intelligent Life, Lis walked up to the third floor of the workshop and saw Fran Stephens leisurely sitting on a plush sofa, enjoying a feast.


    Seeing Lis approach, Fran waved his hand, signaling him to sit down across from him.


    "How has your study progressed while I was away?"


    After spending some time with Fran, Lis knew that his teacher was not the kind of person who cared much about formalities, instead he was quite easygoing. Perhaps the long passage of time had made him indifferent to these rigid constraints.


    Of course, that was also because Fran had the strength and confidence to back it up, as the Judgement me who was subtly considered to be the strongest in the eastern part of the Fanor Continent.


    Picking up a piece of cookie from the table to taste, which was meticulously prepared by the pastry chef from the Royal Pce and sent over, Fran simply teleported it up from downstairs.


    Lis used to be curious about the principle and even asked Fran what the magic was that could conjure up fine food.


    "Hmm, that''s good, keep it up," Fran responded, not particrly concerned. After all, he was already well aware of Lis''s recent progress through the reports from the workshop''s Magic Intelligent Life; his inquiry was nothing more than a routine disy of care.


    However, Fran was satisfied with Lis''s progress. It was as if Lis had an epiphany, having barely glimpsed into the mastery of the Elemental Rules. Now, what was limiting him was his foundational strength.


    After all, Lis was still a Silver Rank Mage. To properly master and utilize the Elemental Rules, it would be much easier as a Gold-level Mage.


    "Have you encountered any difficult problems in your studiestely?"


    Fran had just returned from a visit with some old friends and had some free time, which was perfect for clearing up any doubts Lis had.


    "Yes, teacher," said Lis.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    With Mr. Stephens away these past few days, Lis indeed had some questions waiting, so he seized the opportunity to ask for guidance.


    "When experimenting with controlling Fire Element Magic, how should I better direct the release of the Bursting Attribute of the magic model''s Medium Fire Element?"


    ...


    After a pleasant learning session, the desserts on the table had been mostly eaten by the two of them.


    After consulting about the doubts he had umted recently, Lis asked Fran nonchntly:


    "Teacher, are you known as ''Judgement me'' because you excel at using Fire Magic?"


    Fran did not mind the question, thinking his student was just a bit curious, and said,


    "Indeed, but that was when I had just be a Legendary Mage, because the first thing I mastered was the Fire Element Foundation Rules, I used Shape Changing Magic of the Fire Element the most, so that''s how I got such a name."


    "Is that so?"


    Lis appeared thoughtful as he continued,


    "Teacher, there is a girl in my family who is about the same age as me, with excellent talent, almost breaking through to the Gold Level, and the power of her Shape Changing Magic is quite formidable."


    Lis asked hesitantly,


    "Teacher, I was wondering if you could give her some guidance, would that be possible?"


    "Oh?"


    Fran nced at Lis, knowing his disciple wasn''t one to act rashly. There were many who wished for the guidance of a Legendary Mage like him, and if her talent weren''t significant, Lis wouldn''t have mentioned her so straightforwardly in his presence.


    Fran didn''t mind; at his level of strength and status, he actually preferred Lis''s candidness about needing help. Wasn''t it normal for a disciple to seek guidance from him?


    "Is this girl a rtive of yours?"


    "No, she was adopted by Housekeeper Joyce since she was little andter stayed in our family library."


    Lis spoke evenly but purposefully included the housekeeper''s name.


    "Really?"


    Fran became interested. A girl brought back by that fellow Joyce��that was indeed somewhat intriguing.


    "Where is she now?"


    Fran stood up, as he had nothing else to do, deciding that it would be good to have a look.


    "She should be in the library of my house right now, shall I take you there?"


    Unexpectedly swift in agreement, Lis also stood and asked Fran.


    "Hey, no need for such trouble."


    Fran grabbed Lis''s shoulder with his right hand, and with a ripple of space, the figures of the two vanished from the third floor of the workshop.


    ...


    When Lis came to his senses again, he found himself standing in the courtyard of his own home, with a smiling Fran beside him.


    He couldn''t help but feel a touch of shock. Truly deserving of being the Kingdom''s most powerful Legend, to perform Group Teleportation Technique so effortlessly and with hardly any preparation time.


    Could his teacher be close to mastering the Space Law entirely with his profound grasp of Space Magic?


    Lis spected as much and led Fran toward the family estate''s library.


    From behind a second-floor window, Housekeeper Joyce watched Lis and Fran enter the door, puzzled.


    The moment they appeared, Joyce perceived it, just not understanding why they had returned to the estate at this time.


    However, seeing the two head toward the library, Joyce roughly guessed why.


    It seemed Little Lis was quite thoughtful indeed; in that case, there was no need for him to fret.


    Truth be told, Joyce had nned to find a teacher for Risa, but since Lis had already brought Fran over, there probably wouldn''t be any problems.


    Where Joyce remained unaware was the significance of the talent possessed by Lis and Risa; any Legendary Mage who witnessed it would take them on as disciples without the need for any favors.


    But there was no helping it; after all, Joyce didn''t have a system panel to recognize the terrifying talent of these two children.


    "This is the ce, Teacher,"


    Lis said as he opened the door to the library.

 Chapter 117: Chapter 117 Layout Planning

    Lis pushed open the door of the library and gestured for Mr. Stephens to enter first.


    Fran didn''t mind at all and walked straight in��he had already sensed something was up.


    "Master Lis?"


    Risa''s soft, pleasing voice echoed in the library, as usually only Lis woulde at this time.


    "It''s me,e out Risa. My teacher wants to meet you,"


    Lis followed behind Fran and said upon hearing her voice.


    Fran nced at Lis. He thought to himself, saying it''s me who wants to meet her, but I know exactly what you''re up to, kid. You''re much shrewder than Joey.


    Though these thoughts ran through his mind, Fran did not stop walking and turned the corner to see Risa, who was clutching a magic book, busily putting on her hood with her other hand.


    Just as I''d vaguely sensed.


    Fran looked at Risa, who appeared somewhat uneasy in front of him, with a touch of excitement.


    This talent, truly remarkable!


    If Lis''s talent is considered reserved, showing nothing externally without his conversion to an Arcanist,


    Then to Fran Stephens, Risa''s phenomenon was indeed quite exaggerated.


    In Fran''s vision, behind Risa, there were vaguely four space passages suspended, representing the red of the Fire Element, the blue of the Water Element, the cyan of the Wind Element, and the yellow of the Earth Element.


    Pure elemental energy slowly flowed out of these passages, swirling around Risa, unconsciously nourishing and strengthening her body.


    Such phenomena often appeared in Elemental Lords born from the Element ne, like the Fire Element Lord, whose back connected to the Fire Element ne, supplying him with endless energy.


    But Risa did not just have one; she had four!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Exaggerated!


    Although these element ne passages weren''t strong enough and the elemental energy passing through them was far inferior to that of the Elemental Lords, her potential was indeed infinite.


    Fran inwardly clicked his tongue, he had lived so long, yet it was the first time he had seen someone with such high elemental affinity.


    No!


    This was no longer a matter of having high affinity; it was practically the elements doting on her!


    If you said Risa was the darling daughter of the Four Elements ne, Fran would believe it!


    With such talent, rising to a Legend was almost a sure thing.


    What''s with the Kane family, producing two geniuses?


    And then there''s Joey, the Legendary Assassin; unbelievable!


    Without needing Lis to introduce her, Fran stepped forward, stood in front of Risa, and asked gently,


    "Is your name Risa?"


    Risa was a bit flustered and looked towards Lis for help.


    Lis nodded at her and introduced,


    "This is my teacher, the headmaster of the Fanor Royal Magic Academy, the Legendary Mage, Lord of the ''Judgement me'', Fran Stephens. He came today to take you as his apprentice."


    Lis subtly changed his wording, Fran heard it but didn''t object.


    From the moment he saw Risa, he knew she would be a good student.


    Since it was Lis who said it, it meant the Kane family had agreed.


    Fran followed along with what Lis said and nodded, noticing that his promising student seemed a bit shy, but that was okay, being the headmaster of the Magic Academy, he was very good at coaching students.


    "Hmm, your talent is significant. Would you like to be my apprentice?"


    Risa nced at Lis before replying in a soft voice,


    "I... I would like to."


    "Hehe!"


    Fran nodded with augh, very pleased.


    Perfect, taking an apprentice and getting another one free, both with such exceptional talent��what a great deal!


    Fran, who had lived for so long, cared about only two things now.


    One was for his strength to break through.


    The other was for his knowledge to be passed down.


    Taking two apprentices with enough talent to break through to Legend, his luck was indeed good.


    To know, achieving Legend status is such a difficult task, Fran''s greatest hope was to see his apprentices standing shoulder to shoulder with him.


    If Lis and Risa both became Legendary Mages, then just by that alone, Fran would have left a vivid mark in the history of the development of magic on the Fanor Continent.


    Fran extended his hand to grasp Risa''s shoulder, and after a moment of fluctuation, the two disappeared from the library.


    The words of his teacher still lingered in Lis''s ears.


    "Lis, her Talent is very special. I''m taking her out for a bit, please take care of everything else."


    Lis shook his head, Teacher Fran really was in a hurry, but it was good too, it seemed he truly valued Risa.


    With a burden off his mind, Lis immersed himself back into the ocean of knowledge.


    The Judgement me had left him a rich collection of magic books, many containing his unique insights, which would suffice for Lis to delve into for a long time.


    ...


    "Joyce, you owe me a favor this time. I epted your two disciples just for your sake."


    Joyce, upstairs in the mansion, received Fran''s message and shook his head.


    You''re still trying to trick me, taking them in is already a great deal for you, right?


    Even Joyce, who wasn''t very familiar with Mages, hade to realize that his young master and Risa''s Talents seemed beyond his imagination, otherwise Fran wouldn''t be in such a rush.


    This old guy, the older he gets, the less serious he bes!


    ---------------


    A few dayster, at the Kane Mansion.


    It had been several days since Fran took Risa away, and he hadn''te back yet.


    Lis wondered where his teacher might have taken her, with his advanced teleportation magic, it shouldn''t have taken this much time.


    Lis, while enjoying a meal in the mansion''s dining room, pondered this.


    At that moment, led by a servant, a figure approached.


    Lis looked up and said with a smile:


    "Well, well, Mora, it looks like you really had a tough time this time."


    "You''ve developed dark circles, you even seem thinner."


    The one who came in was Mora, the second son of the Golden Vine Flower Commerce, he appeared somewhat tired and sleep-deprived, but still rather spirited.


    "I''ve been exhausted these days."


    Morained while having a servant prepare him breakfast.


    "You didn''t sleepst night?"


    Lis noted his appearance��still quite energetic, it seems business is indeed a man''s true stimnt.


    "Hey, it''s been more than just one night, I haven''t had a good sleep in days."


    Mora carefully sipped the specially prepared lotus seed vegetable soup, the warmth sliding down his throat providing aforting feeling to his weary body.


    "During the day, I''m busy arranging manpower to check on the shops and warehouses, contacting suppliers, and at night, I still have to prepare follow-up ns. I feel like there isn''t enough time."


    "You really don''t need to rush, some things could be delegated to the manager."


    Lis tapped on the table, speaking.


    "It''s my first time being in charge, I don''t feel secure handing it over to someone else."


    "Besides, this is all I can do now."


    Mora waved his hand with a chuckle, saying.


    "By the way, what did you call me here for today?"


    Mora asked while enjoying his meal.


    If it weren''t for Lis sending someone to find him, he''d already be back at work, pushing harder than ever.


    Lis hesitated, but he decided to tell Mora about some ns he had prepared for the yers.


    "These aren''t that important, just personal matters. Just find someone to handle it, understand?"


    Mora nodded, sensing his friend''s concern, and replied:


    "Got it. It''s just a matter of arranging some extra food and amodations. If there are no high demands, it''s easy to handle."


    "No worries, let''s just go with the most basic options."


    Lis nodded his head, after all, for the yers, maintaining basic survival was sufficient.


    With this money, it''s better to distribute it to the yers; they will be profoundly grateful!

 Chapter 118 Signs of Chaos

    This was Lis''s understanding from his previous life as a top-level yer.


    As long as the reward was right, it was easy to get yers to do anything!


    "Alright, leave it to me."


    Mora agreed promptly, with no special requests��just arranging someone to be responsible was sufficient.


    Each profession has its own expertise!


    If Lis had to arrange these matters himself, it might have been troublesome, but for Mora, it was his field of expertise, and with his connections and resources, it was easily handled.


    "Oh, here''s some recent intelligence I picked up for you."


    Mora seemed to suddenly remember something and took a stack of intelligence reports out of his storage ring and ced them in front of Lis.


    It was something Lis had previously asked Mora to collect, and he had kept it in mind all along.


    Lis quickly flipped through it, but this time his focus wasn''t on the prices of goods but rather on someprehensive intelligence and rumors about the Feis Kingdom and Bright City.


    As Lis was browsing the information, Mora intentionally said,


    "A few days ago, the manager from the Radiant United Commerce came. He wanted to increase their investment in our guild."


    "Oh? And how did you respond?"


    Lis replied. He and Mora had already discussed this matter.


    "I definitely refused, because I know just how much potential our guild has for growth. There''s no way I''d let them get additional shares."


    Mora said with augh; these were matters that they had already agreed upon.


    "But it''s strange, even though I refused their request to increase the investment, that manager insisted on increasing the investment by fifty thousand gold coins, and he didn''t want any shares��really strange."


    "If he''s giving it, just take it. Are you afraid of having too much money?"


    Lis gave Mora a sideways nce and said nonchntly.


    "But it''s fifty thousand gold coins. I don''t feel secure not knowing the reason."


    Mora said with a giggly tone, sounding a bit peculiar.


    "Just say what you want to ask, why does it feel so awkward."


    Lis said without even looking up, seemingly more captivated by the intelligence on the documents.


    "I heard you were taken as a disciple by Lord Judgement me, is that true?"


    Mora leaned in close to Lis and asked softly.


    "Hmm."


    Lis responded indifferently, as if it was no big deal to him.


    "You''re awesome, brother! That''s a Legendary Strongman!"


    "Now who dares to bully us? I knew Duke Hade wouldn''t just send us fifty thousand gold coins out of nowhere; it was because he respects your status."


    Mora was somewhat excited, and it almost seemed like he was the one taken as a disciple by the Legendary Mage.


    "It probably wasn''t Duke Hade''s idea. If he wanted to show goodwill, he wouldn''t have sent a manager, he would have sent Arsen to talk to me."


    Lis thought for a moment and shared his guess.


    "So... was it His Majesty the King?"


    Mora spoke in a lowered voice.


    "As long as you know, don''t spread it around."


    "Don''t talk about my bing a disciple of the elder either. It''s not worth making this a widely known matter."


    Lis shook his head and said.


    "I understand!"


    Mora nodded, thinking Lis was worried the elder might not like it being public.


    Lis continued to browse through the intelligence, and suddenly, he noticed a piece of information that said:


    Recently, there have been dozens of death cases in the West District of Bright City, with the perpetrator still uncaught.


    The number of missing persons in Gedo Street, Langai Street, and Noah Street has been rising, and local gangs and other forces are investigating the cause.


    The Dawn Church has dispatched personnel to patrol the West District frequently, which seems to have be a routine.


    ...


    Seeing these messages, Lis furrowed his brows.


    Chaos, had there already been signs this early?


    If before the Sacrificial Festival, Bright City and even Feis Kingdom seemed to be undercurrents in motion, yet on the surface, it was still peaceful and tranquil.


    Then, after the assassination during the Sacrificial Festival, apanied by Feis Kingdom dering war on Boditch Kingdom, it was like lighting a keg of gunpowder in the years that followed. All sorts of monstrous and supernatural beings emerged.


    Evil God believers, evil creatures, dark creatures, demons, devils, divine cmities...


    All sorts of anomalies appeared on the Fanor Continent, and a series of major events alsomenced.


    It was a chaotic era, but while chaos brought pain, it also came with precious opportunities.


    Countless ordinary people died in the warfare and turmoil, but at the same time, many strong figures rose from blood and fire.


    It was a disaster for the civilians, but a golden age for the strong.


    During that time, even in Bright City, the capital of Feis Kingdom where the kingdom''s power was strongest, many schemers had their eyes on this ce.


    However, before the yers appeared, Bright City should not have caused any major disturbances, right?


    Lis recalled, not quite sure.


    Mora looked at Lis as if he was deep in thought, leaned over to see, and said,


    "This area, the West District, is indeed quite chaotic, but the East District here is alright, with a bit more security force."


    Indeed, after all, most of the city guard''s strength is usually concentrated in the East District to protect the safety of nobles and wealthy merchants.


    After all, the leaders of the guards are among them.


    As for the civilians, it doesn''t matter much if a few die.


    This is also why those Evil God believers could sessfully cause trouble in Bright City.


    "Speaking of which,st night there was a violent incident in Golden Lily Lane that injured quite a few people, but it was suppressed."


    "It''s said that both parties involved used blood magic, and several vampire corpses were left at the scene."


    "The vampires involved seemed to have Gold Level strength, which is strange. Are they infighting?"


    Mora was curious, as the situation didn''t seem to make sense.


    Golden Lily Lane?


    Lis found it somewhat familiar and after recalling a bit, he remembered it was a ce in the West District of Bright City, often frequented by mercenaries.


    However, finding vampires in Bright City was not an umon urrence; these creatures relied on consuming human blood to survive and often hid in human cities.


    And because they could disguise their appearance to look simr to humans, even though they were constantly pursued and eradicated by the Dawn Church among other True God Churches, they were difficult topletely eliminate.


    Thinking of this, Lis nced at Ang, who was sleeping on a couch not far away.


    This creature... really a vampire?


    The longer he spent with her, the more Lis found that Ang was very different from the vampire creatures he had fought against in his previous life.


    Those creatures emanated craziness, licentiousness, bloodthirst, and disorder, typical of dark creatures.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    That kind of evil chaos was extremely repulsive.


    But Ang was different, whether it was the blood energy or the dark aura on her body, both were exceptionally pure and wless.


    There was even a pleasant scent that Lis had personally verified.


    But no matter how much Lis tried to recall, he couldn''t remember encountering a vampire like her in his previous life.


    There was definitely a secret to Ang!


    However, Lis wasn''t worried because...


    She was just azy little white bat that loved to eat and sleep.


    The only thingmendable was that she was quitepetent as a bodyguard.


    Thinking this, Lis stood up.


    He didn''t n on continuing his studies and research today; he had other ns.


    He was going to visit Old Jack.

 Chapter 119 Chapter 119 Old Jack, Shall We Cooperate?

    Bright City, Langai Street, Old Jack''s shop.


    Some time had passed, but Old Jack still looked at Lis, who had just entered, with dead fish eyes.


    He found it strange, this guy was clearly a noble, so why did he keeping to his shop?


    Ordinarily, nobles tended to avoid Langai Street at all costs.


    And this time, he hadn''t even brought that Golden Warrior as a guard, instead, he had a white bat perched on his head.


    Such an unconventional noble was a first for Old Jack.


    Lis, however, didn''t mind Old Jack''s strange gaze; after all, that guy looked disdainfully at everyone.


    When Lis hade over, he had distinctly felt that Langai Street was much quieter than before.


    It wasn''t that the shops were all closed; there were hardly any shops open on the entire street.


    The number of homeless people lying under the eaves and the people secretly peeping had greatly decreased.


    It wasn''t clear if they had disappeared as the reports had stated, or if they had gone somewhere else out of fear.


    These were not things Lis could manage right now, nor did he have the leisure to care.


    Lis was rummaging through the goods Old Jack had piled on the side, asionally taking out some special materials and setting them aside.


    Despite the First Magic Workshop, the academy, and the kingdom providing many magic materials, and Lis having ess to some, he still needed to prepare some of the lessmon ones himself.


    Rather thanmissioning the Guild to purchase them, it was better to see what Old Jack had avable.


    After all, Old Jack''s stock came from a wide array of sources, he had all sorts of strange materials, many of which were ck market and quite cheap.


    As Lis was scouring for various precious materials, Ashley gently pushed open the door and walked in.


    Seeing Lis''s gaze turn towards her, Ashley politely greeted him:


    "Hello, Big Brother Lis!"


    "Hello, Ashley."


    Seeing this Little Easter Egg, Lis also greeted her with a smile.


    However, Lis soon noticed something different about Ashley; her aura was more refined thanst time, and even faintly carried a bit of sharpness.


    Was this because she had just be a Professional not long ago and couldn''t control her aura very well?


    Lis wondered why Old Jack had started training Ashley so early.


    Lis remembered that in his past life, even after yers appeared, Ashley was still just an ordinary little girl.


    "Hmph!"


    Old Jack, seeing that Lis seemed to notice something, snorted coldly and pulled Ashley to the side.


    With a face that seemed to be shooing someone away, Old Jack impatiently said,


    "Are you done yet? Don''t waste my time dragging this out."


    Lis didn''t mind and put the selected special materials on the table in front of Old Jack.


    They were some magic gemstones, magic potion materials, and precious metals.


    "You''ve taken quite a lot, that''ll be one thousand gold coins!"


    Old Jack was somewhat surprised; this was a big sell for him. Experience tales with empire


    Although it was a bit painful for Lis, he still took out bags of gold coins from the storage ring and handed them over to Old Jack.


    There was no helping it, these were necessary materials for his research, and he had already been very frugal.


    Under normal purchasing, these would probably cost around one thousand five hundred gold coins.


    If it weren''t for a recent investment that allowed him to pull some emergency funds, Lis couldn''t have afforded so many.


    With the materials in hand, Lis was not in a hurry to leave, but asked with a smile,


    "Old Jack, Langai Street seems to be not very peacefultely?"


    "So what if it is."


    Old Jack replied impatiently, but as he was still counting the gold coins, he wasn''t in a position to directly send Lis away.


    "I''m just worried about little Ashley''s safety,"


    Lis smiled and nodded at Ashley.


    "You needn''t concern yourself!"


    Old Jack put the gold coins down, at this moment, he had stopped counting them; even if some were missing, it didn''t matter, what was most important was getting this annoying person out of here.


    "That''s hard to say, after all, you''re getting on in years."


    Lis chuckled lightly.


    "Getting old? You think you''re stronger than me?"


    Old Jack couldn''t help butugh angrily��how dared this Silver Level brat provoke him?


    Did he not know my strength?


    Or was it because of the courage given to him by that Gold-level Warrior who isn''t here?


    Old Jack was ready to teach the youngster a lesson to stop him from always hovering around his apprentice without any good reason.


    "I advised you not to take action," Lis said, noticing Old Jack seemed ready to make a move.


    "Although you are a Gold Rank assassin, I still have some confidence."


    Upon hearing what Lis had said, Old Jack calmed down immediately.


    This kid knows my strength and still remains so unfazed?


    Is he bluffing?


    No, he could have brought that Gold-level Warrior with him, but he didn''t.


    So, he''s confident that I can''t harm him?N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Does he have some kind of life-saving item?


    Old Jack scrutinized Lis, his mind racing, and said calmly,


    "Boy, if you have something to say, just say it, otherwise you''re not wee here."


    "Nothing special, I just wanted to discuss a cooperation with you, Old Jack," Lis said with a smile.


    This was his n all along��to cooperate with Old Jack to get the materials and Magic Items he needed.


    On the other hand, it could serve as a way to attract yers.


    In his previous life, Old Jack''s shop was well-known among the yermunity.


    The yers didn''t care whether Old Jack sold ck market goods as long as they were cheap and worked well.


    Of course, Lis was only nning to cooperate, not to directly involve Old Jack in the Guild.


    The most important thing about this small shop was, in fact, Old Jack himself.


    Old Jack, with numerous connections, was well capable of procuring many untraceable ck market goods, which said enough about his capabilities and connections.


    Since Lis''s Guild couldn''t openly sell these items, it made more sense to cooperate with Old Jack to also increase the Guild''s influence among the yermunity.


    However, while Lis''s ns were attractive, Old Jack''s refusal was more straightforward.


    "I don''t need any cooperation," he said.


    Lis nodded nonchntly. He hadn''t expected Old Jack to agree just from a conversation; this interaction was justying the groundwork, as there was still time.


    "Whenever you change your mind, you can find me at 36 Feis Street."


    "And you too, Ashley, juste directly to me if you need anything!"


    Lis reached out to pat Ashley''s cute little head but was smacked away by Old Jack.


    "Alright, alright, you can go now."


    Old Jack didn''t think he''d ever need Lis for anything.


    After all, being well-informed, he couldn''t recall any great Noble named Kane.


    Meanwhile, Ashley nodded quietly to Lis, indicating she understood.


    Ashley had a fond impression of this consistently gentle big brother.


    Not all nobles are bad, after all!


    Seeing this, Lis waved to Ashley, stored all the materials he bought into the ring, and then left Old Jack''s shop.


    Once Lis had left, Old Jack felt increasingly uneasy, sensing he was forgetting something important.


    With Ashley looking on curiously, he pulled out a pile of notes with written text from a wooden cab behind him and began to examine them carefully.


    These were messages Old Jack regrly purchased from the underworld in Bright City��they were mostly useless, but some were beneficial for Old Jack''s "business."


    Suddenly, he picked up a rtively new note, freezing in mid-air, his expression shifting uncertainally.


    Curious, Ashley tiptoed to take a peek. Under Old Jack''s diligent guidance, she could now basically recognize the words written on the note.


    "ording to intelligence, Court Viscount Lis Kain is likely to be taken as an apprentice by the Legendary Mage ''Judgement me'' Fran Stephens."

 Chapter 120 Chapter 120 The Infighting Among Vampires?

    Mora came out of Old Jack''s small shop.


    Lis thought for a moment, and instead of going home, he headed in the direction of Gedo Street.


    It had been quite a while since hest visited the adventure team''s vi. Now that he was out, it seemed like a good time to check in, and see if Ya''er and Arsen had taken on any newmission taskstely.


    On the way to Gedo Street, Lis casually bought some fried radish ball skewers and wild mushroom chicken skewers from a roadside stall.


    Truth be told, sometimes the taste from these small stalls was really good.


    Because they could only attract customers with their vors, whereas some so-called high-end restaurants increased their prices by offering an atmosphere and style, the taste of their food was often indescribable.


    Lis finished his wild mushroom chicken skewer with satisfaction, watching as Ang on his shoulder eagerly nibbled on the radish balls.


    Both of them were quite pleased with these snacks, to the extent that Lis nned to buy some more on the way back.


    Just as the two of them had just entered Gedo Street and could see from afar the towering roof of the Mercenary Guild,


    a sudden change urred!


    Bang!


    The wall of a house along the street in front of Lis suddenly shattered, with splinters of wood and stone bricks flying in all directions, while pedestrians screamed in panic and dodged.


    Lis, while casting a shield around himself, cautiously looked towards the half-air.


    He saw clearly that the house was destroyed by someone breaking through the wall from the inside out.


    The culprit was the two entangled masses in mid-air, emitting intense fluctuations of blood-red mist.


    Stay updated via empire


    What''s the situation, why does it look so much like a Vampire''s mist-form skill?


    Lis cautiously surveyed the battle in the sky and quickly retreated to a safe distance.


    Could this be the Vampire Mora mentioned, the one who killed its own kind in Golden Lily Lane?


    No matter who they were, the pressure from both sides of the battle was quite substantial for Lis, possibly both Gold Rank fighters.


    Lis thought for a moment, then took a few more steps back.


    After receiving the life-saving trump cards from two legendary figures, Lis''s style of conducting business became slightly more daring, as was the case now.


    If it had been before, he would have definitely left without looking back, but now he wanted to see the oue of the battle between these two Gold Level Vampires.


    As Lis stepped to the side, the two blood-red mists in the sky churned violently. One of the mists abruptly retreated, its Spirit Light dimming slightly as if it had suffered a great loss.


    As the blood mist receded, two figures appeared in mid-air,pletely unconcerned about the sunlight nearing its zenith falling upon them.


    When Vampires broke through to the high-levels, sunlight hardly had any killing power over them.


    However, they still didn''t enjoy the feeling of basking in the sun,


    with the exception of a certain white bat.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    One of them should be the Vampire who had just suffered a loss, his handsome, pale visage revealing ferocity and darkness.


    "Who exactly are you, and why do you keep attacking me?"


    "I don''t remember knowing you!"


    Within the cold voice, however, there was a hint of concession. The Gold Level Vampire Kutena no longer wanted to continue the fight.


    During the fight just now, he realized that the Blood Magic he used seemed to bepletely countered by this person in front of him.


    This was very strange!


    If we''re both using Blood Magic, why can you still counter mine?


    "Are you done talking?"


    The Golden-level Vampire from the south, Marion, was floating in the air, speaking with an indifferent tone:


    "If you''re done, then just die quietly. The sight of you scum disgusts me."


    With that, he raised his right hand and a bloody long de appeared in Marion''s hand. His figure shed, striking towards Kutena.


    Kutena''s eyes turned cold, this guy had no intention of reasoning with him, he could only muster his Magic Power to barely cope.


    This guy, acting as if dying by my hand is the greatest honor you could have.


    Kutena felt a level of frustration he hadn''t felt in a long time. Since breaking through to Gold Rank, although he dared not show himself openly, he''d had a rather enjoyable hidden life within Bright City.


    With the regr tributes from the Blood Servants and asionally capturing some fresh, delicious food, as long as he was careful, there was no chance of being discovered by the Kingdom or the Church of the Gods.


    Only yesterday, this troublesome guy had hunted him down without a word andunched a killing spree, proving to be so strong.


    Had Kutena not sensed the danger and abandoned all his subordinates, he might not have escapedst night.


    Unexpectedly, after moving to Gedo Street, a hiding ce few knew of, this guy still tenaciously pursued him here.


    "How did you find me?"


    Kutena was somewhat unwilling to ept this. If he didn''t get to the bottom of it, it would be useless to escape again, as this guy would still find him.


    "Hey, I can smell your stench from far away. Where do you think you can hide?"


    Marion was unconcerned, even with that knowledge, these creatures had no way out.


    "Stop struggling. Offer your heart to me quietly, and maybe I''ll spare your life."


    "You''re full of shit!"


    Kutena was furious, asking for his heart was basically asking him to die.


    Everyone knows that, for a Vampire, the heart is the most important part, storing the essence of their Blood Energy, it''s not something they can afford to surrender.


    "I gave you a chance, it''s not my fault if you don''t seize it."


    Marion, with a somewhat sick smile, ignored Kutena''s attacks, charging right into Kutena''s embrace as if they were lovers.


    However, the blood-colored long de in Marion''s hand mercilessly stabbed into Kutena''s shoulder, and with a fierce pull, Kutena''s right arm along with a part of his body were severed without any resistance.


    The seriously injured Kutena no longer had the strength to resist. He steeled his heart and directly used his consciousness to control the explosion of his severed arm.


    The violent surge of energy knocked Marion back several meters. After all, a self-destruct attack from a Gold Rank powerhouse presented some difficulty even for him topletely withstand.


    Kutena, finally seizing a moment to breathe, did not bother to entangle with Marion further. Already seriously wounded, he only wanted to leave this ce quickly.


    Kutena shed and dashed directly toward a small alley on the side of the street.


    Well, how convenient!


    It was the very alley where Lis was standing.


    It wasn''t that Kutena still desired to feed at this moment, but for safety, he hadn''t set the secret passage inside the house at his hideout; instead, it was in an alley not far away.


    But Lis didn''t know that, seeing Kutena charging towards him, he thought Kutena had discovered him and wanted to pull him down with him.


    Reacting quickly, the Jade Wand appeared in Lis''s hands, and he cast "Advanced Protective Field" on himself. Then, using the Five-Ring Magic "Ice Cone," he conjured a huge Ice Cone in mid-air andunched it towards Kutena who wasing at him.


    A Silver Mage?


    Kutena was startled, not expecting his escape route to include such an obstacle.


    On any ordinary day, Kutena wouldn''t concern himself with a Silver Mage, but not now. He was severely injured and needed the remaining strength to deal with Marion.

 Chapter 121 Chapter 121 Another Strange Vampire

    Kutena had no desire to sh with Lis and swiftly dodged the iing ice cones, knowing that conserving even a little bit of strength was important at this time.


    Seeing Kutena''s relentless pursuit, Lis felt helpless.


    "Big brother, I''m just watching the show, do you have to be so ruthless?"


    But turning tail and running wasn''t his style, and Lis, with plenty of life-saving tricks up his sleeve, actually wanted to try his hand at a fight.


    After all, the evil aura emanating from Kutena was quite prominent in Lis''s eyes.


    Conversely, another vampire''s scent of fresh blood was rich but didn''t give Lis much of an evil impression.


    Lis wasn''t one to abhor evil so passionately, but he was ready to intervene if it was convenient.


    Anyway, the other vampire would soon be arriving.


    Telling Ang, who was perched on his shoulder, to hold back for now, Lis waved his magic wand.


    Four Rings Magic "Binding Net"!


    A giant web radiating silvery-white light emerged in mid-air and shot towards Kutena.


    Lis''s goal was simple, to just dy Kutena for a while.


    Kutena''s expression darkened to the extreme as he saw the huge flying towards him.


    In his view, a little Silver Level Mage daring to resist was courting death.


    With a wave of his remaining arm, a sharp blood-colored energy de sliced Lis''s "Binding Net" in half, continuing its momentum towards Lis.


    After shattering several of Lis''s shield spells in session, the Blood de finally dissipated into the air.


    Lis was taken aback, truly, a Gold Level powerhouse''s strike still required his full effort to defend against.


    Without any hesitation, Lis used spells one after another to hinder Kutena''s advance.


    Four Rings Magic "Falling Stone Skill"!


    Four Rings Magic "Ice Storm"!


    Although thebination of these two spells wasn''t very powerful, their ability to restrict the enemy''s movements was exceptionally effective.


    Dodging the falling stones imbued with magic power and feeling his speed greatly reduced within the stormy winds mixed with snowkes, Kutena was growing desperate.


    Marion had recovered from the self-destruction of his body and was rapidly approaching; there was no time to entangle with this human Mage any longer.


    With a fierce determination, Kutena gathered the sparse blood light around him, and a huge blood-red w materialized in front of him.


    Blood Magic "Sacrificial Blood me w"!


    This was Kutena''s all-out move; after forming the Blood w, the blood-colored spirit light surrounding him had be barely visible.


    Upon seeing the Blood w, Lis knew it wasn''t something he could withstand at the moment, and even Ang would struggle to block it.


    It was, after all, the life-risking strike of a Gold Level strongman.


    Without a moment''s hesitation, Lis infused magic power into the "Stephen''s Teleportation Ring" he was wearing, activating the Seven-Circle Magic "Dimension Shield" within it.


    An invisible, colorless space partition appeared around Lis''s body, as if he were in a separate space altogether.


    When Kutena saw his Blood w, which exhausted most of his strength, shatter into nothingness before this Mage without making the slightest ripple, his body, ready to charge through, froze in ce.


    "What is going on, I..."


    Before Kutena could regain hisposure, an arm pierced through his chest, the hand holding his still-beating heart.


    "Heh, how dull."


    Marion withdrew his hand from Kutena''s chest with a smile. Kutena''s body, like a ripped sack, fell from the sky, turning into a pile of ck ashes before even hitting the ground and scattered in the air.


    With Kutena''s heart in hand, Marion''s smile widened yet a few degrees.


    "Oh dear, I didn''t expect to stumble upon such a fine prey while out for a stroll; lucky me."


    This person... must have issues with his mind!


    Lis concluded in his heart, feeling somewhat cautious.


    From the conversation just now and Mora''s intelligence, this guy had clearly been chasing after the Gold Level Vampire to kill it, and now he''s talking about good luck.


    Marion nced at the Gold Level Vampire heart in his hand, which was still radiating a rich and pure blood energy.


    Should he keep it as a gift for the Divine Son?


    Marion thought as much, but then shook his head.


    This Vampire heart was only average, and due to being heavily injured, the fresh blood energy within it was constantly diminishing; he estimated it wouldn''tst until he found the Divine Son.


    Don''t waste it!


    Marion smiled as he, bite by bite, swallowed the entire fresh red heart into his stomach, and a trace of rosiness seemed to appear on his pale face.


    Lis watched the gruesome scene unfold before him expressionlessly, feeling no ripples in his heart.


    What a joke, he had seen far worse in his previous life��where was this inparison?


    After Marion finished eating the heart, he descended from the air.


    Standing in front of Lis, Marion ced his right hand on his chest and performed an elegant and standard noble courtesy, saying:


    "Thank you very much for your help, my name is Marion Corren. May I ask, how should I address you?"


    Marion was very polite, his elegant demeanor was a stark contrast from just moments ago.


    Marion was keenly aware that the young Silver Mage before him was not simple; he felt a legendary aura emanating from the Mage.


    As strong as, or even stronger than, His Highness Prince Burns!


    Although sometimes he was offbeat, Marion was very clear about who he could touch and who he couldn''t afford to provoke.


    "Hello, my name is Lis Kain, and what I did just now was nothing more than a small effort."


    Lis gave a nod, maintaining respect for the Gold Level strength, but he couldn''t help wondering to himself.


    Another very strange Vampire has appeared.


    "May I ask what you were doing just now..."


    Looking at the ashes of Kutena, Marionughed and said:


    "Just dealing with some scum that betrayed our ancestor, nothing significant."


    As he said this, Marion nced at Ang, who was lying on Lis''s shoulder, and narrowed his eyes.


    A white... bat, a Magic Beast maybe?n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Marion didn''t feel anything special about Ang, nor did he notice a scent simr to that of those traitors.


    Shaking his head, Marion didn''t take Ang seriously.


    He was quite busy after having spent several days in Bright City without finding any trace of the Divine Son.


    Marion slightly inclined in a bow, saying to Lis:


    "If there''s nothing else, I''ll take my leave now."


    "The Kingdom and Church folks will arrive soon, and I don''t wish to meet with them, so I will be leaving."


    "I hope there''s a chance to see you again, Mr. Lis."


    After finishing, Marion disappeared from the spot, leaving behind only the ruined streets around that confirmed that an intense battle had indeed taken ce just now.


    Seeing the several civilians lying on the ground groaning, Lis did not step forward to heal them but instead walked into a nearby alley to leave the scene.


    The City Guard Army would be arriving soon, and those people would receive treatment.


    It was better for him to leave first, to avoid any trouble!

 Chapter 122 Chapter 122 Paladin Oriel

    In an alley on Gedo Street,


    Lis walked slowly. This alley was quiet and secluded, with few people passing through.


    Heading towards the direction of the adventure team''s vi, Lis pondered the events that had just unfolded.


    The vampire named Marion had given him a strange feeling��not his mental state but his aura.


    Unlike those vampire monsters, it felt purer.


    Just like Ang!


    The recently witness to a battle between two Gold-level vampires, Ang was in high spirits, shedding her usual lethargy as she sharpened her ws on Lis''s shoulder.


    Lis nced at her, always feeling that the vampire might have some connection with Ang, which is why he hadn''t asked Ang to hide just now.


    But what was strange was that the vampire should have seen Ang yet showed no reaction, even leaving quite decisively.


    Did I guess wrong?


    I thought he had some connection with Ang and knew the secret she carried!


    After all, this was in Bright City, and there were two big shots behind Lis, so he had not feared the clearly Gold High Order vampire.


    Lis also recalled if there was a vampire or a simr figure in his past life''s game in Bright City, but no such character appeared in the game''s storyline.


    Did he leave Bright City before the yers arrived, or��


    Forget it, this isn''t urgent.


    Lis took out the unfinished chicken skewer from his storage ring and handed it to Ang on his shoulder. Little Bat cheered, grabbed it with her small ws, and began to nibble on it, all her grand aspirations forgotten.


    In his past life, Ang was supposedly vanquished by the Golden Lion Knights. He still didn''t know what secrets this little bat carried.


    However, having secrets or not didn''t matter. Having spent so much time together, Lis hade to regard Ang as apanion. He would naturally not sit by idly if something were to happen to her.


    ...


    Not long after Lis left the small alley, a team of guards arrived at the scene of the recent battle.


    The leading Guard Captain Todd''s face looked terrible as he surveyed the chaotic street and the people lying all over who had been identally injured during the skirmish.


    It appeared that most of them had been injured by flying bricks and stones. Their groans and cries of pain added a few shades of gloom to Todd''s expression.


    Why did such violent incidents always happen in the area under his responsibility? It looked like there were more than a dozen injuries this time.


    If this keeps up, should he even continue as a captain?


    Todd felt helpless and ordered his subordinates to hurry and treat the injured while arranging for someone to inform the medical hall''s doctors and Church priests toe quickly.


    "What are you looking at? Disperse!"


    Todd impatiently dispersed the crowd of onlookers and started to examine the center of the battleground.


    The more traces he found, the heavier Todd''s face became.


    Is this... the aura of a Gold-level vampire?


    Was it the vampire from yesterday in Golden Lily Lane?


    Todd was worried. The rich scent of blood was much stronger than the aroma left by the several Silver-Level vampire corpses from yesterday. If it wasn''t Gold Level, what was it?


    He was only a Silver Warrior!


    Todd sighed. It was still better to report this and let those higher-ups deal with it, though a scolding was inevitable.


    While Todd was investigating, the people from the Dawn Church arrived.


    The leading pdin organized the apanying low-level priests to start treating the injured pedestrians, while he himself approached Todd.


    Todd hurried to meet him. The Dawn Church held a high status in the Feis Kingdom, and he certainly didn''t want to cause any trouble.


    "Greetings, Oriel, Sir. I didn''t expect you to arrive so quickly!"


    Although Oriel looked quite young, he was already a Silver High Rank pdin. Recently, he had been patrolling the Lower City District with the people from the Dawn Church, and Todd had met him the day before in Golden Lily Lane.


    "Greetings, Captain Todd."


    Oriel, dressed in the Church''s formal equipment, radiated an imposing aura as he removed his helmet, revealing his handsome face and golden short hair, although his expression carried a hint of worry.


    "I rushed here as soon as I received the notice. What is the situation now?"


    Oriel asked Todd, having spent the past few days in the Lower City District.


    "It should still be the same vampire that struck in Golden Lily Lane yesterday. The aura left at the scene is very simr, and as for these pedestrians, they are likely just coteral damage."


    Todd said without reservation, seeing no need to conceal things, as the people from the Church despised these Dark Creatures even more than they did and sometimes could be of great help.


    Oriel nodded and began surveying the surroundings.


    Before long, Oriel stood before the pile of ashes that vampire Kutena had turned into, inspecting it closely.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Is there something you''ve found?


    Todd stood beside Oriel without making a sound, not wanting to disturb him, as the Dawn Church were experts in investigating Dark Creatures.


    "This is a Gold Level vampire that has been killed."


    Oriel was silent for a moment before he spoke to Todd.


    "What, a Gold Level vampire?"


    Todd almost let out an exmation and quickly lowered his voice to ask:


    "Lord Oriel, are you sure?"


    "Yes!"


    Oriel confirmed with a nod, confident in what he said.


    "It must have been drained of all its blood essence, causing it to turn into ashes instead of remaining like those vampire corpses yesterday."


    "To be able to kill it in such a short time, the vampire that did this might possess the power of a Gold High Order."


    "It''s strange, this vampire has attacked twice, both times targeting its own kind. The people injured at the scene are all idental, none of them dead."


    "Are they killing each other as part of some ritual?"


    And moreover...


    Oriel looked at the conspicuous stones and Ice Cone nearby without furtherment.


    Not concerned with Oriel''s other conjectures, Todd was feeling somewhat faint at the thought.


    Gold High Order? That''s the strength of Lord Morris of the Bright City Guard Corps!


    Although this fellow has been targeting vampires thus far, who''s to say he wouldn''t fancy a bite out of one of us one day?


    Determined, Todd resolved that next time he received notice, he would make sure to arrive at a more leisurely pace, just like today, hopefully when the fight was already over.


    Oriel stood up straight and said to Todd:


    "The presence of a Gold Level vampire wandering the Lower City District is not good news. Captain Todd, you better report this to the Kingdom as soon as possible."


    Todd nodded repeatedly, which was indeed his intention.


    "And on the side of the Dawn Church?"


    Oriel ced his left hand on his chest and said with unwavering faith:


    "In Bright City, my Lord is with me!"


    Todd was somewhat speechless. I meant to ask if the Dawn Church will send a Gold Level expert here.


    Although Oriel is a genius, he is still only of Silver Level strength. Surely he isn''t so foolish as to go after that Gold Level vampire on his own?


    Oriel nced at Todd, offering no exnation.


    Is this the trial Lord Morris spoke of?


    Yet why do I have the feeling that something is not quite right? Is something amiss?


    Exactly what is the turmoil Lord Morris mentioned?

 Chapter 123 The Change in His Majesty the Kings Attitude

    Gedo Street, adventure team vi.


    Lis had just left the alley and went straight to the vi, pushing the door open and entering.


    It was just noon now, and the adventure team members were all enjoying lunch in the dining room.


    Seeing Lis walk in, Ya''er and others who hadn''t seen him for a long time were quite happy.


    "Haha, Lis,e sit over here and have a drink with us!"


    This was the toast invitation from Lunbos, who was holding a wine ss and drinking merrily.


    "Long time no see!"


    This was the greeting from Ailina, who was feeding meat to the Little Moon Spirit Leopard.


    "Lis! Did you bring me something tasty?"


    This was the soulful inquiry from Ya''er.


    "Lis, long time no see, I heard you became the disciple of Lord Judgement me, congrattions!"


    This was a sincere blessing from Arsen.


    "Is it the Judgement me I know of?"


    Lunbos put down his wine ss and looked at Arsen with some surprise.


    Ailina, while petting the cat, also turned her gaze over, clearly she and Lunbos had just heard the news.


    "Yes, the one from the Royal Magic Academy of the Feis Royal Family, the Legendary Mage."


    "The news travels that fast?"


    Lis was somewhat helpless, but he was also aware that Arsen was definitely among the first to know.


    "Impressive, Lis."


    Ailina knew what being a Legendary-ss strongman meant. Their Elf race, upying the Great Forest in the south of Fanor Continent, did not have many Legendary strongmen publicly known.


    Ya''er, with her small mouth slightly open, looked at Lis with some surprise.


    She naturally recognized the Legendary Mage, Fran Stephens, having even been brought by the King to meet him.


    However, the first time Fran saw Ya''er, he was somewhat speechless. What''s the point of bringing me such a warrior-in-the-making? Wouldn''t it kill me if you expect me to take her as my disciple?


    Of course, Ya''er didn''t know what Fran was thinking, just remembered him as a strongman who looked very young but spoke quite maturely.


    Lis was taken as a disciple by Lord Stephens?


    Ya''er knew from her father that this Legendary Mage had very strict standards for epting disciples, and several people her father wanted to promote were harshly rejected by him.


    So... does that mean Lis might break through to be a Legendary Mage?


    Ever since Ya''er had shown her extraordinary Talent, people around her had been focusing on her, pushing her towards the goal of bing a Legendary Warrior.


    She demanded the same of herself, and although she often appeared carefree, at times, Ya''er unavoidably felt some pressure and loneliness.


    Suddenly hearing Lis was on a simr path, Ya''er felt an indescribable feeling in her heart.


    ...


    The members of the adventure team hadn''t seen each other for a long while, so they had a good time catching up. Lis also brought out some desserts and cakes he had prepared in advance to share and had a few good drinks with Lunbos.


    This was a good time to rx; after all, having spent the recent period immersed in theb, Lis needed to rx his tense nerves and adjust his Status.


    After enjoying lunch together, Ya''er took Ang from Lis''s shoulder and carried her away, as she just loved adorable things.


    Lis ignored Ang''s pleading eyes. After all, they were both girls, so what''s wrong with a little closeness?


    Lis called Arsen into the room, and the two of them sat down with a cup of raspberry juice.


    "How''s it going with the hidden mastermind pushing for war, any results on your end?"


    Lis didn''t bother with preliminaries and cut straight to the chase.


    Arsen wasn''t surprised; he had been prepared for a private conversation since Lis had called for it.


    "Some progress. I had the Radiant United Commerce investigate privately about the secret acquisition of food, weapons, and those sorts of supplies."


    "The results are somewhat strange; the reason for the price hikes of these items in Bright City isn''t due to someone hoarding them, but rather a general increase in the procurement prices nationwide."


    "So, does that mean the person operating from behind the scenes is making a big move, and not just within Feis territory, but even in the neighboring countries as well?"


    Lis asked, although he hadn''t paid attention to this issue in his past life, he could still roughly estimate it.


    After all, it was preparation forunching a war, and the scale was quite significant.


    In Bright City, the Second Prince likely hadn''t made any moves, probably out of fear of being noticed by the upper echelons of other kingdoms. So he didn''t procure these materials in Bright City, but the prices had still risen slightly due to the increases in the surrounding areas.


    "Yes."


    "Have you found out who is behind this?"


    Lis sipped his juice and asked.


    "..."


    Arsen''s expression grew troubled, and he didn''t answer directly.


    Lis understood; it seemed that Arsen and Duke Hade had a rough idea that it was the Second Prince''s doing, but it was not easy to say it outright.


    After all, with such arge operation, if one hadn''t noticed beforehand, that was one thing, but as the Radiant United Commerce, second only to the kingdom, had taken considerable effort to investigate, it was certain that some clues would have been unearthed no matter how well-hidden.


    As long as it was confirmed that the Feis Guild was behind the maniptions, guessing the identity of the mastermind behind the curtain was rtively simple.


    However, it was strange; if they really knew who intended to instigate the war, why had Lis not heard anything about it by now?


    Logically, Duke Hade would surely have reported such matters to His Majesty the King, and Lis had seen Duke Hade by His Majesty''s side, looking quite intimate,st time he visited the Royal Pce. There should have been plenty of opportunities to speak.


    Then why hadn''t there been any news regarding Second Prince Yatean? ording to Mora''s intelligence, his covert actions hadn''t ceased.


    It couldn''t be that Duke Hade hadn''t reported to the King, so...


    Was His Majesty the King not willing to act, letting the Second Prince make trouble?


    What was happening, wasn''t our King opposed to war?


    Lis felt a headacheing on, sensing that the situation was beyond his expectations.


    Although he no longer had to worry about his personal safety, this matter rted to the progression of the 2.0 version [Total War] storyline and also concerned his ns to recruit yers. Thus, Lis paid close attention to it.


    But based on Arsen''s demeanor, it seemed he wouldn''t divulge anything else relevant.


    "Do you know where the food and weapons being secretly purchased have been sent?"


    Lis didn''t continue to inquire about the mastermind but instead changed the subject.


    Seeing this, Arsen breathed a sigh of relief.


    Honestly, keeping things from Lis wasn''t his idea but his father''s order.


    He felt somewhat guilty inside, after all, it was through clues provided by Lis that they had discovered this intelligence.


    Fortunately, there was no need to keep Lis in the dark about other intelligence. Arsen replied promptly:


    Experience tales at empire


    "Most of the materials have been transported to Duke Baird''s Domain and Duke Rame''s territory in the eastern part of the Kingdom, with the rest stored in some central cities within the Kingdom."


    As expected! They''ve set their sights on Boditch Kingdom as the first target of the war.


    War was definitely on the brink of breaking out!


    Seeing the King behave in this manner, one wonders why he changed his mind, tacitly allowing Second Prince Yatean to stir trouble behind the scenes.


    It''s just unknown what exactly our King His Majesty is thinking; is he aware that Yatean ns to assassinate Nobles during the Sacrificial Festival?


    As for stepping forward to prevent the war forcefully, Lis had no such intention.


    Even if he stopped the war this time, what could he do if it broke out again for another reason?n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    After all, the Human Kingdoms on the Fanor Continent were already sitting on a powder keg.


    Even the Church of the Gods had given up on mediating, waiting for the war and chaos that would envelop the entire continent toe.


    His power alone was still far too small.


    War wasing fast!


    Lis silently thought to himself.

 Chapter 124 The Origin of "Nuclear Explosion

    Royal Magic Academy, First Magic Workshop.


    Since returning from Gedo Street, Lis had once again immersed himself in arcane research.


    Under the instruction of Teacher Fran, Lis had systematically studied the knowledge he needed at this stage.


    Thanks also to the extensive collection of magic books by the Legendary Mage, Lis had managed to grasp the necessary knowledge and skills within a rtively short time.


    Apart from a few special spells, Lis had also learned most spells of the Silver Rank.


    What remained was the continuous process of practicing and deepening his understanding.


    As for the direction of his future research, Lis already had a rough idea and n.


    With his "All-Purpose" talent, he could master professional specializations beyond that of a mage.


    Aside from their unique effects, amonality of professional specializations is their provision of attribute enhancements.


    For instance, Lis''s mage specialization "Arcane Thought" provides a 2x Intelligence Attribute enhancement, while the Warrior Professional Specialization "All Martial Arts Mastery" offers a 2x Strength Attribute enhancement.


    Simrly, once Lis acquired other professional specializations, his Agility, Charm, and other attributes would also improve.


    This represents a significant advantage!


    Although Lis had already settled on his futurebat method and consequently possessed the personal specialty "All Laws Return to Storage - Lis," which allowed him to fully utilize attributes from other professions using their skills,


    Lis was never confined by a single specialty orbat technique. "All Laws Return to Storage - Lis" mostly represented Lis''s closebat techniques, and the magic he used mainly included control and enhancement spells.


    Moreover, as an Arcanist, how could Lis possibly give up traditional magebat methods entirely?


    I might not use them, but I must know them!


    After all, being a Mage!


    It''s all about maintaining position while casting!


    The goal is powerful spells!


    All fear stems from insufficient firepower!


    Nuclear explosion�� the romance of men!


    In his previous life, equipped with the "me God" talent and specializing in Fire Magic, Lis was a firm believer in powerful spells, and he naturally excelled in this aspect.


    However, this posed a problem.


    If Lis were to follow the path of his previous life, then attributes other than Intelligence would y a minimal role inbat, serving at most to make Lis more durable.


    For example, each spell''s damage, if converted into numerical data, is based on basic damage and Intelligence bonus.


    In this case, that would mean failing to leverage the advantage brought by the "All-Purpose" talent.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    If it were someone else, it might not matter since it''s not like they couldn''t be used; they simply wouldn''t want to put in the effort to figure it out.


    But Lis was different; he would not miss any opportunity to be stronger!


    If he could incorporate attributes other than Intelligence into the magic skills used by Lis, the power of the spells might exceed his expectations.


    Although this might seem ludicrous to others, it was not entirely impossible.


    For example, in the world of Gaia, the profession of Magic Swordsman exists, whose specialization is quite unique, gaining a 1.5x bonus from Intelligence and a 1.5x bonus from Strength, also linked to their mode of attack.


    Enjoy new stories from empire


    Some skills of the Magic Swordsman are enhanced by both Intelligence and Strength, though the enhancement magnitude is not as great as that of individual attributes in typical skills��still, the total enhancement is quite impressive and represents an advantage of the Magic Swordsman profession.


    Although Lis already possessed a mage specialization and could not obtain another of the same kind, that didn''t matter.


    Lis is an Arcanist!


    He could fully analyze the magic model used by Magic Swordsmen, conduct studies, and create a personalized magic that receives enhancement from all attributes!


    For instance, defensive spells that received enhancements from Strength and Endurance attributes!


    Or speed-enhancing spells that benefit from an Agility attribute enhancement!


    For instance, control spells that augment mysterious and charm attributes!


    Although it still seems very far away, although it''s still impractical, Lis doesn''t n to give up and is gradually working towards this goal.


    The Arcanist, after all, is meant to achieve all kinds of impossibilities!


    ...


    While Lis was overworking in theb, on the first floor of the First Magic Workshop.


    A ripple in space urred as Fran Stephens appeared in the hall with Risa.


    Fran looked somewhat exhausted, it was unclear where he had beentely, but even this Legendary Mage seemed somewhat worse for wear.


    "Risa, your talent is very good, extremely good, and the path you have to take is also very clear,"


    "This trip to the Four Elements ne will deepen your connection with the essence of the four elements."


    "Now just focus on mastering Shape Changing Magic involving the four basic elements; the process of mastering these foundational principles is quite easy for you."


    "Up until Legend status, the challenges you face will be exceptionally low."


    "However, after bing a Legendary Mage, the difficulty of your progress will increase significantly; you must be prepared,"


    Fran earnestly advised his disciple, having spent much effort in the past few days.


    "I understand, Teacher,"


    Risa obediently responded. Initially, she was somewhat panicked when Fran took her, but after spending some time with Fran, she realized that despite his youthful appearance, he was indeed a very excellent and patient teacher.


    Risa was no longer as nervous as in the beginning and felt much more at ease with Fran, truly respecting him as her teacher.


    "Oh, Lis is here too."


    With a quick sensing, Fran discovered that his other disciple, Lis, was diligently working in the workshop''sb.


    Pleased with this earlier disciple of his, Fran said cheerfully:


    "Lis is on the second floor; go find him, and I won''t be taking you back. These past few days have really worn out these old bones of mine."


    With that, Fran''s figure disappeared before Risa, teleporting directly to the third floor''s bedroom to rest.


    Clearly, even his Legendary strength was somewhat overwhelmed by the recent shuttle trips to the Four Elements ne with Risa.


    Risa was visiting the First Magic Workshop for the first time and felt uneasy in this unfamiliar environment, missing her own library at home.


    Going up to the second floor, she saw Lis standing not far from a workbench, seemingly busy scribbling something.


    Worried about disturbing Lis, Risa didn''t approach to greet him and instead sat down on a chair next to the door, lifting her legs onto the chair, hugging her arms, and resting her small head on her knees while quietly watching Lis''s busy figure.


    ...


    After an unknown period, Lis suddenly snapped out of his exploration of the magic model.


    That''s it for today!


    Lis touched his stomach, deciding as much.


    After tidying up theb equipment nearby, Lis turned around to see someone sitting on a chair next to the door.


    It was the familiar cloak, the familiar figure, but this time the hood wasn''t worn on the head.


    Her snow-like white hair cascaded down her chest like silk; her skin was creamy and her delicate and graceful face bore a trace of fatigue. The whole person curled up tightly in the chair, fast asleep, looking endearingly sweet.


    This is�� has she been waiting here for me since her return?


    Seeing the beautiful sight of the sleeping Risa, Lis didn''t want to disrupt the scene.


    Without waking her up, Lis carefully picked Risa up into his arms.


    Letting Risa''s head rest gently on his shoulder, feeling the soft warmth of her body close to him, Lis smiled gently and steadily made his way towards home.

 Chapter 125 The Girls Thoughts

    The next morning at the Kane Mansion.


    Lis carried breakfast to the library and pushed the door open.


    When he had carried Risa back yesterday, the servants of the mansion were quite surprised.


    Because they had never seen Risa without her hood, they were puzzled as to why Master Lis suddenly brought a woman home.


    Among them, the maid Rossi''s expression was the strangest, showing a hint of disappointment, but seemingly quickly recovering.


    However,st night, Lis didn''t pay much attention to that and after putting Risa on her bed and covering her with a nket, he left.


    Guessing that Risa hadn''t had breakfast yet, Lis specially brought an extra portion to the library.


    There was a small room at the back of the library where Risa usually lived.


    Luckily, Risa was the type to stay indoors, satisfied with being in the library and her bedroom, asionally going out for a stroll when nobody was around.


    Lis certainly couldn''t stand that.


    "Risa, may Ie in?"


    Lis, carrying the breakfast, walked into the library, but this time Risa didn''t respond.


    "Still sleeping?"


    Lis was somewhat puzzled; normally, when he came to the library in the morning, Risa was already up early.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    What''s going on today, too tired?


    Lis knocked on the door of the inner room and, getting no response, he pushed it open and entered.


    Seeing Risa lying on the small bed, facing inward and properly covered with a nket, he didn''t say anything, just quietly ced the breakfast on a small table beside the bed and turned to leave.


    Too bad, he had wanted to ask Risa what she had been doing with her teacher these past few days.


    Truth be told, Lis was quite curious because yesterday when he saw Risa, he noticed the aroma of the Four Basic Elements on her was much richer than he had ever sensed before.


    Just after Lis closed the door and left, Risa turned over, looking at the breakfast Lis had ced on the table; her fair cheeks flushed, she looked remarkably attractive.


    "Umm~"


    Suddenly, Risa pulled the nket over her head as if she was escaping from something.


    Yesterday, when Lis carried her back in a princess carry, Risa woke up halfway through the journey.


    But that situation was too embarrassing, Risa didn''t know how to respond, so she pretended to be still asleep, letting Lis carry her all the way back to the mansion and gently ce her on her bed.


    Master Lis, how could you be so bold!


    Although Lis had always been nice to her before, she had not expected that he would just carry her home like that.


    It was a good thing that Risa was wearing thick clothes and an overcoat at the time, otherwise Lis would have surely noticed that her body was somewhat feverish.


    "This is just like those romance novels in the library, the princess and the knight!"


    Risa mumbled to herself, still hiding under the covers.


    Please forgive Risa, she hardly ever interacts with outsiders; all her knowledge and informatione solely from the books in the library.


    Who knows which previous head of the household had ced those romance novels there.


    After being carried back by Lis, she tossed and turned in bed, almost not sleeping for the entire night.


    Just now, when she was dozing off and heard Lis''s voice, she finally woke up.


    But upon hearing his voice, the image of Lis came to mind, Risa felt too shy to face him and decided to keep pretending she wasn''t fully awake.


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    What''s going on, it''s so annoying!


    She felt as if she had be strange.


    The next time Master Lises to see her, should she pretend to be asleep again?


    The silver-haired girl was somewhat troubled.


    -----------------


    Feis Street, a hidden small building.


    In the study,


    Second Prince Yatean spent more and more time in the study, as if only here could he find some peace of mind.


    "Robert, how are things going?"


    Yatean, standing by the window, asked Robert, who had just walked in:


    "Your Highness Prince Yatean, everything has been arranged ording to your instructions."


    "The Viscount Bloom, Baron Victor, Baron Carpenter, and Baron Kaisel selected this time have all been personally tested by my people, and there are absolutely no issues."


    Robert hurriedly bowed his head, respectfully responding.


    Ever since encountering the variable like Lis, Robert had be much more careful in his actions.


    This time, even with the mostmon barons, he took matters into his own hands to deploy and arrange everything, to ensure that there would be no slip-ups.


    The waiting for the right moment wasted a lot of time, although in the end, it turned out that the few minor nobles selected were truly ordinary, with nothing special about them.


    Unlike Lis!


    Robert still remembered how he almost fainted when he learned that Lis had be an apprentice to the Legendary Mage.


    Camus, you truly deserve to die!


    Although it was he and Prince Yatean who had decided on the original list, that didn''t prevent Robert from pinning the me on Camus.


    If something feels wrong, just give up, what''s the use of messing around blindly!


    Robert was filled with resentment in his heart,pletely forgetting that it was he who had pressured Camus to take action swiftly at the beginning.


    Hearing Robert''s report, Yatean didn''t show any joy at the smooth progress of affairs.


    The word "this time" touched a sore spot for Yatean.


    In the beginning, when selecting assassination targets, Lis seemed to Yatean nothing more than an insignificant person with no presence at all.


    Even at the annual noble parties held at the Royal Pce, Yatean had never seen this Viscount.


    But what a surprise Yatean got!


    When Robert first reported problems with probing Lis, Yatean wasn''t particrly concerned.


    A Silver Mage, so what? As a prince of the Feis Kingdom, only Gold Level powerhouses couldmand a certain respect from him.


    Prince Yatean decided to change the assassination target, more because Lis had been received privately by the King and it became inconvenient to target him.


    Initially, Yatean had even nned to meet with Viscount Kane to see if he could be brought into their fold.


    But before Yatean had the chance, he received news that Lis had been taken as an apprentice by Fran Stephens of the Judgement me.


    That changed everything!


    Considering Fran was a Legendary Mage, the kingdom''s strongest figure, his status was undeniably prestigious.


    Not to mention, different from the Legendary Monk stationed at the Royal Pce, Fran had only a cooperative rtionship with the Kingdom, not being a powerhouse cultivated by the Kingdom itself.


    To outsiders, Lis seemed to have stumbled upon great fortune to be taken as an apprentice by such a distinguished individual.


    But Prince Yatean was well aware that the Dean had always maintained very strict standards.


    Does that mean Lis, like Taya, could possibly break through that barrier someday?


    Yatean let out a heavy sigh, deciding not to think about these matters anymore.


    The situation being what it was, Yatean no longer had the option to step back.


    Even if he wanted to give up, those border Dukes and Court Nobles would not agree; they would definitely force him to push forward.


    He could only follow the n that was set!


    Tightening his fists, Yatean spoke with a heavy voice:


    "If that''s the case, then inform everyone, on the day of the Sacrificial Festival, everything will proceed as nned!"

 Chapter 126 Are You Sick in the Head?! (4k)

    Morning on Langai Street.


    In Old Jack''s shop.


    Old Jack had gotten up very early today, not to clean the shop, for since taking in Ashley as his apprentice, the shop had never needed his hands, for Ashley had taken over every chore.


    However, with her strength, she couldn''t move therger items; she could only sweep the floors and wipe the tables, so Old Jack just let her be.


    As Old Jack was going over the ounts of the past few days and considering whether to take Little Ashley out for some real-world experience, someone pushed open the door of the shop from the outside.


    The person who walked in was a tall and lean man with a somewhat paleplexion, who took a keen interest in looking around Old Jack''s shop as soon as he entered.


    "What do you want?"


    Old Jack frowned at the man, asking impatiently.


    "This is a shop, isn''t it? I shouldn''t have a probleming in to buy something!"


    The man said with a smile, clearly unperturbed by Old Jack''s somewhat surly attitude.


    If Lis had been there, he would have recognized the pale-faced man as the vampire Marion he had encountered on Gedo Street.


    "Hmph!"


    Old Jack was a bit annoyed but didn''t say much more; he wasn''t about to drive a customer away.


    Marion chuckled lightly and began to wander around Old Jack''s shop.


    The shop wasn''t veryrge, with all the weapons and materials haphazardly sorted into several piles, quite a mess.


    But Marion was patient, examining each item carefully, one by one.


    A broken sword, a gemstone, he would pick each up to observe closely for a moment before shaking his head and putting it down.


    Judging by his earnestness, one might think he was appraising antiques, but this ce was neither an antique auction house nor the collection room of a Great Noble.


    It was merely Old Jack''s small, dark, and cramped shop.


    Old Jack was lounging in his chair, toying with Gold Coins, while watching Marion closely.


    At first, he hadn''t noticed anything particr, although the customer did not exude any special aura, but Old Jack couldn''t help feeling on edge.


    To all appearances, the customer seemed polite and harmless, but Old Jack''s Spiritual Sense warned him that the person admiring the goods wasn''t a normal human but a monster in human skin.


    Without the sense of urgency he had at the beginning, Old Jack quietly waited for Marion to continue his slow examination.


    After a long while, Marion finished inspecting the minerals and Magical Beast Materials that Old Jack had ced near the entrance and, with a slight furrow of his brow, began searching through the assorted, somewhat damaged and dirty weapons and armor.


    Where could it be?


    Marion hadn''te to Old Jack''s little store simply to pass the time; he was actually searching for Divine Son around Langai Street and incidentally looking for those traitors, when he faintly sensed something special here.


    It was not the wretchedness of the rabble but a pure Blood Energy fluctuation, simr to that of the Blood n. Stay updated through empire


    He had thought he finally found the trace of Divine Son, but upon arriving, he found it was just an ordinary shop.


    Inside the shop was only the shopkeeper, a Gold-level Assassin, and that was all; there was no connection with Lord Burns''s orders concerning Divine Son.


    Standing in the shop, Marion had already confirmed that what he felt was not Divine Son but rather emanating from an item inside the store.


    However, the energy was so faint that Marion couldn''t directly identify which item it was.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    But Marion was in no hurry; he had plenty of time to check each item slowly.


    And as for Old Jack, although he was anxious, there was nothing he could do.


    He had already ascertained that the man before him was not someone he could afford to provoke.


    After a moment, Old Jack''s shop door was knocked on again.


    Marion turned his head to nce at it, chuckled lightly, and continued to peruse the various weapons without concern.


    Old Jack made no move, as he already knew who was outside the door but did not react.


    At the door was Ashley, carrying some food and a cloth in her hands.


    Hearing no sign of activity inside, Ashley hesitated for a moment, recalled the words Old Jack had entrusted to her after taking her as his apprentice, bit her lip, and knocked gently on the door again.


    After waiting a while and finding the inside still quiet, Ashley hesitated no more and ran back to her own house.


    She closed the door behind her and peeped through a slit in the curtains with her little eyes, keeping an eye on Old Jack''s shop activities.


    Realizing that Ashley had obediently refrained from barging in, Old Jack secretly sighed in relief.


    Fortunately, he had instructed her beforehand not to enter without hearing his response.


    After all, Old Jack had always been active in the gray areas of Bright City, never knowing when trouble would knock on his door.


    He wasn''t afraid for himself, but Ashley was another matter; she was still too young, even though she had already mastered some Extraordinary Power.


    Old Jack also settled down, biding his time and waiting patiently for Marion.


    He didn''t want to take action until thest possible moment.


    Lost in his myriad thoughts, Marion picked up a dagger from the pile of weapons.


    This dagger was ck and rather small, looking quite ordinary.


    Unlike typical daggers, this one didn''t have the usual blood groove design, and its tip faintly revealed a trace of blood color.


    Marion gripped the dagger tightly in his right hand, waving it in the air a few times, with incredible speed and yet utterly silent, without the sound of a weapon cutting through the air.

 Chapter 127 Old Jacks Predicament

    Langai Street, in front of Old Jack''s shop.


    Seeing Marion vanish on the rooftop, Old Jack could no longer stand and slumped to the ground.


    "Uncle Jack!"


    Ashley, seeing that the person who fought with Old Jack had left, hurriedly opened the door and ran to his side.


    Looking at Old Jack, severely wounded as if fished out of blood, Ashley tried to hold back her tears and took out her handkerchief, wanting to bandage his wounds.


    This was the first time Ashley had witnessed the cruelty of the Extraordinary World since epting Old Jack''s guidance and mastering extraordinary power.


    The weak have no chance of resistance in front of the strong!


    Old Jack let out a heavy breath and gestured to stop Ashley''s efforts.


    He knew how grave his injuries were; a small handkerchief could hardly solve the problem.


    But Old Jack couldn''t care for his wounds first, as many dangers were waiting for him.


    It wasn''t that he was worried about Marion turning back; Old Jack knew the best way to stay away from that madman was to make him lose interest in you.


    The vampire just now must have sought his revenge to his heart''s content, so Jack needn''t worry about threats from Marion for the time being.


    But now, what was more important was that Old Jack had almost lost all his ability to protect himself!


    His trump cards were all but exhausted in the fight with Marion; otherwise, as a Basic-level Assassin of the Gold Level, how could he have held out against Marion for so long.


    Aside from the attacks from Marion, many of Old Jack''s injuries were the side effects of using Forbidden Techniques.


    Living in the gray area, Old Jack knew that once those hyenas lurking in the dark knew he was this weakened, they would surely pounce on him and devour him.


    As for those so-called friends, they were only linked by interests, outwardly respectful out of fear of Jack''s Gold Level strength, but he was quite clear about their true faces in private.


    After all, Old Jack had once been the same.


    So, even though Old Jack had arranged secret bases and escape routes for himself, they were not absolutely foolproof.


    Once these people discovered that Old Jack was seriously injured, they would definitely bite down hard, and Old Jack couldn''t ensure that he wouldn''t be discovered during his time of recovery.


    If Old Jack were alone, it wouldn''t matter; he could just perish together with those people, but not now.


    He had already taken Ashley as a disciple; there was no way he could just abandon her.


    That''s how people are; once you have someone you care about, you be a lot weaker!


    That was the case for Old Jack, who, after a moment of thought, realized that perhaps there was only one person who could help him out of this predicament now.


    "Help me up, Ashley."


    Having made up his mind, Old Jack didn''t hesitate anymore.


    Upon hearing his words, Ashley struggled to grasp Old Jack''s arm, helping him up from the ground and supporting him.


    Fortunately, Ashley had already advanced to a Basic Professional; otherwise, with her petite frame, she might not have been able to support Old Jack.


    Old Jack had Ashley support him into the shop, and he stored some valuable items and cabs filled with Gold Coins and intelligence into the storage ring.


    As for everything else, Old Jack could no longer bother to pack them up.


    Gripping Ashley''s small hand tightly, Old Jack used thest of his strength.


    High-level Skill of Assassins "Shadow Jump"!


    The bodies of Old Jack and Ashley were enveloped in a dense grey shadow, disappearing from their original spot.


    ...


    After a moment, a figure appeared inside Old Jack''s shop, the pdin Oriel, who had hurried straight there from the rooftop.


    Frowning at the mess in the small shop and the gaping hole in the roof, there definitely was a residual blood energy of a Vampire present at the scene.


    Oriel carefully searched the area but, other than confirming the scene probably belonged to a ck market operation, found nothing useful.


    The Vampire hadn''t remained at the scene, and the person who had fought with it must have left earlier, and it was very likely that person was the owner of the store.


    This owner must have been seriously injured, but judging from the traces of blood left at the scene, it must have been Human rather than Vampire.


    Wasn''t he hunting Vampires? Why start attacking Humans now?


    Oriel''s expression grew heavy. He could overlook Vampires fighting amongst themselves, but he absolutely couldn''t ignore attacks on Humans!


    While Oriel continued his investigation, Guard Captain Todd "finally" arrived at the scene as well.


    "Sir Oriel, I rushed over as soon as I got the message. Did the Vampire escape?"


    -----------------


    On Langai Street, in the Upper District of Bright City.


    The shadow in the corner writhed, and the figures of Old Jack and Ashley appeared beneath the wall.


    "Cough, cough..."


    Upon leaving the Shadow ne, Old Jack immediately put his left hand to his mouth, unable to stop coughing, with fresh blood staining his sleeve.


    Severely injured, Old Jack had no choice but to forcefully use "Shadow Jump" to leave quickly, and he had even taken the little one, Ashley, with him, aggravating his injuries so much that his face went pale as if he was about to faint at any moment.


    "Uncle Jack, are you alright?"


    Ashley braced Old Jack''s body with her strength and asked with concern in a low voice.


    She had never been to this area before. Although they were in a deserted alley, the clean streets and tall walls were worlds apart from Langai Street.


    "Cough cough... This way, to number 36 Langai Street."


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    Old Jack was familiar with this ce, having been here many times before.


    "Understood."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Even though the environment was unfamiliar, Ashley didn''t panic. She knew that Old Jack could only rely on her now.


    With caution, Ashley supported Old Jack, weaving through the alleys, deliberately avoiding the passersby.


    Just as the young girl''s strength was about to give out, number 36 Langai Street finally came into view.


    -----------------


    At number 36 Langai Street, the Kane Mansion.


    Lis didn''t go to the First Magic Workshop today. Teacher Fran had just returned from a trip with Risa and seemed exhausted. He went straight to rest without seeing anyone.


    Aftering out of the Library, Lis thought about it and decided to call Welf to practice some Martial Arts in the yard.


    Actually, Lis also wanted to try to trigger a limited challenge mission from Welf to earn a reward, but it seemed that because the gap in their strengths was still significant, there was no sign of any response from the system after a long time.


    Lis felt somewhat helpless. It seemed that these limited challenge missions could only be triggered by chance.


    After practicing with every weapon alongside Welf, Lis had worked up a light sweat.


    Just as Lis was about to take a bath and rest for a while, Coachman Bender hurried over, eximing hastily:


    "Young Master!"


    "What''s wrong?"


    Lis asked curiously, wondering what was so urgent. Was there some issue?


    "Young Master, there are two people at the door looking for you, covered in blood and looking like they''re barely hanging on!"

 Chapter 128 Joyce Also Wants To Take An Apprentice

    Lis hurried to the courtyard gate with Welf, spotting from afar two figures, onerge, one small, leaning against the gate.


    Without Lis''s consent, the servants really didn''t dare to let them in, especially since both were covered in blood, which might cause trouble for the young master.


    As Lis approached, he recognized at a nce that it was Old Jack and Ashley, only he didn''t know why they were in such a sorry state.


    "Brother Lis, good to see you!"


    The same words, but with apletely different sentiment from theirst meeting at Old Jack''s shop.


    Finally seeing a familiar face, Ashley, who had been strong all along, revealed overwhelming fear and uneasiness in her voice.


    After all, she was just a girl barely over ten years old; it was already quite difficult for her to have made it this far.


    Lis didn''t have time to ask Ashley what happened; he saw that Old Jack had fainted, and most of the blood on them belonged to Old Jack.


    "Healing Severe Wounds!"


    With the Jade Wand in hand, Lis cast this Three-Circle Transformation Magic, the only set of spells for treating injuries that a mage could learn. Simrly, there were One-Circle Magic "Light Wound Repair" and Second Circle Magic "Repair Moderate Wounds."


    A pale green light slowly enveloped Old Jack''s entire body, the wounds on his body gradually stopped bleeding, and hisplexion also looked a little better.


    It seemed that Old Jack''s condition had stabilized, but it was only temporary.


    After all, healing was a priest''s specialty, and Old Jack''s injuries were not something that could be fully healed by a Three-Circle Magic spell.


    "Welf, help carry him inside and bandage him up."


    "Bender, go to the hospital and summon a doctor��don''t skimp and hire those unreliable ones!"


    At Lis''smand, everyone hurriedly began to take action.


    In fact,pared to doctors, recovery would be faster through Healing Divine Skill administered by church priests, but Lis sensed a peculiar aura from Old Jack, and to avoid trouble, he decided not to summon anyone from the church for now.


    Ashley watched with eager eyes, understanding that Lis was saving her Uncle Jack, so she didn''t dare to speak and interrupt.


    After making sure everything was taken care of, Lis watched Welf carry the somewhat hunched figure of Old Jack into the room, and only then did he breathe a sigh of relief.


    Seeing Ashley obediently standing aside, Lis thought for a moment, gestured to Ashley to approach, and took her to sit down on the sofa in the living room.


    He poured a cup of warm tea and ced it in front of Ashley, then softly asked:


    "Ashley, what happened? How did Old Jack get so badly injured?"


    Sitting on the sofa, Ashley felt somewhat ill at ease.


    Everything around her seemed like a dream��the well-kept, upscale courtyard, the tidy and luxurious living room, the soft andfortable sofa, even the fragrance of the red tea in front of her was something Ashley had never experienced before.


    Hearing Lis''s question, Ashley hurriedly said:


    "Brother Lis, I really don''t understand."


    "This morning when I knocked on Uncle Jack''s shop door, there was no response. I did as Uncle always told me��went home and hid."


    "I secretly watched as Uncle Jack fought with someone. It happened so fast, I couldn''t see clearly, but I saw something like a blood-colored figure."


    "When it was over, Uncle Jack was badly injured, and the other person stood on the roof, looking like a very tall man."


    A tall man, a blood-colored figure, and the scent of blood energy Lis had detected from Old Jack just now...


    A figure emerged in Lis''s mind, and the corners of his mouth twitched.


    No way! Could it be that Marion?


    How had Old Jack managed to provoke that guy?


    Lis was somewhat puzzled, as he was well aware of Old Jack''s capabilities.


    A Basic-level Assassin in the Gold Early Stage, who in the eyes of beginning yers was already a formidable being, yet still far from matching up to Marion.


    Old Jack had managed to save his life from his assant and had even decisively made his way to Lis.


    Otherwise, staying in the chaotic streets of Langai, Old Jack''s severe injuries might not have afforded him the chance to survive.


    However, with the game serverunch not long ago, Lis remembered Old Jack shouldn''t have sustained any injuries during this time.


    Bewildered, little did Lis know that this was a change brought about by the butterfly effect he had caused.


    Ashley, noting that Lis seemed to be contemting something, obediently sat without speaking.


    Worried about Old Jack, Ashley couldn''t find it in herself to enjoy the unfamiliar pastries and tea on the table in front of her, even though she had never seen them before.


    At that moment, Butler Joyce walked over. He wasn''t particrly interested in the person Lis had brought back, he was simply fulfilling the duties of a butler by asking if Lis had any further arrangements.


    From the corner of his eye, Joyce suddenly caught sight of Ashley sitting on the sofa and was slightly surprised.


    This child!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Unintentionally, Joyce''s gaze lingered on Ashley. Being a Legendary Shadow Dancer with a close connection to the Shadow ne, he naturally noticed something special about her.


    Mere presence was enough to subtly invoke a resonance with the Shadow ne, a sensation he was all too familiar with.


    Joyce was somewhat delighted; he recognized this as the Talent known as "Shadow''s Son," for which the Shadow ne was as natural to its possessor as the sea was to a dragon.


    Even though the "Shadow''s Son" Talent wasn''t of Legendary status, it was still a rather impressive talent for most assassins and thieves who relied on the Shadow ne for their skill-based abilities.


    If you''re wondering how Joyce could be so certain, it''s because he himself possessed that Talent.


    This was the first time Joyce had met someone with the same Talent as his!


    Amidst his surprise, Joyce started to understand Fran''s intentions.


    Such a suitable person presenting herself before him; he indeed wanted to take her as his disciple!


    However, it seemed the young girl was already a basic-level assassin with a decent foundation, probably thanks to the guidance of a mentor.


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    The wounded person?


    Joyce pondered the thought in his heart.


    As a person of Legendary strength, it would stand to reason that anyone would eagerly wish to be his disciple, but Ashley was quite young, so it was necessary to seek the opinion of her elders first.


    "Joyce, is something the matter?"


    Noticing Joyce standing silently by his side for quite a while, Lis asked with some curiosity.


    Joyce thought it over; there were things Lis had probably already guessed, and some details he could slightly reveal now.


    "Master Lis, I have something I''d like to discuss with you."


    "Hmm?"


    Lis was curious. What an odd behavior for Joyce; what exactly did the household bigshot have in mind?


    Standing up, Lis walked into the adjoining room, with Joyce following.


    "Master, that young girl who was sitting next to you, are you familiar with her?"


    Ashley? Well, I am indeed familiar with her, but Joyce shouldn''t have met her, right?


    Could it be?


    An idea dawned on Lis as he tentatively said:


    "I do know her indeed. Is there something you needed, Joyce?"


    Joyce chuckled, his expression rxing as he said:


    "I would like to take her as my apprentice."

 Chapter 129 The Shock of the Legendary Assassin

    Indeed!


    Lis''s mind was as clear as a mirror, just as he had suspected.


    With the memories of his past life, he knew that Ashley''s talent was "Shadow''s Son," which was very suitable for an assassin. However, he hadn''t expected that Joyce, too, would be tempted to take on an apprentice.


    And to speak so directly to him about it, was it a sign that some things no longer needed to be kept hidden from him?


    Although Lis had roughly guessed the situation of the Kane family, he could only pretend to be unaware until Joyce chose to reveal it.


    Seeing this, Joyce must be certain that he had guessed something, especially with Fran as an excellent ally. However, Joyce didn''t know how much Lis actually knew.


    "Then what do you mean?"


    Since the boss was no longer nning to hide things, Lis naturally switched to a more respectful address.


    My Lis, I always y it from the heart!


    "So, after her elder wakes up, I would like to ask for his opinion."


    Joyce looked at Lis with a smile, somewhat gratified.


    Lis had be so outstanding, which was why Joyce was willing to reveal his identity.


    If Lis had been an ordinary person, not knowing Joyce''s identity would have been the best protection for him.


    "I understand, rest assured."


    Lis nodded, understanding the boss''s intention, his seriousness almost warranted a thump on the chest as a guarantee.


    Boss, with me on the job, you can rest easy!


    Joyce nodded, still with that elegant demeanor, but to Lis, it was clearly the calm and grace of a Legendary Strongman.


    "Little Lis, since you''ve guessed something, I won''t borate further."


    "When you have sufficient strength, I''ll tell you everything."


    "From now on, there''s no need to be so respectful. After all, I and your father are brothers."


    Having received the boss''s affirmation, Lis felt more at ease.


    Joyce chuckled, well pleased with the current Lis.


    -----------------


    "Where am I?"


    Old Jack strained to open his eyes, feeling pain everywhere and a weakness in his limbs that was unusual for someone of his Gold Level strength.


    What he saw upon opening his eyes was not the familiar ck of his shop, but a ceiling of deep yellow with fine patterns.


    "You''re awake?"


    "It seems the physician we called is quite skilled. You''ve regained consciousness quickly."


    Hearing this somewhat familiar voice, Old Jack was disoriented for a moment before he realized who was speaking.


    "I wouldn''t havee to you if there wasn''t any other choice."


    "Is the situation that serious?"


    Lis was curious; after all, given Old Jack''s character, it was unlikely that he wouldn''t have a backup n.


    "You must know already, the one who attacked me was that Vampire, right?"


    Old Jack said weakly, assuming Ashley must have told Lis some of the details already.


    "Yes, the one who was previously hunting his own kind."


    Lis nodded, as that was not hard to deduce.


    "I didn''t realize it until after we fought."


    Old Jack sighed and continued:


    "Themotion this Vampire has caused in the Lower City District on two asions was pretty big."


    "Not just the City Guards and Dawn Church, but even the underground forces of the Lower City District are looking for him."


    "If those people can''t find this Vampire, they will definitely exhaust all means to find me first."


    "With my condition, I''m truly not confident that I can protect myself and Little Ashley under such an intensive search."


    Lis frowned, understanding why the City Guards and Dawn Church would be looking for Marion, but why would the underground forces of the Lower City District care about Marion? Were they seeking revenge for those dead Vampires?


    Lis didn''t believe in that kind of brotherhood among those people; there had to be an issue.


    However, that was as far as Old Jack''s information went; he didn''t know the thoughts of those hidden in the dark side of Bright City.


    "Why did that vampire attack you?"


    This was Lis''s most pressing concern, as the incident was somewhat unexpected, a scenario not included in the past life''s story.


    Old Jack''s face suddenly turned interesting, anger mixed with a hint of fear.


    "That guy is a lunatic, something''s wrong with his brain!"


    Now Lis became curious, what was the situation?


    However, after listening to Old Jack''s exnation, Lis''s expression turned bizarre, trying to hide a smile that seemed inappropriate to show.


    You really are miserable!


    Swindled out of a treasure, and then beaten up for no reason.


    Old Jack took several deep breaths topose himself and said earnestly to Lis:


    "I might have to trouble you for a while, I''m willing to pay whatever it takes as long as you can guarantee the safety of me and Little Ashley!"


    "No problem!"


    For Lis, it was a mere trifle and an opportunity to team up with Old Jack, which was an unexpected pleasure indeed.


    Of course, Lis now had a matter that required Old Jack''s assistance.


    "I''d like to ask your opinion on something?"


    That quick, huh?


    Old Jack was a bit surprised but said:


    "No problem, go ahead."


    "I have an elder who saw Ashley."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Really likes her and wants to take her as an apprentice, I don''t know..."


    Old Jack looked at Lis with his jaw dropped, not quite believing Lis had the audacity.


    What''s going on, nning to poach just like that?


    Tell me the truth! When you came to me before, is this what you had in mind?


    However, Old Jack had just made a promise and felt embarrassed to reject the proposal outright, so he took a deep breath and said:


    "I don''t know which elder of yours is requesting, but I would like to meet them."


    Actually, Old Jack wasn''t too concerned about Ashley having another teacher since it wasmon for Professionals in their growth process to have several mentors.


    Still, Old Jack wanted to meet this elder Lis was talking about, because if they were just a Silver Level Professional, he didn''t think it was worth wasting Ashley''s time.


    Lis touched his nose and pointed behind him, saying:


    "This one, right behind me."


    What!


    Old Jack suddenly looked up, turning towards Lis''s back.


    A venerable old man with greying temples stood quietly behind Lis, surrounded by a Hidden aura.


    To think someone was standing there all along, my subconscious misdirected, I never noticed!


    Old Jack stared at Joyce in astonishment, his face full of disbelief.


    Experience more on empire


    Joyce nodded slightly at Old Jack, no longer concealing his aura, a piercingly sharp pressure bypassed Lis and extended towards Old Jack.


    "Cough! Cough!"


    Old Jack clenched his teeth, just feeling this pressure was enough for him to realize the identity of the elder behind Lis.


    Legendary Assassin!


    A peak strongman of the continent!


    Luckily for Old Jack, Joyce''s pressure was swift and fleeting, or his injured body wouldn''t have been able to withstand it.


    Old Jack took a long breath, finally recovering from the initial shock.


    He felt he couldn''t cope with such intense surprises, giving Lis aplicated look.


    "Who exactly are you?"


    "A Legendary Mage takes you as an apprentice, and a Legendary Assassin is your elder!"


    "The Legendary Strongmen thatmon folks desperately seek and seldom see, are they so readily avable to you?"


    "Why haven''t you ascended to the heavens yet?"

 Chapter 130 Assassin Profession Specialty [Shadow Crown]

    The next day, Kane Mansion.


    After visiting Old Jack with Ashley and making sure his life was not in danger, Lis led Ashley to a spare study on the second floor.


    During the visit to Old Jack, he was quite cooperative, telling Ashley that he had found her a new teacher who was much stronger than him and urging her to study hard under the new teacher.


    Ashley nodded obediently.


    Although she was not sure why Uncle Jack suddenly wanted to find her a new teacher and did not know who her new teacher was, she trusted that Uncle Jack and Brother Lis would not harm her.


    After meeting Joyce yesterday, Old Jack totally acquiesced to Lis''s suggestions, even subtly revealing that he wanted to join Lis''smand directly.


    It was a joke��this was a Legendary Strongman of the profession, and nobody would want to give up such a rare opportunity.


    Even Old Jack, who was nearing the end of his golden age of strength, hoped to receive guidance from a Legendary Strongman to further improve his skills!


    Ashley sat there quietly, letting Rossi dress her in a well-fitted new dress and carefully dolled her up; she now looked as exquisite as a doll, truly adorable.


    Lis watched the obedient Ashley with a smile, wondering who could imagine that when she grew up, she would be a stunning, curvy woman with amanding presence?


    He ced some specially prepared pastries in front of Ashley and said with a smile,


    "Come have some pastries, these were prepared especially for you."


    Once Ashley was officially taken in as a disciple by Joyce, she would be considered Lis''s sister, and naturally, Lis was even more concerned about her.


    "Okay, Brother Lis."


    After visiting Old Jack, Ashley also rxed and was not so formal anymore.


    She took a bite of a small pastry and her eyes lit up.


    So sweet, so delicious!


    Ashley had never tasted such delicious pastries before; it was already good enough for her family to have enough to eat, and it was only after Old Jack''s sponsorship that life got a bit better. But Old Jack was not a refined person and never made anything delicious for Ashley; the food he ate every day was still brought by Ashley from her home.


    "You don''t need to worry about anything else. Just stay here for a few days. I''ve already arranged for someone to notify your Aunt Anna."


    Lis took a sip of his tea, smiling as he spoke to Ashley.


    He had already asked around; Ashley was a child adopted by a widow named Anna, who earned some money to support herself and Ashley helping out at a hotel.


    Although there waster sponsorship from Old Jack, it seemed that Anna could not stand to be idle, still going out to work every day.


    After some thought, Lis decided that when Joyce officially took Ashley as a disciple, he would have Anna move in as well, to help out a bit with cleaning the mansion.


    As for Old Jack?


    Once he was better, of course, he would return to Langai Street!


    Otherwise, how could he interact with that group of yers and y his role?


    Ashley quickly swallowed the cake in her mouth and said,


    "I got it, thank you, Brother Lis."


    Lis patted Ashley''s little head, liking the feel of it.


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    "Ashley, soon one of my elders will take you as an apprentice, and after that, you''ll be my sister Lis. From then on, you can call me brother or elder brother."


    "I got it, Brother Lis."


    Ashley nodded, though she was still not very clear on the details, she could feel Lis''s kindness.


    Lis smiled and said nothing, quietly waiting for Joyce''s arrival.


    After a short while, the door to the study was pushed open from the outside, and Joyce walked in.


    At that moment, he was not wearing his formal butler uniform but a ck coat with matching lightweight gear. He no longer had the previous elegant and rxed demeanor; Joyce now seemed to have finally awakened, his edge fully apparent.


    Joyce had prepared himself formally��it was, after all, his first disciple!


    Even though Joyce enjoyed thefort of wearing a butler''s uniform and as a child before being adopted by the Kane family his dream was to be a noble''s butler.


    Lis rose to his feet, and Ashley, seeing this, also quickly stood up.


    Is this my teacher?


    Ashley looked curiously at Joyce.


    He seems to be about the same age as Uncle Jack; is he really better than Uncle Jack?


    In Ashley''s eyes, Old Jack was already the most formidable person she knew.


    With a wave of his hand, indicating that there was no need for Lis to introduce him, Joyce stood in front of Ashley, looked down at her, and said,


    "From now on, I''ll be your teacher, Little Ashley."


    "My name is Joyce, just call me Teacher Joyce."


    "I got it, Teacher Joyce."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Please sit."


    Joyce nodded, sat down on the main seat sofa, and Lis and Ashley also sat down, with Lis letting Ashley sit closer to Joyce.


    Joyce got straight to the point with Ashley,


    "Ashley, you''ve studied under the Golden Assassin named Jack before, right?"


    "Yes, Uncle Jack taught me a lot."


    Ashley replied earnestly, sitting there properly, already sensing the difference in Joyce.


    Ashley inexplicably felt very close to Joyce.


    Just like the feeling she had when Anna was out, quietly staying alone in the dark shadows.


    "Your Talent is very good; it''s a kind of Talent called ''Shadow''s Son,'' which allows you to naturally be in affinity with the Shadow ne."


    "You probably like staying in dark ces, right? That''s the influence of your Talent."

 Chapter 131 My Assassin Mentor Joyce

    ```


    -----------------


    [Shadow Origin Power detected!]


    [Activating hidden judgment! Assassin profession specialty [Shadow Crown]!]


    [Judgment (1/3): Basic assassin profession... Judgment failed, main profession is Arcanist]


    [Your Talent [All-Purpose] is triggered, judgment (1/3) passed]


    [Judgment (2/3): Shadow ne Origin Power... Judgment passed]


    [Judgment (3/3): Agility attribute equal to or greater than 20 points, judgment passed]


    [All judgments passed, you have acquired the assassin profession specialty [Shadow Crown]]


    [[Shadow Crown] �� Your agility attribute gains a twofold value modification, massively increased affinity with the Shadow ne, all skill levels rted to the Shadow ne are increased by +3 (this effect can break through the level cap)]


    -----------------


    Joyce sensed that Lis hadpletely absorbed his drop of Origin Power, lowered his hand, and began to doubt his own perception.


    Could it be that Little Lis is also highly gifted as an assassin?


    He has absorbed it all already, it feels even faster than Ashley?


    At that moment, Lis wasn''t in a rush to open his eyes, feeling the significant increase in his agility attribute and the changes it brought to his body, while pondering the system prompts.


    He hadn''t expected to gain his assassin profession specialty like this, and it was a far more potent specialty than the one he had nned to acquire previously.


    Probably, Ashley had also gained the [Shadow Crown] profession specialty!


    The first effect of the [Shadow Crown] specialty is increased affinity with the Shadow ne; needless to mention, it is a huge boost to all assassin skills and ssical magical abilities rted to the Shadow ne.


    Lis estimated that his original affinity with the Shadow ne was just average, far inferior to Ashley''s, which substantially patched up Lis''s inadequacy in this aspect.


    The second effect is a +3 increase in all skill levels rted to the Shadow ne.


    Of course, if one merely looks at this effect, it might seem ordinary, but the important part is whates next in the prompt, this effect can break through the level cap.


    Normally, yers can raise a skill''s level to the cap of ten by investing Experience.


    But skill levels beyond that can''t be increased simply through practice and investing Experience Points, and the higher the skill''s level, the more damage it deals and the better the skill effects.


    Most importantly, the higher the skill level, the higher the corresponding judgment level, which is quite crucial in high-levelbat.


    For instance, it can exempt you from the negative effects of the opponent''s skills.


    Or it can breach the damage capacity of the opponent''s Shield.


    So, the ability to break through the skill''s level cap is precious and rare, even in thete game stages.


    That''s really great, thanks to the big boss Uncle Joyce!


    Feeling that the changes in his body had ended, Lis checked his attribute panel.


    -----------------


    Name: Lis Kain


    Race: Human


    Level: 50


    Life Value: 10225/10225


    Mana Value: 37974/37974


    Status: Normal


    Experience: 0/100W (Unallocated Experience Points[261560])


    Main Profession: Arcanist (Intermediate)


    Secondary Profession: None


    Talent: All-Purpose (Legendary)


    Attributes:


    Strength 357 (Attribute Modification)


    Agility 359 (Attribute Modification)


    Intelligence 749 (Attribute Modification)


    Charm 205


    Mysterious 176


    Endurance 179


    Luck 4 (+3)


    ```


    ```


    Free Attribute Points: 0


    Specialties: [Arcane Thought], [All Martial Arts Mastery], [Shadow Crown]...


    ...


    (I''ll include the detailed effects and descriptions in the free chapterter on)


    -----------------


    After gaining the assassin profession specialty [Shadow Crown], Lis''s agility attribute also caught up.


    Lis opened his eyes and moved his body on the spot, feeling much lighter and more agile.


    This was the effect of the increased agility attribute. Although it couldn''t add to the life value and mana value like intelligence and strength did, its importance was self-evident.


    Joyce watched Lis and could already feel the unique fluctuations of the Shadow ne emanating from him.


    That meant Lis really had mastered it, which was also the ability Joyce wanted Ashley to master.


    Although Joyce did not have a panel, he was aware of the [Shadow Crown] ability.


    But wasn''t this ability supposed to be exclusive to the assassin profession?


    Joyce was curious about how Lis had broken through this limitation.


    After moving his body, Lis saw the inquisitive look Joyce was giving him and knew that this expert had noticed something special about him.


    However, this was within Lis''s expectations; he had anticipated this reaction.


    Lis said to Joyce:


    "Uncle Joyce, I didn''t tell you before, but this is my talent."


    "I don''t know why, but I seem to be able to learn the skills of other professions."


    "Do you remember when I learnedbat skills and weapons with Welf? That''s when I discovered it."


    As he said this, Lis took out a longsword from his storage ring and used the warrior battle skill [Furious sh] into the air.


    The glow of martial arts on the longsword confirmed Lis''s words as true.


    Joyce''s eyes sparkled, and he spoke earnestly:n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "So, you can learn the professional skills of an assassin too?"


    "I should be able to, although I haven''t formally learned any yet."


    Whew~


    Joyce took a deep breath, somewhat astonished by Lis''s talent.


    If what Lis said was true, and he could learn the skills of other professions, his talent was somewhat terrifying.


    As far as Joyce was aware, such a talent had never been heard of before.


    Nevertheless, it was definitely a Legendary Talent and also one of the most powerful even among those of Legendary status.


    While a Legendary Talent didn''t guarantee one would be a strong individual��Joyce himself didn''t have a Legendary Talent, but still stood at the peak of this continent through his effort��it did mean a remarkably high starting point for Lis.


    Joyce looked at Lis, his eyes filled with approval.


    That kid Lis always managed to surprise him.


    But now that there was such a talent, it should certainly not go to waste!


    "Well done!"


    "I won''t ask you about the rest; as long as you know them yourself, that''s enough."


    "You haven''t systematically learned assassin skills yet, have you?"


    "If so, from today on, every day take some time to learn with Ashley, under my guidance."


    Joyce spoke to Lis seriously, his words full of approval but also a hint of regret.


    If only he had discovered little Lis''s talent earlier, it wouldn''t have been wasted for so long.


    The opportunity to learn from a Legendary Shadow Dancer was not something Lis would ever refuse, and he quickly nodded in agreement.


    He trusted Joyce with all his heart, after all, Joyce was akin to a second father to him.


    That was also why Lis was willing to reveal his talent in front of Joyce.


    While waiting for Ashley toe around, Joyce carefully checked her body.


    After confirming that Ashley had mastered the [Shadow Crown] specialty, he began their training in the assassin profession, along with Lis.


    The Sacrificial Festival was not far off!


    ```

 Chapter 132 My Lord Maler!

    In a certain location in the Lower City District, inside a basement.


    In the center of the room, there was a long stone table around which several robed figures with profound presences were seated, creating an incredibly oppressive atmosphere.


    "What in the world happened?"


    An angry voice echoed in the slightly dim room as a bulky right arm emerged from a robe and violently smashed the stone table in front of it, sending fragments flying.


    The people sitting around the table didn''t seem to mind as one slender figure amongst them shook their head and said,


    "Calm down, Petar. Getting angry won''t help; what''s done is done."


    "How can I calm down, Kaiser? This rtes to our Lord''s n,"


    the robust man named Petar retorted to the slender robed figure, his tone filled with uncontroble fury.


    "Being anxious now is useless. The key thing is to figure out where Kutena is. You''d better use that energy to think that through."


    Kaiser said indifferently,pletely unfazed by Petar''s tone.


    Upon hearing this, Petar managed to calm down.


    He was fine with fighting, buting up with ideas seriously wasn''t his strength.


    "What''s the situation now?"


    Seeing that Petar had finally quieted down, Kaiser asked the others.


    "I''ve been to Golden Lily Lane. Kutena has been careful; the secret chamber wasn''t discovered by the Kingdom or the Church, and the prepared items are all still there,"


    another robed figure on the opposite side spoke, easing the tension among the group somewhat.


    Where Kutena was didn''t matter so much to them; what was critical was the secret chamber guarded by Kutena��it was key to all their subsequent ns and absolutely couldn''t be discovered by the Kingdom or the Church.


    They had previously received news of a Vampire skirmish in Golden Lily Lane, which had rmed them greatly.


    ording to the n at this stage, everyone should have been hiding in the shadows, not stirring up trouble.


    Even Petar, the most hot-tempered and unruly amongst them, was no exception.


    After entering Bright City, he had obediently followed orders and stayed inside the secret chamber.


    After all, this operation was a significant undertaking orchestrated by the Church in Bright City and was also God''s will.


    And since Kutena was a Golden-level Vampire hidden within Bright City, parts of their n had been concealed within his base. They had not anticipated such an anomaly.


    Since the incident, the Kingdom and the Church had been searching Golden Lily Lane, and they hadn''t had a chance to check the condition of the secret chamber until they received this bit of good news.


    Even though Kutena was their colleague and a Gold Level powerhouse, the items stored in that secret chamber were more important to them than he was.


    Kaiser looked toward the other two robed figures and asked,


    "Angelo, Tash, are the secret chambers in your areas all right?"


    Kaiser nodded at their affirmative responses, feeling a bit of the gloom in his heart lifting.


    Seeing the two shake their heads, Kaiser, who controlled this operation for the Church, finally felt relieved. It seemed the n hadn''t suffered any mishaps.


    The current issue was to locate Kutena and find out exactly what had happened.


    For reasons unknown,tely, the Kingdom and the Church had increased their patrolling in the Lower City District and also stepped up their secret investigations, which somewhat hindered their movements.


    This n had consumed almost all of the Church''s recent umtions; absolutely no mistakes were permissible.


    "As for Kutena, he''s already dead now."


    A robed figure sitting at a position of distinction said tly, causing everyone to be taken aback.


    "Lord Divine Envoy Dalton, Kutena is dead? He''s of the Gold Level in strength,"


    Petar said in disbelief. Although he''d always looked down on the sneaky Kutena, his strength wasn''t too far off from his own.


    Thus, even though the speaker was a Divine Envoy of the Church, Petar couldn''t help but voice his question.


    "His soul fire has extinguished here."


    This confirmation from the Divine Envoy left no room for doubt among the others.


    The soul fire had extinguished, and he was truly dead.


    "Divine Envoy, what should we do next? Should we still investigate who killed Kutena, or should we stick to the original n?"


    Fran Stephens asked respectfully. The decision on the n was the responsibility of this Divine Envoy, and his strength was enough to convince everyone.


    "We need not worry about Kutena now. Do not engage in any unnned actions; let''s discuss it once all preparations areplete."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Also, you all go back and get ready; we might need to initiate the final setup ahead of schedule."


    "Lord Dalton, is this necessary? There should still be ample time."


    Fran was somewhat surprised, as this might mean the final effect might not meet the n''s expectations.


    The Divine Envoy paused for a moment, then said:


    "Judgement me Fran Stephens has already returned to Bright City early. He''s not like Morris of the Dawn Church."


    The news from the Divine Envoy silenced everyone; they no longer questioned his decision.


    The words "Judgement me" weighed on their hearts like a mountain; even though they were as mad as hatters, they dared not act against a legend.


    If he decided to take action, their secret chambers could not hide from him.


    "Do not worry too much; as long as we follow the n, My Lord''s setup will block those legends."


    The Divine Envoy, seeming to notice their concerns, spoke in a calm tone, seemingly full of confidence in the divine''s arrangements.


    Everyone nodded, as that trump card was also the foundation of their ns to incite chaos in Bright City.


    "Then, Angelo, Tash, the two of you continue to watch over those two secret chambers. There must be no more incidents."


    "Petar, you just stay in the secret chamber at Kutena''s ce during this period and do not go out."


    "As per the Divine Envoy''s orders, everyone be prepared and send out a signal immediately if something unusual happens; activate the Array directly!"


    Fran''s calm gaze revealed a hint of madness as he stared at everyone, saying:


    "Tell the believers not to fear, death is not our end; we will be reborn in My Lord''s Divine Country!"


    Everyone nodded their heads in acknowledgment; havinge this far, naturally, they would not fear or retreat.


    Or rather, chaos and thrill were what they sought.


    The Divine Envoy stood up from the main seat, once again admonishing.


    "That''s that, be careful after you leave. I don''t want to see another incident like Kutena''s."


    Everyone got up, but they did not leave immediately.


    Gathered around the stone table, where the dim candlelight flickered yet failed to dispel the darkness of the ce,


    they recited with a tone both devout and slightly mad:


    "Our Lord Maler!"


    "You are the master of the Ten Thousand Beasts!"


    "You are the embodiment of fear and wildness!"


    ...


    "Our Lord Maler!"


    "You are the Hunter of the wilds!"


    "You are the guardian of the Druids!"


    ...


    "Our Lord Maler!"


    "Your loyal believers pray to you!"


    "Your name shall spread across the world, mortals'' fears will be your strength, their dread making you ever more powerful!"


    "We beseech You to cast down Your gaze and protect us as we move forward!"

 Chapter 133 White Dove Chamber of Commerce

    Kane Mansion.


    In the past few days, Lis had led a rather busy life. By day, he would go to the First Magic Workshop to practice all sorts of new ideas in theboratory, and he would seek advice from Mr. Stephens whenever he encountered a problem.


    After returning to the mansion, he would learn assassin skills with Joyce and Ashley, his time arrangedpletely full.


    Not only had he made progress in his arcane research, but even his assassin skills, which had long been neglected, were rapidly being honed.


    Lis learned new skills at an incredibly fast pace. Thanks to his solid foundation, he could master some of the simpler assassin skills after only a few demonstrations by Joyce.


    As for some more special skills, like "Invisibility" and "Stealth," Lis gradually got the hang of them after pondering them for a while.


    Eventually, Joyce even started giving Lis extra coaching, teaching him some high-level skills from the assassin series. Due to Lis having the assassin profession specialty "Shadow Crown," he could barely master them, although it was exceedingly strenuous to apply them normally inbat.


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    Ashley, witnessing Lis''s exaggerated speed of progress, was somewhat dumbfounded. It felt to her as if Lis, a Mage, was learning assassin skills even faster than she did.


    Old Jack, on the other hand, was not surprised at all and wasforting Ashley.


    In his eyes, the fact that Lis had two Legendary strongmen at his back was incredible.


    If Lis were to tell the King all about this now, King Feis wouldn''t hesitate to bestow a title and reward upon Lis unless he wasn''t a fit leader of the Kingdom.


    Even if Lis now wished to be a Sealed Noble with his own territory, the King would agree.


    What''s so odd about such a person being a bit of a genius, a bit special?


    In the mansion, aside from learning the rted knowledge and skills of the assassin profession from Joyce, Lis would asionally seek out Risa.


    Although Risa appeared somewhat shy, her hood pulled tight, she was still willing to talk with Lis.


    Thus, Lis also rified the whereabouts of Risa and Mr. Stephens in the period before.


    It turned out that "Judgement me" had taken Risa on a trip to the Four Elements ne, and in each Element ne, he had in a Gold High Order Elemental Lord to strengthen Risa''s inner Element Origin and fortify her connection with the Element ne.


    No wonder the aura of the Four Elements around Risa had be so much stronger, concentrated enough that even Lis had noticed it.


    Mr. Stephens was indeed one of the most formidable Humans, capable of carrying someone through Different nes and even "stealing" from others.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    You see, Legendary Elemental Giant Spirits are rare elsewhere, but there are quite a few in the Four Elements ne; it''s just that they seldom have the chance toe to the Main World, that''s all.


    Risa had also spelled out the path of development that Fran had arranged for her to Lis, and one could only say that this Legendary Mage''s vision was truly unique. It was indeed the most suitable path for her.


    As for the difficulties after breaking through to Legendary status, Lis didn''t think they were much of a problem.


    After all, the vast majority of professions never even get the chance to touch the threshold of the Legendary Domain in their lifetimes. Risa''s Talent was already defying the heavens, and the bottleneck of Legend wasn''t much of a difficulty for her.


    Once she broke through to Legendary status, there would be plenty of time to search for ways to continue progressing; there was no need to fret over such matters in advance.


    While Lis was persistently learning and training day after day, Mora brought him some good news.


    "You mean the preliminary preparations are all done?"


    Lis, sitting on the sofa in the living room and stretchingzily, said to Mora.


    He had just been at Joyce''s, undergoing specialized training for flexibility, and was indeed feeling a bit sore.


    "Yes, the Guild''s shop has been set up properly, and the staff have also been arranged. We started operating ahead of schedule."


    "I notified you when we opened, but you said you were too busy toe," Mora added, leaning back on the sofa and rubbing his temples. Recently, he had been extremely busy. He had to make all the decisions for the Guild, while Lis and Bernie were entirely hands-off and uninvolved.


    "Already begun operating?"


    It was true that Lis hadn''t been paying attention. Giving advice was one thing, but the specific affairs of the Guild were better left to Mora, the professional.


    "I remember Bernie hasn''t brought out the finished products yet, what are you selling now?"


    "Merchandise from the Radiant United Commerce that I got for a low price."


    Mora said with a matter-of-fact tone, being a bona fide merchant, one wouldn''t pass up on a good deal.


    Lis shook his head helplessly; he hadn''t expected Mora to be so straightforward, but he reckoned that Duke Hade and the others probably wouldn''t mind these details.


    "Alright, as long as you know what you''re doing."


    Since Lis had entrusted these matters to Mora, he naturally wouldn''t interfere too much.


    "You can count on me; this is just for a quick fix in the early stages. It will be better once we have our own merchandise."


    Mora said confidently, aware of the limits.


    After all, he was just leveraging the situation for now, aiming to get the guild up and running as soon as possible. How much money he made at this stage wasn''t important.


    These small profits at hand weren''t a concern to Mora; the chance to make big money was yet toe.


    "By the way, I''ve arranged everything you asked forst time, and the location is near the Lower City District."


    "Since you didn''t have any special requirements, and the ce is vast, I went ahead and bought the whole plot."


    Mora drank a sip of ck tea as he spoke; these were all trivial expenses. The total cost didn''t even reach the expenditure for a prime location shop on Feis Street, and that too he had acquired at a friendly price from the Feis Guild.


    Mora guessed that if it were not for taking Lis''s face into ount, the price might have been half again as much.


    "Would you like to go have a look?"


    Mora asked, as he was quite attentive to the arrangements made by Lis.


    "Where in the Lower City District?"


    Lis pondered for a moment and decided he had better take a look, as it was a matter concerning the yers'' scheme of profiting from neers.


    "Koln Street in the Lower City District. Following your request, I found a ce pretty close to Gedo Street."


    Lis nodded; this too was his specification, considering most yers, upon entering this world, would be active around the Gedo Street in the Lower City District.


    "Then let''s go. I''m free now, so let''s check it out together."


    Lis got up, ready to instruct Bender to prepare the carriage.


    Mora hastily stopped Lis and said irritably:


    "You''ve forgotten something important!"


    "What''s that?"


    Lis asked, somewhat puzzled, and took the time to reflect thoroughly.


    "The name of the guild! If you, the boss, don''t decide, our guild can''t even put up a sign."


    "You''re not telling me you haven''t thought of one yet!"


    Mora looked at Lis with a skeptical gaze. During this time, cooperating with other guilds had been inconvenient because they hadn''t settled on a name.


    "Uh..."


    Lis really hadn''t thought about it, but suddenly he saw a flock of white doves flying outside the window.


    "How about we call it the White Dove Chamber of Commerce, bringing new peace to the world?"

 Chapter 134 Goodbye, Marion

    Mora had no objections to the name Lis had decided on.


    "It sounds pretty good, just not sure why White Dove represents peace."


    Since Mora had no objections, the name of the Guild was thus settled between the two.


    Lis and Mora rode toward Koln Street in a carriage driven by Bender.


    With Mora''s introduction, Lis briefly surveyed the area they had acquired on Koln Street.


    The area used to be a slum, and though it was slightly better than Langai Street, it wasn''t by much; garbage piled up along the roadsides, clearly neglected and uncleaned.


    Pointing at the deserted street in front of them, Mora said to Lis:


    "I''ve bought this whole street; it should be sufficient for our use."


    "Even if it''s not enough, it''s fine. People around here have been asking if we''re still buying houses, after all, we''ve been offering a fair price."


    "I''ll arrange for someone to clean it upter, and then it''ll be ready to move in."


    "The house at the end of the street, I had someone modify it to sell food and daily necessities. It should meet your requirements."


    Lis nodded his approval, satisfied with the situation. He had experienced the dire states of yers when they first entered the game in his previous life, suffering from exposure and ack of proper clothing before advancing to be Professionals.


    And anyway, it didn''t matter much if the houses were a bit run-down; if yers didn''t like them, they could just build their own, right?


    White Dove Chamber of Commerce could certainly provide a full range of services from materials and construction to decoration, as long as the yers could afford it.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "By the way, buy a few more streets around here too. It won''t be a loss," Lis said, nodding.


    "Okay, I''ll arrange for someone to do it."


    Mora didn''t mind at all; withnd being both plentiful and cheap in the Lower City District, buying more wouldn''t strain the White Dove Chamber of Commerce.


    "So who exactly are you preparing all these for? I haven''t heard of arge influx of peopleing to Bright Citytely," Mora was more curious about whom Lis was making arrangements for than the reason for acquiring properties.


    "Haha, you''ll know when the Sacrificial Festival is near!"


    Lis didn''t answer directly but chuckled.


    "Alright then."


    Seeing that Lis didn''t want to talk about it now, Mora shrugged his shoulders.


    Sacrificial Festival, is it for the peopleing to celebrate in Bright City?


    Mora felt it couldn''t be that; after all, the Sacrificial Festival happened every year, and there hadn''t been any news about this year''s festival being particrly special.


    After leaving Koln Street, Lis and Mora headed toward Gedo Street.


    On Gedo Street, Lis had Mora prepare a storefront base not far from the Mercenary Guild, to be ready for recruiting yerster on.


    Lis nned to recruit yers under the guise of hiring hands for the White Dove Chamber of Commerce.


    How to distinguish the yers from the natives?


    Small issue, just recruit those who behaved oddly or looked like they had mental issues��surefire way to spot them!


    Although the game announcement suggested yers imitate the natives'' behavior and not attract too much attention,


    yers, well, most are agents of chaos, fun-seekers, and experts in courting death. Expecting them to quietly avoid causing trouble was truly a daunting task.


    Once the yermunity reached a certain level of power, they truly would be unconstrained and delight in courting chaos.


    Many major powers were troubled by this, unable to kill or detain the yers; it was indeed a hassle.


    It wasn''t untilter that someone discovered that yers could be restricted through sealing methods, which then subdued the yers'' arrogance.


    After all, for the top powers of Gaia World, there were plenty of sealing techniques.


    ...


    As Lis and Mora were exiting their own shop, Lis seemed to notice something and turned his head to look in another direction.


    At a stall across the way, a man dressed in a ck tailcoat was particrly conspicuous in Lis'' eyes, appearing to be purchasing something from a street vendor at the moment.


    He quietly asked Ang, who was leaning on his shoulder:


    "Is that the vampire Marion?"


    "Mmm."


    Ang stared intently at the man, having also noticed Marion''s presence.


    For some reason, Ang seemed quite concerned about the vampire called Marion, as if there was a bloodline connection calling to her.


    However, Ang had no intention of initiating contact; life after emerging from the tomb, with eating, drinking, and sleeping to her heart''s content, was far toofortablepared to before. Explore stories on empire


    Ang was quite content with her current life, and as long as the heart of that Duke-level vampire hadn''t been depleted, she didn''t have to worry about the speed of her strength improvement.


    At this moment, Marion seemed to sense the gaze and turned around to spot Lis.


    With a smile, Marion walked towards Lis.


    Seeing this, Lis wasn''t worried, with the "Dimension Shield" uses in his ring still avable, he didn''t have to worry about this seemingly mentally unstable vampire attacking him.


    "Mora, you go back first, I''ve still got something to deal with here."


    Mora nced at Lis''s serious expression, nodded, and quickly left the scene without looking back.


    That''s the understanding between best friends.


    "We meet again, Lord Lis Kain."


    Upon reaching Lis, Marion bowed slightly and greeted him.


    "Hello, Lord Marion."


    Lis looked at the Bright City grilled chicken and the fruit tea that Marion held in his hand, presumably just purchased from the stall.


    To say you and Ang have no connection, I wouldn''t believe it!


    Lis thought to himself with an internal eye-roll but didn''t want to directly ask Marion about Ang.


    After all, Lis was quite suspicious of the vampire''s mental state in front of him, though he seemed normal now, there was no guarantee he wouldn''t suddenly attack like he did in Old Jack''s store.


    "Didn''t expect you to enjoy human food too?"


    Lis remarked, looking at the food in Marion''s hands with a suggestive tone.


    "It''s sort of a hobby of mine, I think the greatest human invention is their various cuisines. Every time I go out, I make sure to thoroughly enjoy the local delicacies."


    Marion didn''t hide anything,ughed as he said this to Lis, and casually took a sip from the fruit tea he was holding.


    "Is it your first visit to Bright City?"


    Lis refused the chicken leg offered by the vampire and asked.


    "Indeed, it is my first time. I''ve mostly stayed in the south before and seldome to this area."


    Marion replied with ease, subtly finishing off the chicken leg he had casually retracted.


    "Do you have any specific business in Bright City?"


    Lis, seeing that the other party was quite forting, cut to the chase.


    "Haha, a superior arranged for me to find someone, nothing too important."


    Marion casually tossed away the trash in his hand, and a faint smile appeared on his somewhat pale face.


    Finding someone?


    You stir up such amotion in Bright City searching for someone, and you show yourself so brazenly in public?


    Lis was somewhat speechless, uncertain of how to continue the conversation.


    Seeing that Lis did not continue, Marion said:


    "Lord Lis, seeing as I''ve been so sincere, might you be willing to do me a favor?"

 Chapter 135 Blood Clan?

    ```


    "I wondered why this vampire was so cooperative, answering everything I asked��it turns out he was waiting for me here!"


    But what does he want my help with?


    Lis then reacted, uncertainly asking:


    "Master Marion, may I know how I can be of assistance to you?"


    "I mentioned earlier that I came to Bright City to look for someone, didn''t I? I wonder if Master Lis would be willing to help me out with this?"


    Marion had a reason to ask Lis for help; he could sense the legendary aura emanating from Lis. The life-saving measure that Lis used in his desperate battle against the golden-level vampire was clearly the work of a legend.


    Which meant that there was a legendary strongman behind Lis.


    So in Bright City, this Lis Kain must also be a considerable force, and having his help in searching for someone would surely be more efficient.


    Marion had already wasted a lot of time, and although Prince Burns didn''t specify a timeframe forpleting the mission, it wouldn''t be good if the Divine Son left Bright City if he took too long.


    "Who are you looking for?"


    Lis was curious��after all these disturbances, had the vampire not yet found the person he was seeking?


    "I can''t disclose the specific details, but would you mind keeping an eye on the movements of vampires within the city for me?" Marion said with a hint of a smile on his face.


    "If it''s just that, no problem. How should I contact you afterwards?"


    Lis asked unassumingly, his suspicions already aroused.


    "I don''t really have a fixed residence in Bright City, but I doe here every morning to enjoy the food. If Master Lis has any news, you can find me here," replied Marion with a smile, nodding his head.


    "If you really do help me find that person, I believe I can provide you with a satisfactory reward."


    "Alright."


    Seeing this, Lis did not refuse.


    Once Marion saw Lis agree to the deal, he took his leave.


    Lis watched as Marion headed off, presumably to go shopping for food again.


    "What a strange vampire."


    Lis turned his head to look at Ang who was lying on his shoulder and said with a smile:


    "Just like you."


    -----------------


    Without going to look for Mora again, Lis took a carriage straight back to his own estate.


    This vampire named Marion was very strange. He was obviously powerful but gave off an impression of being out of touch.


    What caught Lis''s attention the most was that Marion said he came to Bright City to find someone��and that someone was also a vampire.


    For some reason, Lis had a hunch.


    Marion''s target was Ang!


    But what''s odd is that during the two encounters with Marion, he showed no reaction to Ang, who stayed on Lis''s shoulder.


    Moreover, both Marion and Ang had unusual habits��they both were vampires but weren''t particrly keen on blood; instead, they preferred other foods.


    This waspletely different from the vampires Lis knew about, and he had not encountered such beings in his previous life.


    But he had a big shot at home!


    Unable to solve the puzzle, Lis decided to still inform Uncle Joyce about Ang''s situation and see if he could get any useful information from him.


    ```


    When I got home, Joyce was teaching Ashley in the courtyard, and Ashley was studying very seriously.


    Old Jack''s wounds had almost healed. After getting through the most dangerous phase, his self-healing ability as a Gold Rank strongman hade in handy, and his recovery was swift. Now, he cautiously sat on a small stool, eavesdropping on the lesson.


    Joyce didn''t mind Old Jack''s behavior and continued to patiently exin the details of the assassin skill "Shadow Stab,"��a rare low-level skill that could borrow the power of shadows��to Ashley.


    Lis stood beside Old Jack and waited for a while, and when Joyce finished imparting the lesson, he spoke up,


    "Uncle Joyce, I have something I''d like to ask you about."


    Joyce didn''t seem surprised, nodded, and after giving Ashley a few instructions, he and Lis headed to the study on the second floor of the mansion.


    "What is it, Little Lis?"


    Joyce asked, sitting on the sofa. Since Joyce no longer hid his identity, their interactions had be much more casual.


    Though Lis had suggested it, Joyce still continued to work as the steward of the mansion.


    "I have something I want to consult you about. I encountered a very strange vampire."


    Lis ryed the incident with the vampire Marion to Joyce, especially his suspicion that the vampire Marion was seeking might be Ang.


    Joyce frowned slightly, he usually visited the Assassin Guild every once in a while to gather thetest intelligence.


    After all, he was an honorary elder of the Fanor Continent''s Assassin Guild, but he had been so preupied with teaching Lis and Ashleytely that he hadn''t visited the Assassin Guild for some time, so he really wasn''t aware of themotion in the Lower City District.


    However, when it came to such peculiarly behaving vampires, he did have some recollections.


    "It might be the Blood n."


    Joyce didn''t hide what he knew; he was indeed aware of this group of strange beings amongst the vampires.


    Lis sat quietly, waiting for Joyce to exin this secretive and little-known history.


    "Like that Little Bat on your shoulder, that group of vampires is odd; they seldom consume the blood of other living creatures and don''t seem to have the bloodthirsty impulses of normal vampires."


    "Their numbers are very few, and it seems they only operate in a few Human Kingdoms adjacent to the Navia Great Forest in the southern part of the Fanor Continent."


    "They often refer to themselves as ''Blood n,'' and they harbor considerable hostility towards regr vampires, even considering them mortal enemies. No one knows why."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Because this particr group of vampires rarely if ever, initiates aggression against humans or other intelligent beings, they are considered to be part of thewful alignment. Consequently, the Church and the Human Kingdoms in the south tacitly acknowledge the existence of these vampires."


    Joyce thought for a moment, then added,


    "There is also a belief that because these vampires possess exceptionally pure Blood Energy, some people think they are the true descendants of the original Blood n, and that most other vampires were corrupted by an Evil God and turned into the bloodthirsty, hedonistic beings we know today."


    Lis seemed to understand a bit more and looked at Joyce, asking,


    "You said their numbers are very few, so if Ang is also part of the Blood n, is it possible that the vampire came to Bright City to find her?"


    Joyce nced at the white Little Bat lying obediently in his hands and shook his head,


    "I''m not sure about that. I don''t know why, but those vampires rarely interact with outsiders, so there''s very little news about them."


    What should I do?


    Lis was a bit uncertain.


    Seeing Lis''s worried look, Joyceughed and said,


    "There''s no need to worry, just ask him in person, right?"


    "Next time you see him, bring him back here."


    "I''m also interested in learning more about them."


    Lis''s eyes lit up at those words.


    Right, how could I forget, I can just call for backup!

 Chapter 136 Confrontation at the Royal Palace Evening Party (4k)

    The next day at the Kane Mansion.


    After receiving a hint from the bigwig, Lis had nned to visit Marion today, but an unexpected emergency arose.


    An invitation from the Royal Pce arrived, inviting Viscount Kane to attend the Sacrificial Festival celebration banquet to be held tonight at the Kingdom Banquet Hall.


    This is a banquet that is held each year before the Sacrificial Festival, hosted in the name of His Majesty the King of the Feis Kingdom to wee all the Sealed Nobles from across the country whoe to Bright City to participate in the festival.


    Yes, during the Sacrificial Festival celebration in the Kingdom, all Court Nobles in Bright City are generally required to attend, but the Kingdom is also very supportive of Lords and Nobles from other areas of the country who wish to participate.


    After all, leaving their territories to attend the celebration in Bright City is undoubtedly a sign of loyalty to the Kingdom and His Majesty the King, and the Kingdom is keen to promote and encourage the actions of Lords from all regions, demonstrating the Kingdom''s enduring control over thend.


    Now that the Sacrificial Festival is approaching, it''s not unusual for the Kingdom to host a banquet.


    Suchrge banquets held by the Kingdom happen several times a year, and Lis, as a Court Viscount, would also receive an invitation.


    In the past, the former Lis rarely attended, as the strength of the Kane family was considered mediocre to others, and it really didn''t matter whether they attended or not.


    However, in a situation where small Nobles of simr stature to the Kane family were scrambling for favor, the Kane family seemed quite out of ce.


    Actually, Lis had intended to decline the invitation, as he found little significance in these gatherings and preferred to host his own banquets once he had sufficient power.


    However, this year''s invitation was a bit different, with a personal note from Duke Hade beneath the standard invitation, requesting that he must attend the Royal Pce banquet, as His Majesty the King wanted to see this young talent again.


    Now Lis found it a bit hard to refuse since His Majesty had been quite kind to him, having recently acquired a precious Trial Card from him, it felt somewhat improper to decline the first invitation to a banquet.


    After pondering, Lis decided to get ready and attend the banquet after all.


    He had wanted to bring Risa along, but upon hearing it was a crowded event requiring her to swap her cloak for an evening dress, she blushed and adamantly refused, regardless of persuasion.


    With no choice, Lis had to take Mora with him instead, allowing the current head of the White Dove Chamber of Commerce to introduce their Enchantment goods to the Nobles of Bright City.


    By the way, Master Daher and Bernie''s research was nearingpletion, much sooner than they had anticipated.


    However, when Daher mentioned the issue to Fran at one point, the Legendary Mage thought it over and lent a hand with optimization, greatly saving time and reducing the difficulty of recording the Combined Magic Pattern.


    It goes to say, legendary indeed was the Mage!


    The Enchantment product now being developed is Magic Air Conditioning, and Master Daher and Bernie are still researching additional features like the Cleaning Skill and others; it might take some more time toplete, but that doesn''t prevent Mora from going ahead and building the hype for their innovation.


    Lis had considered changing the name, but after some thought, since it did have the capability to regte the air, he decided it could serve as an abbreviation for Magic Air Conditioner.


    ...


    Dusk at the Kingdom Banquet Hall.


    Many of the lesser Nobles had arrived early at the banquet hall and were now looking around to spot any significant figures worth conversing with.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    As for the finely dressed young noblewomen, their thoughts weren''t asplex as they scanned the men at the venue.


    Each banquet hosted by the Royal Pce was an excellent opportunity for them to find their heart''s desire.


    And now, many of them were fixing their gazes on Lis and Mora.


    Lis and Mora were both dressed in ck suits this evening, looking handsome and vibrant, causing these youngdies'' cheeks to flush and making them whisper among themselves, though none dared to approach.


    "You''re quite popr, eh!"


    Walking on the plush deep red carpet, Mora nudged Lis with his elbow and whispered with a chuckle.


    As the second son of the Golden Vine Flower Commerce, Mora naturally scrubbed up well, a pretty-faced young man when cleaned up, which exined his previous hedonistic lifestyle.


    As for Lis, handsome with a natural noble air about him, it''s the aura of grace he carried that was more remarkable. To those youngdies, he seemed a crane among chickens, intimidating enough that they hesitated to approach for a chat.


    Lis couldn''t help it, ever since he became an Arcanist, gaining strength, an aura naturally followed.


    Unless Lis used skills like "Breath Concealment" or "Transformation Skill," but attending a banquet hardly seemed worth the effort.


    Besides, he rather liked it this way as he had no interest in this flock of fluttering birds.


    "I bet, if you took any one of them by the hand tonight, they wouldn''t refuse. Didn''t you see those girls who usually think so highly of themselves, how their eyes went straight when they saw you?"


    Mora teasedughter, noticing that his buddy''s aura was growing stronger by the day.


    "Go do what you''re here for, otherwise why would I have brought you along?"


    Lis retorted annoyedly, ncing at Mora. Under normal circumstances, Baron Carl woulde with his heir Jon Karl to these functions, leaving Mora with no chance to attend.

 Chapter 137 Marriage Engagement and Anchor Points

    "Little Lis, what do you think of my daughter, Taya?"


    Upon hearing the king��s words, Lis was somewhat startled. Was this so direct?


    The intention of Duke Hade was clear: he wanted to strengthen the rtionship between the two parties through a royal marriage, which was amon practice among the Kingdom Nobles.


    Such an alliance was also the future for most nobility offspring who had no other prospects.


    However, King Morton��s proposal did indeed take Lis by surprise. After all, Taya was no ordinary person; with her Legendary Talent, she was the Kingdom��s future jewel, and the old king was actually willing to let Lis marry Taya.


    The cost of this was indeed not small!


    In the old king��s eyes, this was also a worthwhile deal.


    Although Taya��s Talent was excellent, and the Legendary Monk of the Royal Pce had praised her as having the potential to break through to Legend, the old king was not Lis and couldn��t be certain whether Taya would achieve this in the future.


    But since Lis had been taken as a disciple by the "Judgement me," his Talent must be no less than Taya��s, already ranking him as one of the Kingdom��s most outstanding young men, certainly worthy of Taya.


    Moreover, if Lis married Taya, it would be tantamount to him binding himself tightly to the Feis Kingdom��s chariot.


    Even if he didn��t break through to the Legendary level in the future, it would still be considered strengthening the connection between the "Judgement me" and the Kingdom.


    Lis hesitated, not because he didn��t like Taya.


    Honestly, who wouldn��t love that heroic Valkyrie from the battlefield in his past life?


    After Taya ascended to the throne, there was even a group of yers who would camp outside the Royal Pce every day waiting to "ambush" the Queen, relentless even though they were killed by the guards every time.


    But to be honest, Lis was having a hard time epting the idea of jumping straight into marriage and starting a family.


    He had only been in the "Divine Revtion" world for a few months, and even if he had met so many people and witnessed many wonders of the Extraordinary World and mastered various Extraordinary Abilities...


    ... in his heart, there was still an unreal feeling.


    Before, Lis had always approached the impending crises and people he encountered with the mentality of conquering a game.


    Whether it was Ya��er, Arsen, Risa, or Joyce, or even the brotherhood with Bernie and Mora, it was more of a natural response from his body.


    Or rather, Lis had been continuously ying the role of Lis Kain!


    The Lis of the past life, although a gaming god with his own studio, was still just an ordinary person at the end of the day.


    Suddenlying to a world that was familiar yet quite foreign, facing characters from his past life��s game, Lis felt that he could only find a sense of security by tightly grasping onto the identity of Viscount Kane.


    He knew this was a real world, where everyone truly existed and was no longer just an NPC from a game in his past life, but his mindset had not yet truly integrated into this new world.


    If Duke Hade had wanted to introduce a noblewoman whom Lis didn��t know at all, Lis would have undoubtedly refused cleanly and decisively.


    But when the Feis Kingdom��s king suggested marrying Princess Taya to Lis, it was like a hammer forcefully shattering the protectiveyer he kept within his heart.


    Taya, as well as Risa��if Lis said he didn��t like them, that would be a lie.


    Who doesn��t like the beautiful NPCs in games, right?


    If you ask a "Divine Revtion" yer:


    "Do you like Princess Taya?"


    He would 100% certainly tell you:


    "Are you kidding? She��s my wife!"


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Even Lis could unhesitatingly dere that XXX (the female character) was his Goddess.


    But when Lis was faced with this actual situation, he felt hesitant and confused.


    Should he agree?


    At this moment, as long as Lis nodded, His Majesty the King could immediately finalize this marriage arrangement.


    Stay connected through empire


    At this juncture, Lis��s mind was in chaos, and to outsiders, it seemed as if he had frozen in ce.


    Fusis frowned slightly, feeling that Lis��s current demeanor was somewhat disrespectful in front of the King. Just as he was about to speak up and remind him, King Morton raised his hand to stop Fusis��s words again.


    "Little Lis, do you have any questions?" King Morton asked cheerfully, looking at Lis.


    Lis raised his head to look at the gentle His Majesty the King sitting before him and couldn��t help but ask, "Your Majesty, do you think I am worthy of Princess Taya?"


    Fusis��s frown deepened even further. What was going on with Viscount Kane? How could he say something so disrespectful? Where had his shrewdness from before gone?


    King Morton was also taken aback. He had intended to utter a few titudes but, seeing the confusion and fear in Lis��s eyes, the words he was about to say suddenly halted.


    After a moment of silence, King Morton finally began to speak slowly, "I don��t know what you��re thinking, but this was not a whim."


    "You were very low-profile before," continued the King with a smile, "so low-profile in fact that I had no impression of you at all."


    "But your recent performance has really surprised me. That Bright City has such a talented young man - it shows that I was previously shortsighted."


    "You can trust me, or rather, you can trust yourself."


    "How would I be willing to marry off my precious daughter to you if you were not outstanding now?"


    That��s it! No matter why he hade to this world, Lis was now Viscount Kane.


    In his previous life, Viscount Kane would have died during the Sacrificial Festival assassination, but Lis was certain that his future had already changed.


    And not only for Viscount Kane.


    The King of Feis Kingdom from his previous life would never have married Taya to Viscount Kane.


    Ang would have died in the Golden Lion Knights�� campaign, not now, living azy and happy life.


    Risa would still be quietly staying in the Library until Viscount Kane was assassinated.


    The same went for Mora, idly wasting her life away in a drunken stupor.


    Unknowingly, he had already changed the fate of many people!


    A trace of relief appeared on Lis��s face, like a traveler in the desert who had finally found an oasis. It seemed that he had found the true anchor that connected him with this world.


    Fusis watched the two of them with a confused expression. What kind of riddle were they ying at?


    King Morton didn��t really understand what had happened, but looking at Lis brushing off his gloom and revealing a firm gaze, he couldn��t help but smile as well.


    "So, have you made a decision, our Viscount Kane?"


    "Thank you for Your Majesty��s deep affection, but my teacher and n elders have instructed me to focus on cultivation recently, and I may not have the mind for personal emotions in the short term," Lis respectfully bowed his head and replied.


    This was a well-considered decision by Lis. As a modern person, he was not too fond of the concept of arranged marriages.


    If Lis was really to marry Taya, he would have to propose to Taya himself.


    "That��s a bit of a pity," King Morton said with regret, but the smile on his face didn��t diminish one bit.


    "Your Majesty, I am truly sorry, but I must take my leave."


    Lis bowed deeply, stood up, and left the reception room.

 Chapter 138 The Determination of the Princess

    "Your Majesty, are we just going to leave it at that?"


    Fusis was somewhat puzzled. Although he had previously tried to help Arsen secure an engagement with Princess Taya, the matter was dropped after a long father-son talk following theirst visit home.


    It was only after Morton had asked him to take care of this affair that he truly felt it was a suitable match and greatly beneficial to the Kingdom, which prompted him to actively give Lis some hints.


    "Ha ha, young people have their own thoughts. We old ones are better off not interfering too much, as long as the message is clear,"


    Morton said, waving his hand indifferently whileughing. He casually picked up a strawberry mini cake from the dessert stand on the table and began to savor it.


    Why did it seem like His Majesty the King waspletely unconcerned, even appearing to be in a rather good mood?


    Fusis was puzzled but felt it was not his ce to ask.


    While Fusis remained silent, Morton took the initiative to say:


    "Who do you think the elder Lis specifically mentioned just now is?"


    There was such a thing?


    Fusis��s attention had been entirely drawn to the odd atmosphere he had perceived earlier, so he didn��t have a very strong impression of this statement.


    After some thought, Fusis still said:


    "To my knowledge, aside from Lis, there shouldn��t be any other members of the Kane family left. As for the elder he mentioned, I��m not quite sure."


    "Hehe, if it��s really who I think it is, then things are going to get interesting."


    "Besides, Little Lis didn��t say he wasn��t willing, did he?"


    Morton said, smiling as he settled into the soft sofa to rest for a while; after all, the uing banquet would be quite draining for a man of his advanced age.


    Little Taya should be waiting outside by now, right?


    It��s up to the young people to make their own decisions, but that doesn��t mean they can��t be influenced by other factors! Morton thought to himself merrily, his face betraying none of his inner amusement.


    ...


    Just as Morton had anticipated, as soon as Lis stepped out the door, he saw a woman dressed in a ckce evening gown standing by the corridor window.


    Her carefully groomed ming red hair fell softly around her neck, her shoulders were cut like baster, and her waist as delicate as a bundle of grain. The figure-hugging evening gown entuated her curves to perfection; her brows were like emerald feathers, skin like white snow, with a small gold gemstone hanging on her forehead, perfectlyplementing the breathtaking beauty of her face, which appeared all the more enchanting under the slightly dim corridor lighting.


    Among those Lis had seen, it seemed that only Risa couldpare with this woman.


    But unlike Risa, this was a face Lis knew very well.


    Taya Fis!


    Though she still had a touch of youthful greennesspared to her mother, the Legendary Warrior and Her Majesty the Queen, Taya��s extraordinary charm was already fully apparent.


    This was the first time Lis had seen Taya��s true appearance since he had been reborn; before, she had always concealed herself with Magic Items.


    Lis stood, stunned, looking at Taya, his mind emptied of everything else.


    Panic!


    I need help!


    I��ve changed my mind. Is it toote to go back to the King and ept the engagement?


    ...


    Taya looked at Lis, who had been staring at her all this time, a flush of red climbing up her fair neck. She walked up to him, pouting and staring at him intensely.


    That very morning, Father King had sent for her toe to the Kingdom, informing her that he intended to discuss an engagement with Lis that evening and asking for her opinion.


    If it had been any other time, Taya would have never agreed to the engagement, out of respect for her father or not.


    But this time, for some reason, when the image of Lis��s handsome face popped into her mind, she found herself mysteriously silent, not immediately rejecting the King��s proposal.


    Then Mortonughed, saying he understood, and told Taya to dress up and wait in the corridor that evening.


    As a result, Taya, who had been waiting in the corridor, did not hear her father��s summon. Instead, she saw Lis walking out alone.


    Taya had a pretty good idea of what had happened and felt a sense of relief in her heart, yet she seemed somewhat disappointed.


    Not knowing how to react and seeing Lis staring in awe, she felt a hint of smugness. Walking straight up to Lis, she pretended to be angry and stared at him too.


    Lis rubbed his face, looking into Taya��s magnificent grey-purple eyes, and smilingly said:


    "Ya��er?"


    "Hmmph!"


    With a yful humph, Taya red at Lis fiercely.


    "You look really beautiful tonight! I was totally dazzled!"


    Lis gave a thumbs up, sending her a very straightforwardpliment.


    Originally just pretending to be angry to hide her shyness, Taya couldn��t hold back any longer and burst outughing.


    The two of them tacitly avoided discussing the recent events in the meeting room and did not question why Taya��s appearance had changed, walking slowly forward through the empty corridor, shoulder to shoulder.


    "Are the others in the banquet hall?"


    Lis asked with a smile, turning his head to look at Taya.


    Lis, who had just affirmed his existence and truly began to integrate into this world, felt a very peculiar sentiment looking at the Blood Rose Princess before him.


    Not to mention that she had almost be his betrothed.


    "Father King is about to appear, so everybody wants to show their face before His Majesty the King. Who would be wandering around here like the two of us?"


    Taya walked gently, lifting her skirt slightly. She no longer looked like the spoiled little girl she was in the adventure team��s vi, instead, there was a more mature and intellectual air about her now.


    "Do Lunbos and the others know?"


    Lis chatted absentmindedly, trying his best to find a topic, as he himself had been quite inexperienced with women in his previous life.


    Taya nced at Lis and slightly raised her snow-white chin, saying:


    "I haven��t told them specifically, but they more or less know that my identity is not so ordinary."


    Lis scratched his head, not sure what to say.


    He couldn��t very well say that he had just refused the marriage proposal to her.


    Seeing Lis silent, Taya asked:


    "Will youe back to the adventure team in the future?"


    After thinking it over, Lis shook his head and said:


    "I probably won��t. I have a tight schedule studying with the teacher, and I have a lot of things to do in the future. I might not have time for adventures together."


    Lis, who had broken through to the Silver Level, now possessed the strength to explore some secret stashes from his past life��s memories. After hepletes the initial integration with the yers and his arcane research, he might leave Bright City.


    Discover more stories at empire


    For that, he had even determined the n and destinations for his subsequent travels and adventures.


    "Oh~"


    Taya was silent for a moment, making up her mind.


    She moved closer to Lis and gently slipped her right hand around his arm, pressing her beautiful body against him.


    Feeling this warm touch, Lis looked at Taya in surprise, not understanding why the Princess suddenly made such an intimate gesture.


    N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "What are you looking at? If we don��t go to the party soon, we��ll bete!"


    Taya lifted her head, her expression as if it were perfectly natural to look at Lis that way, but her increasingly flushed cheeks and slightly trembling hands betrayed the little nervousness in her heart.


    "Then let��s go,"


    Lis smiled, leading Taya towards the banquet hall, his expression more spirited.

 Chapter 139 Divine Son!

    The following day at Kane Mansion.


    Lis''s experiences from yesterday''s banquet hall were still vivid in his mind as he and Taya entered the grand hall, arm in arm,


    His Majesty the King and Duke Hade were all smiles, looking as if they had anticipated this scene.


    Mora was slightly surprised, her winking and grimacing indicated a bit of astonishment at Taya''s presence, but mostly it was directed at teasing Lis.


    Second Prince Yatean''s face was so dark it seemed almost dripping with gloom; he forced a smile and greeted several nobles around him before hurriedly leaving the banquet hall.


    The expressions of those nobledies were even more interesting, resembling disappointed hopes, then they were further overwhelmed by Taya''s disy of dominance, bowing their heads in even deeper dismay.


    After the orderly evening came to an end, Taya blinked her eyes,ughed, and let go of Lis''s arm before leaving directly.


    "See you next time, Lis!"


    Listening to the girl''s bell-like voice fading away, Lis also smiled and soon departed from the Royal Pce.


    As for what had happened, who knew?


    No longer dwelling on these matters, Lis knew that only by mastering strength could he control everything and make all affairs turn out as desired.


    Moreover, there was an urgent matter waiting for Lis to attend to!


    -----------------


    "Is this the ce?"


    Marion asked Lis, standing beside him.


    That morning, as he hunted on Gedo Street, Marion had met Lis unexpectedly soon after theirst encounter, only to be told that someone wanted to meet him.


    Recalling the legendary aura he had felt around Lis previously, Marion had not resisted the prospect, obediently following Lis here.


    Constantly apanying Prince Burns, he naturally knew the terror of legendary strongmen; since that person was interested, it was better for him toply.


    Now, he appeared every inch the elegant, long-established noble, showing nothing of the tumult he had caused in the Lower City District just days ago.


    Lis,posed, led Marion into the second-floor study, closed the door, and gestured for him to sit on the sofa and wait.


    Even as Lis served the tea, Marion nodded his thanks, showing no sign of rxation.


    Lis too sat to one side waiting when suddenly a shadow emerged across from Marion on the sofa, and Lord Joyce''s figure appeared from within the shadow.


    Legend!


    And a legendary assassin!


    Extremely powerful! A legendary strongmanparable to His Highness the Prince.


    Feeling the sharp aura surrounding him, Marion felt as if he had plunged into an ice cer, the terrifying intent to kill forcing him to lower his head, not daring to look directly at the elder before him.


    Lord Joyce looked at the vampire before him and retracted his aura.


    This was also a minor intimidation for Marion, who had nearly scared Lord Joyce''s beloved apprentice previously.


    But Lord Joyce knew that these Blood n members rarely caused fatalities, and Ashley wasn''t hurt; otherwise, it would have been more than just a suppression of aura.


    "Your name is Marion?"


    Lord Joyce asked in a nonchnt tone, disying an air of authority.


    "Yes, Lord Joyce."


    Marion answered respectfully, having been informed of his name by Lis during their journey.


    Truthfully, if he weren''t wary of upsetting this formidable figure, Marion would have seized Lis right then to demand a clear exnation.


    This aura was different from when Lis had used the "Dimension Shield" previously!


    You,d, have two legendary patrons behind you?


    "Which Bloodline Prince are you following?"


    Upon hearing this, Marion tensed. How did this one seem so well-informed about the Blood n''s affairs?


    However, Marion did not conceal anything, knowing how crucial it was to have a solid backing.


    "It is His Excellency, Prince Frostblood Burns."


    "Burns?"


    Lord Joyce frowned slightly. Not to mention the Blood n, he indeed hadn''t heard of any legendary strongman named Burns.


    Of course, this might also be because Lord Joyce was still quite a young legend himself, with not many connections.


    However, considering that Marion wouldn''t dare to deceive him, Joyce nodded and continued to ask:


    "You came to Bright City looking for a vampire, what business do you have?"


    "This..."


    Marion hesitated, as it involved the Divine Son of the Blood n. Even facing a legendary strongman, he couldn''t casually reveal it.


    "If you are looking for someone from the Blood n, I can help you find them. Just tell the truth."


    Now Marion found himself in a difficult situation. Could this person really know where the Divine Son was?


    After pondering for a while, Marion decided to reveal a bit of information, cautiously saying:


    "Prince His Highness sent me to Bright City to locate a member of the Blood n. He said it might affect the future of the Blood n."


    Upon hearing this, Lis nced slightly at Ang, who was perched on his shoulder. Could she affect the future of the Blood n?


    The little creature was also staring intently at Marion, seemingly nervous as well.


    Lord Joyce showed no particr expression and continued to inquire:


    "So, he just sent you to Bright City with that, no other information?"


    Marion thought for a moment and chose to conceal the most critical part of the information, gritting his teeth as he said:


    "I know the vampire''s name is Ang, but that''s about all I''m clear on."


    "Hmm."


    Lord Joyce fell silent for a moment, then reached out toward Ang.


    A deep grey stream of energy suddenly emerged on Ang''s small white body, circled around her once, and then flew towards Lord Joyce, merging into his raised hand.


    "Hmm?"


    Once the grey stream of energy had left Ang''s body, Marion immediately sensed a presence of pure blood energy in the room.


    This was definitely a member of the Blood n!


    Marion turned his head towards the source of the scent and was shocked to find that it was the little white bat that had always been lying on Lis''s shoulder.


    His face twisted slightly. This little creature was the Divine Son???


    He had seen this little bat several times before and had never sensed anything.


    Lis, however, had seen the scene where Lord Joyce drew the grey stream of energy from Ang.


    So, the several times Marion had encountered Ang without noticing must have been influenced by something Lord Joyce had left on her?


    Regaining hisposure, Marion was truly beyond surprised by the situation, which even made him, who was usually quite detached, feel a bit thrilled.


    After respectfully bowing to Lord Joyce, Marion turned to Ang still perched on Lis''s shoulder and said:


    "Lord Ang, may we speak privately?"


    Lord Ang?


    Lis noted the way Marion addressed her but didn''t intervene, leaving the decision up to the little bat herself.


    The small white bat scratched her head with her tiny ws and took off flying.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    With a sh of light, Ang transformed back into her appearance as a little white-haired girl in a dress made from magic power, standing on the floor and tilting her head upwards as she said:


    "No need to bother, let''s just talk here." Explore stories at empire


    Looking at Ang in this form, Marion didn''t understand why the Divine Son was so familiar with these people, but since that was the case, he had no choice but to speak respectfully:


    "Divine Son..."

 Chapter 140 Cains Divine Power

    "Divine Son, Lord Burns has asked me to greet you and escort you back to Frost Blood Castle,"


    Marion said respectfully to Ang.


    He had realized that the Divine Son was very close to Lis, and figured that she would hardly keep anything from him, so he thought it might be better to be honest.


    "Who is Burns?"


    The little white-haired girl looked at Marion, asking with some curiosity.


    Seeing Ang''s expression, Marion seemed to guess something and said:


    "Prince Frostblood, Lord Burns, is a Legendary Bloodline and also a Divine Favored of the ancestor Cain. This time, it was by the decree of Lord Cain that I was instructed to find you."


    "A Divine Favored of the ancestor?"


    Ang was a bit puzzled but continued to ask:


    "Then why do you call me Divine Son?"


    "Lord Burns received an oracle from Lord Cain, advising him that you are Cain''s Divine Son."


    "So what does a Divine Son do?"


    Ang asked, appearing utterly clueless, and Marion reluctantly exined:


    "A Divine Son is someone who possesses divine bloodlines and can inherit some of the divine power. Such beings are extremely rare."


    "You are Cain''s Divine Son. It has been many years since a Divine Son of Lord Cain was born."


    "Am I a Divine Son? I don''t feel anything special about me,"


    Ang said as she looked down and spun around, assessing her small body.


    "That''s because you have not yet awakened Lord Cain''s Divine Power. Ordinarily, before awakening your power, there''s no difference between you and a normal Blood n member, but for some reason, this time Lord Cain specifically chose you."


    Marion exined patiently, as Lis on the side seemed to recall something.


    When Lis and Ang first met at McGwire''s Death Tomb, to gain Ang''s trust, he had invoked the revered name of Cain.


    Could it be that Cain took notice of Ang back then? Otherwise, Cain should have sent someone to take Ang away earlier, rather than letting her face persecution from the Golden Lion Knights."


    "How do I awaken?"


    Ang asked with curiosity.


    "You wille with me to Lord Burns. He will organize a ceremony for your awakening,"


    "Where is this Lord Burns?"


    Ang did not know this supposed Burns, but he seemed to be a senior figure within the Blood n.


    "In the Kingdom of Bolin, south of the Feis Kingdom."


    Wow! The Kingdom of Bolin, that''s right next to the Elves'' Navia Great Forest, so far away?


    Lis thought to himself but didn''t speak up; it was better to let Ang decide these matters on her own.


    "But I don''t want to go."


    Ang said after some thought, feelingfortable with her current life and not particrly willing to leave Lis.


    Marion found this somewhat difficult, but fortunately, Lord Burns had other instructions.


    He raised his right hand, a crimson light shining in the palm of his hand.


    Merely looking at it, Lis felt as if he was immersed in a pure sea of blood, having no thoughts of resistance whatsoever.


    Divine Power!


    Joey, who had been silently listening, suddenly stood up, his eyes fixed intently on the crimson light in Marion''s hand.


    It was a pity it wasn''t the Divine Power of a fallen deity; it might have been useful. Enjoy more content from empire


    This must be that Cain''s Divine Power!


    After feeling it, Joey nodded slightly.


    Marion looked nervously at Joey and, seeing no reaction from this formidable figure, finally rxed.


    "Divine Son, this is the Divine Power of Lord Cain, which can help you awaken the power of the Divine Son."


    "However, this is just to awaken Lord Cain''s power. For more inheritance, you still need to visit Frost Blood Castle."


    Lord Ang stared intensely at the blood-red glow before her, feeling her body desperately craving it.


    Barely containing her impulse, Ang asked,


    "What should I do then?"


    "You don''t need to do anything special, but the awakening process might take some time."


    Marion was also uncertain, as he had never witnessed the Divine Son''s awakening ritual before.


    Seeing that Ang was ready, Marion gently pushed the blood-red glow towards her, and it entered her body without resistance.


    Suddenly, a blood cocoon wrapped around Ang''s entire body and slowly levitated in mid-air.


    This...


    Lis turned his questioning gaze towards Joyce.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Joyce nodded and said,


    "It''s fine; it should be the awakening process after receiving the Divine Power. I can sense her aura."


    Lis then rxed, not wanting anything bad to happen to Ang.


    "Thank you, Lord Joyce."


    Relieved that Ang had sessfully entered the awakening process, Marion sighed with relief and turned to bow to Joyce.


    He had indeed been worried that this legendary strongman might attempt to seize the Divine Power, as it was a considerable temptation for any legend.


    But the Divine Son had no intention of going back with him, and it seemed there would be no chance to pass the Divine Power to Ang privately again; they could only try.


    Joyce nced at Marion and was unconcerned.


    He was not the kind of foolish person who would carelessly absorb Divine Power, as doing so meant forever losing the chance to advance further.


    Marion also thanked Lis, saying,


    "Thank you for your help too, Mr. Lis."


    "I never expected the Divine Son to have always been with you, the previous times... s!"


    Marion was a bit annoyed but continued,


    "There''s something else I would like to ask of you."


    "What is it?"


    Now aware of many secrets unknown in his past lives, Lis was in a good mood and said with a smile,


    "Your rtionship with the Divine Son is very good; I still would like you to persuade the Divine Son."


    "After all, only by fully epting Lord Cain''s legacy can the Divine Son grow faster."


    "I understand; I will speak to her."


    Lis nodded; it indeed would be beneficial for Ang, especially since the Blood n had even brought out the Divine Power of Cain, clearly wanting Ang''s growth to be smoother.


    "How long will she stay like this?"


    Lis asked, pointing at the blood cocoon before him.


    "I''m not quite sure,"


    Marion said somewhat hesitantly,


    "Maybe after Lady Ang absorbs the Divine Powerpletely, she will wake up."


    Thinking it over, Marion took out a piece of Blood Crystal Stone and handed it to Lis.


    "Mr. Lis, thank you very much for taking care of the Divine Son. Here is a token of my appreciation, and I hope you won''t refuse."


    Lis curiously epted the Blood Crystal Stone, which glimmered with a deep red light as if it were formed from coagted blood, yet it emitted a fresh scent.


    -----------------


    [[Top-Grade Blood Coagtion Crystal]: Essence of blood condensed by a legendary Bloodline, using it enhances the user''s physical strength without side effects]


    [Effect: Upon use, increases basic strength points by 30, basic endurance points by 30.]


    -----------------

 Chapter 141 Path to Divinity

    What a great find!


    Lis��s eyes lit up as he looked at the crystal stone in his hand.


    Compared to weapons and Magic Items, that provide a boost to attribute value, the biggest advantage of basic attributes was that they could receive attribute modifiers, simr to the free attribute points Lis had received frompleting tasks before.


    "In that case, I shall take my leave," said Marion.


    "I will be staying in Bright City for a while, waiting until the Divine Son awakes," Marion added after bowing to Joyce and Lis, then he left.


    Lis did not ask him to stay; he guessed Marion probably did not want to linger, especially with a powerful figure here.


    However, while seeing Marion out, Lis still inquired about the vampires.


    "Those scum?" Marion hesitated for a moment before speaking:


    "They are the ones who betrayed our ancestor Cain, indulging in the pleasure of bloodlust and desire, quite different from our Blood n."


    "They absorb blood without restraint, and even the source blood passed down from Lord Cain has been tainted. Their descendants and Blood Servants are no different."


    "All of the Blood n abide by the precepts Lord Cain set, for giving in to desires leads to one��s own destruction," Marion continued.


    "As for what exactly happened back then and why they betrayed Lord Cain, I am not sure," Marion confessed.


    "It all happened a very long time ago. Perhaps Lord Burns would know; after all, he has been following Lord Cain since his birth."


    "And I am only a little over three hundred years old, still quite young," Marion added with a slight pride.


    After sharing some not particrly important information with Lis, Marion turned and left.


    He urgently needed to buy some sweets to calm his frightened heart.


    Just now, he had genuinely felt a hint of murderous intent from Joyce.


    Having obtained the information, Lis returned to the reception room where Joyce was still sitting.


    "Little Lis, have a seat, I have some things to discuss with you," Joyce beckoned.


    Lis nodded and sat down on the sofa nearby, waiting for guidance from the formidable figure.


    "I don��t know if Fran mentioned this to you, but upon reflection, I think it��s still necessary to give you a heads-up," Joyce started.


    "With your Talent, the possibility of breaking through to Legend is quite high, so it��s best you understand these things in advance," he mentioned.


    "Please go ahead," Lis responded respectfully, noting the seriousness in Joyce��s expression.


    "The power that appeared in the hands of that Blood n member earlier was the Divine Power of Cain," Joyce pointed out.


    Lis nodded, as he too had sensed the majestic power emanating from the red glow just now, its divine quality extremely high.


    In his past life, yers had alsoe into contact with Divine Power, but without exception, none could withstand its force and directly met Death.


    "Divine Power is the foundation of all the Gods, as well as the concrete existence and manifestation of the power of deities," Joyce rified.


    "After breaking through to Legend, there are many paths to continue strengthening oneself, but the most widely known and popr is the Path to Divinity," he exined.


    "It is the path mortals tread to be divine beings, the most enticing yet the most dangerous, inevitably filled with thorns and treacherous obstacles. Without great resolve, perseverance, and Luck, it��s simply impossible to reach the end of this path," exined Joyce.


    "The Gaia World has been peaceful for a long time; no one has achieved Ascension for hundreds of years," Joyce said, shaking his head, though his eyes sparkled with a hint of longing.


    After all, bing a deity meant an endless life span and overwhelming Strength.


    Lis nodded. Although he didn��t know about the Path to Divinity in his previous life, during theter stages of the story, there were natives who seeded in achieving Divinity, but it was a cruel and brutal period of upheaval where even gods could fall, naturally allowing some to ascend the Divine Throne.


    "There��s no need to discuss these matters, after all, Little Lis, you are still too far away from that,"


    Joyce said with a smile, lifting his teacup to take a sip.


    "However, there are some things you need to be aware of."


    "That is the legacy left by the gods."


    "You had the aura of a deity on you before, you have received gifts from a god, haven��t you?"


    Lis nodded, not expecting Joyce to know so much.


    "I have received the blessing of Elf Goddess Fenrir, and a Magic Item that contains divine power."


    "Hmm, you��re quite lucky."


    Joyce praised and then continued,


    "But you must understand that these powers were actively bestowed by the gods, just like Cain��s divine power just now."


    "Before bestowing their power, gods will actively remove the will contained within the divine power; otherwise, Professionals below the legendary level simply cannot withstand the erosion of a god��s will."


    "Throughout the river of time, so many gods have fallen, and often a lucky person will find Divine Status, Divinity, and Divine Power left by fallen gods in the ruins. However, without reaching legend, one does not even have the qualifications to absorb this treasure."


    "If they absorb it forcibly, their consciousness will bepletely eroded and destroyed by the residual will of the god, and the fallen god might even be reborn into the world through this."


    Read exclusive content at empire


    Is that so?


    No wonder yers who came into contact with unimed divine power in the previous life would die straight away.


    Lis pondered to himself, seemingly beginning to understand.


    In other words, if one wants to absorb the legacy of the gods, even divine power that contains the least amount of a god��s will, it��s tantamount to undergoing a judgment of willpower; only if the judgment is passed can one obtain the power contained within it.


    It��s just that this willpower judgment is especially high level; without achieving legendary status and sublimation of consciousness, there is practically no chance of passing it.


    "I understand, I��ll be careful in the future,"


    Joyce nodded and added,


    "Of course, after reaching legendary status, you can start to look for and absorb the legacies of these fallen gods."


    "However, only the legacies of fallen gods can be transformed and absorbed."


    "The vampire earlier was worried I would snatch away Cain��s divine power. It seems he doesn��t know much."


    "After all, digesting the will of a living god is much more difficult, and it would attract the god��s attention, which isn��t worth it."


    "But..."


    Joyce seemed to think of something, a strange smile spreading across his face.


    ��What is it, Uncle Joyce?"


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Lis asked, somewhat curious.


    "I guess the situation with Cain, the Bloodline Ancestor, might not be so good."


    Joyce stroked his chin in thought, a sharp glint in his eyes.


    "For him to bestow divine power through a Divine Favored arranging for someone to deliver it, that��s quite rare for a god."


    "Just like the blessing from the Elf God you received, in such cases gods usually directly open the doors of the Divine Country to bestow the power."


    "This could indicate that Cain��s current situation is not good."


    But Joyce also shook his head soon after, saying,


    "However, this isn��t of much concern to us; after all, matters of the gods are not for us to probe into."


    Lis also nodded, taking note.


    In the previous life��s game, Cain��s name rarely appeared, even in theter stages of the plot, but Lis had never heard news of the god��s fall.

 Chapter 142 Divine Revelation Game Server Launch!

    October 7th.


    Hua Country, Sky City.


    Liu Tai got up early in the morning, finished washing up, and started to check the supplies he had prepared in advance, including mineral water, instant food, and so on.


    I haven''t felt this excited for a game in so long!


    Liu Tai sighed to himself. To ensure he wouldn''t oversleep today, he had even set ten rms, just so he could enter the "Divine Revtion" game on time.


    In this period, as the game''s promotion rolled out, the poprity of the "Divine Revtion" game had been climbing by leaps and bounds, or should I say, exploded.


    This was the first time a game with such high simtion and realism has appeared. Almost all gamers wanted to experience this epoch-making game, so the first batch of game helmets released were quickly snapped up.


    Now, on the yer forums, there are countless posts seeking to purchase the "Divine Revtion" game helmet, with the most exaggerated asking price having reached thirty thousand, though there are very few willing to sell.


    Liu Tai was quite relieved that he managed to purchase a game helmet so early and didn''t have to wait anxiously for the subsequent release of helmets, thinking back, he was indeed very prescient.


    As nine o''clock approached, Liu Tai got ready, put on his helmet, andy on the bed.


    Under the guidance of the game helmet, his consciousness entered the waiting dimension, and watching the countdown floating in mid-air, Liu Tai started scrolling through the game forum.


    yers could directly enter the yer forum in the game, and seeing the rapidly refreshing posts, numerous yers were anxiously waiting for the game''s start, some nning to live stream the game''s opening, and there were even those still desperately seeking to purchase a game helmet at a high price.


    As the countdown in mid-air reached zero, Liu Tai''s expression sharpened.


    It''sing!


    [ "Divine Revtion" game officiallyunched! ]


    [ Retrieving yer data....yer data retrieved! ]


    [ "Divine Revtion" game version 1.0unched, please get ready! ]


    ...


    Because Liu Tai had previously set up his yer information, including his name, gender, Profession Talent, and other details, even going through the character creation phase numerous times, he could enter the game immediately.


    A dazzling light shed on, and when Liu Tai opened his eyes, he found himself on a street with a medieval European charm.


    Surrounding him were crowds of people in simple clothing, all looking around with faces full of curiosity, seemingly filled with anticipation for this brand-new game world.


    "So we''ve entered the game?"


    "Holy shit, it feels just like real life, this sky! This water! This air! It''s so damn realistic!"


    "Brothers, it''s indeed just like the trial ythrough, I''m gonna grind my heart out!"


    "Anybody want to team up for quests? Let''s form a group!"


    At this moment, Liu Tai was also curiously looking around. This was much better than the small trial area; he could even see the magnificent and grand Royal Pce in the distance.


    However, it seemed like the game intentionally had them spawn in an uninhabited alley, unnoticed by any natives. Compared to therge number of natives in Bright City, there were rtively few yers.


    But just because they weren''t noticed upon arrival, didn''t mean their foolish actions would be ignored.


    The yers couldn''t suppress their true natures any longer!


    Someone was pressing against the wall, trying to see if they could have the Skill to climb walls, jumping up and down continually.


    Somebody called out to friends and started a full-blown brawl on the spot, wanting to test the game''sbat sensations. Not satisfied with just that, two bruised and battered yers picked up a brick, trying to experience the thrill of Death.


    Someone searched their body for a while and in the end, could only strip off their outer garment, pounding on their chest and stomping their feet in frustration, shouting, "Damn gamepany, with all this technology, why won''t you let me take off my pants!"


    There we go! Another person who didn''t read the yer notice; it''s already been stated that nudity isn''t allowed.


    Liu Tai watched the person kneeling on the ground speechlessly when he suddenly noticed a pretty female yer walked up to the man.


    "It''s okay, you can create a new ount."


    "Hmm?"


    "Although you can''t take off your pants, you can touch, just like me. Build a female character and you''re good to go."


    "Big brother!"


    "Second brother!"


    Seeing two like-minded people sp hands tightly together, Liu Tai hastily returned his gaze.


    Although he used to y a female character in games, he found ying his own gender in this fully immersive simtion game to be morefortable.


    "Isn''t there a quest for beginners?"


    At that moment, someone opened the system panel with a puzzled look.


    "It should not have started yet. The server announcement said the main quest would start three days after the serverunch, so are these three days our time to explore?"


    "So where do we go?"


    "The announcement suggested going to the Mercenary Guild to ept quests and change professions. Should we give it a try?"


    "Good idea, but... where is the Mercenary Guild?"


    On hearing this, Liu Tai realized that it was indeed the case and quickly opened the map.


    Sure enough, the map only showed that he was in Bright City, but the surroundings were pitch-ck, indicating that yers need to explore and mark the areas themselves.


    After thinking it over, Liu Tai felt that there was no point in forming a team with these bumbling yers, so he left the alley alone and walked outward, with many people, like Liu Tai, beginning to explore this world.


    ...


    Bearing the puzzled looks of the natives, Liu Tai, who had asked for directions along the way, finally arrived at the Mercenary Guild on Gedo Street.


    Although stared at like an idiot, Liu Tai was quite happy.


    No other reason, this world was just too awesome!


    The bustling crowd, the dazzling array of goods, theings and goings of the transport carriages, even the smell from the old horse pulling the cart was so real, Liu Tai felt as if he was truly in another world. Your next chapter awaits on empire


    This made him look forward to what was toe even more! What would it feel like to formally advance to a Professional and master Extraordinary Abilities?


    Liu Tai had chosen the warrior profession. It wasn''t that he particrly liked warriors, but rather he thought that other professions might have a high level of difficulty in operation, and for a gaming newbie like him, a no-brainer berserking warrior seemed more suitable.


    Thinking this, Liu Tai entered Gedo Street and suddenly heard a loud shout.


    "White Dove Chamber of Commerce, now hiring on arge scale!"


    "Healthy individuals with potential preferred!"


    "Room and board included, generous remuneration!"


    "In-house courses for profession advancement, firste first served!"


    ...


    Hearing this, Liu Tai felt tempted. The Mercenary Guild would definitely be packed with yers by now, so why not try out this recruitment by White Dove Chamber of Commerce? After all, he wasn''t short on time.


    After a while, a frustrated Liu Tai squeezed out from the crowd gathered in front of the White Dove store.


    What the heck!


    Why not me!


    Liu Tai felt he had dressed quite normally, answering the recruiter''s questions as if he were a native, only to be informed that hecked potential and was rejected!


    Is finding a job in the game world this difficult too?n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Just as Liu Tai was contemting whether to try his luck at the Mercenary Guild after all, someone gently patted his shoulder.

 Chapter 143 New System Module

    On the day "Divine Revtion" went online, Lis naturally wouldn''t miss it.


    After nearly a month of intensive learning from his two teachers, Fran and Joyce, Lis had already absorbed all the abilities and knowledge he needed to master at this stage.


    Today, Lis had also specificallye to Gedo Street, waiting for the yers to appear.


    Sitting on the second floor of the White Dove Chamber of Commerce shop, right below the window was the main thoroughfare of Gedo Street, which most would take on their way to the Mercenary Guild.


    Entering the yer forum, Lis scrolled through the various excited posts about the gameunch and smiled with satisfaction.


    The fresh "chives" were finally going to hit the market!


    Lis had been waiting for a long time, and he had many new experiments he wanted to try out on the yers.


    Just past nine o''clock, Lis noticed a group resembling yers had appeared.


    The game had only been online for a few minutes, and those rushing to the Mercenary Guild as soon as they entered the game were definitely well-prepared yers with strong initiative.


    Unlike those whimsical yers trying to see if they could take off their pants, they were striving for every second, aiming to get a step ahead.


    Lis could recognize them because they were all dressed in the initial outfits provided by the system, which he was all too familiar with.


    He had forgotten this point himself and decided he would mention it to the managers downstairster.


    As Lis pondered this, he realized he had previously been preupied with instructing the managers to recruit those who appeared oddly distinctive.


    On the first floor of the White Dove Chamber of Commerce, the trained managers and staff were already calling out for recruits.


    Lis could see a few yers heard the shout of the White Dove Chamber of Commerce, but they didn''t stop, as in the eyes of these elite yers, following the official suggested route seemed more appropriate.


    Lis wasn''t concerned, with so many yers, there were bound to be some who woulde to the White Dove Chamber of Commerce to give it a try, and many of Lis''s ns also needed to be tested on yers before he could confidently implement them.


    Gradually, some yers were attracted by the shout of the White Dove Chamber of Commerce and began to consult the managers Lis had arranged; others came from the direction of the Mercenary Guild, seemingly after getting a sense of the situation there and deciding to try their luck.


    After all, for yers fresh in the game without savings, learning Professional Skills at the Mercenary Guild was quite challenging.


    As the first yer passed the test and became an employee of the White Dove Chamber of Commerce, Lis''s system panel refreshed with new notification messages.


    -----------------


    [Your subordinate force "White Dove Chamber of Commerce" has officially recruited a yer. "Force Assembly" and "Task Assignment" modules are now activated.]


    -----------------


    Indeed, as a native NPC, he could issue tasks to the yers.


    Lis became excited and discovered two new options in the system interface; he first clicked on the "Task Assignment" module to check it out.


    The specific content was quite simple, as long as Lis drafted the task content, requirements, and rewards, he could issue tasks to the yers.


    However, as a Silver Level BOSS, Lis was limited in the amount of Experience reward he could offer for tasks each day, and he had to provide some physical rewards himself, such as Gold Coins, Magic Items, and so on.


    Looking at the system''s introduction, the Experience reward for tasks was limited daily, but it could be increased through tier promotion and raising Legend Level.


    Lis now only had the 10 Realm-Level Legend Points provided by the Court Viscount.


    Explore more stories at empire


    It seems that if there''s a chance in the future, I should gather more Legend Points! Lis thought as he checked the system panel.


    In his previous life, yers could obtain Legend Points bypleting world missions, major events, and importantndmarks, though it was quite difficult. But even after breaking through to the Gold Level, Legend Points didn''t serve much purpose, other than receiving some preferential treatment from the various powers.


    So, this is the greatest use of Legend Points? Lis pondered.


    Once Lis was familiar with the operation of the [Mission Release] module, he opened the [Guild Formation] module.


    It showed the guild that Lis had formed, which currently consisted only of [White Dove Chamber of Commerce].


    In the [White Dove Chamber of Commerce], it disyed the number of yers Lis had recruited, their information, and allowed Lis to carry out specific operations on each yer, such as adjusting contribution points, yer recruitment and dismissal, position arrangements, and so on.


    However, it seemed that the guilds in the panel would change ording to real-world situations, rather than beingpletely controlled by Lis with just a few clicks on the panel.


    Lis had already seen the name Mora in the position of deputy head.


    Watching the number of yers in his guild increase steadily, Lis nodded in satisfaction. This was a good start, and his meticulous preparations had not been wasted.


    After some thought, Lis set the yer membership restrictions for the [White Dove Chamber of Commerce] to allow joining other guilds.


    In Lis''s vision, the goal for the White Dove Chamber of Commerce was to be a neutral force among yers, akin to the Mercenary Guild. Once a yer joined the White Dove Chamber of Commerce, they would immediately be a member of the guild and enjoy the services and discounts it offered.


    Lis nned to make the membership in White Dove Chamber of Commerce simr to that of Mercenary Guild adventurers, not affecting yers from joining other guilds, while yers from other guilds could be members of the White Dove Chamber of Commerce.


    This would maximize the extent of Lis''s ''harvesting fields''!


    Of course, if yers wanted to enjoy the all-inclusive benefits prepared by Lis in advance, they would still have to work earnestly for him; free riding was not an option!


    Just as Lis was sorting out his ns in his mind, he suddenly noticed a slender figure in the beginner yer''s outfit approaching, seemingly interested in trying out for the White Dove Chamber of Commerce.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Although the name hovering above this person''s head was [Liu Tai the Titan], Lis was very familiar with this yer model.


    A smile appeared on Lis''s lips, not expecting this guy to show up as well.


    Not only was Lis familiar with this character, he was also well aware of his real identity.


    Liu Tai, a former ounting firm employee out of a job, who nned to rest for a while before seeking work, had coincidentally be one of the first batch of yers in Divine Revtion.


    As for why Lis was familiar with him, he was a gaming friend from Lis''s previous life. When Lis was penniless and starting his workshop, he had pulled him in to form it. Later on, Liu Tai became a partner and the main manager of the workshop.


    Lis had a lot of trust in Liu Tai. Not only did he manage the gaming studio efficiently, he also took good care of the orphanage. He was the only brother who had shared the ups and downs of life with Lis.


    Lis was pleasantly surprised by Liu Tai''s appearance.


    Lucky him! Well, then he''ll be my first test subject.


    Without feeling any psychological burden, Lis thought this since he had a whole basket of ns to advance.


    On the topic of: How to make yers fall in love with me!

 Chapter 144 This is Definitely an Advanced NPC!

    Liu Titan felt a tap on his shoulder and turned around to look.


    He saw a handsome young man standing behind him, smiling at him.


    The first thing Liu Titan noticed was that this person was not a human... no, not a yer.


    Whether you are filthy rich or dirt poor, all yers start the game in in white gear, wearing the most ordinary clothes, unlike this person in a luxurious ck suit.


    Moreover, the magic wand in his hand shimmered with a green light, and the ornaments on his body also radiated a special glow.


    Were these magic items from the game? He seemed to have encountered a significant figure.


    Liu Titan felt a mix of surprise and cautiously said,


    "May I know if you need anything?"


    "I''ve noticed many peopleing to apply at my guild. Out of curiosity, I came over to ask,"


    Lis replied with a smile, giving off an approachable vibe.


    Liu Titan responded respectfully, a behavior he learned from yer forums. The gaming gods guessed that since the "Divine Revtion" game officials stated that both the storyline NPCs and the natives were intelligent programs, they wouldn''t set all dialogues like in previous games. Being sincere in interactions with NPCs was definitely the right approach.


    Liu Titan also used the skill "Character Detection" to check the information of this NPC, a skill that came with every character at the start of the game.


    However, it was only usable for a month, and to continue using it, one would have to repurchase the rights from the game store.


    -----------------


    [You have used the skill "Character Detection," retrieving information...]


    [Based on your level, you obtained the following information.]


    Name: Lis Kain


    Race: Human


    Level: ?


    Life Value: ???


    Mana Value: ???


    Main Profession: Arcanist


    Secondary Profession: None


    Talent: All-Purpose (Legendary Talent)


    Attributes: ?


    Danger Level: Extremely Dangerous! (Red)


    Evaluation: If it''s you and him in a fight, he strikes three punches, you''re in seven pieces!


    -----------------


    Hiss~


    Liu Titan gasped in astonishment. What a mind-blowing situation!


    On his way here, he had used the "Character Detection" skill, but all the people he encountered were around level 10 and ordinary professionals.


    So many question marks definitely indicated a significant figure!


    Especially seeing the bright "All-Purpose (Legendary Talent)" in the retrieved information, he knew he had definitely encountered a big shot!N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The best talent yers could achieve was at the Gold Level. Wouldn''t the legendary talents in the game belong to major bosses or main characters in the storyline?


    Liu Titan quickly adjusted his attitude, disying the utmost respect he used at the ounting firm when treating important clients, and replied with a smile,


    "Lord, wee from outside Bright City and are looking for a job at your guild. Please grace us with an opportunity!" Enjoy new chapters from empire


    The person named Lis Kain had mentioned that the White Dove Guild was his, so he must be the proprietor here!


    Lis, observing Liu Titan''s ingratiating demeanor, held back augh and said with an air of a big boss,


    "Well, not bad, since that''s the case, go buy me a cup of fruit tea."


    Before Liu Titan could even respond, the system prompted him with a new task.


    -----------------


    [Bronze Level Quest: Purchase Fruit Tea]


    [Mission Requirement: Lis Kain is a bit thirsty and would like you to buy him a bottle of fruit tea!]


    [Mission Reward: Experience Points 1,000, Gold Coin 1 piece]


    -----------------


    Just like that, a mission was received. Is he really an advanced NPC!


    Liu''s Titan was thrilled, bidding farewell, he dashed towards the stall selling fruit tea.


    Every yer enters the game with an initial deposit of 10 bronze coins. Liu''s Titan remembered that there was a small fruit tea stall not far from here, costing about 3 bronze coins per cup.


    This was a sheer profit!


    Seeing Liu''s Titan excitedly walk away, Lis nodded in approval, watching the panel in front of him.


    The [Mission Release] module was already showing that the mission he had just posted had been epted by a yer.


    Posting missions was quite convenient, but he really needed to adjust the rewards of experience and money properly to attract yers and allocate the experience points quota optimally.


    From now on, he would mainly offer gold coins as rewards. After all, Lis was quite well-off, and he had a whole n to "earn" the distributed gold coins back from the yers.


    Lis stood at the doorway of the White Dove Chamber of Commerce, and some yers noticed this impressive-looking NPC, but didn''t pay much attention. After all, passing the recruitment test of the White Dove Chamber of Commerce was the most important thing for them at the moment.


    It wasn''t long before Lis noticed Liu''s Titan carefully holding a cup of fruit tea, walking over.


    "Here''s the fruit tea you wanted!"


    He carefully handed the fruit tea to Lis, and Liu''s Titan finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    "It tastes good, sorry to trouble you,"


    Lis said with a smile, and Liu''s Titan noticed that the system mission had already shown aspleted.


    With the mission rewards of experience and gold coins in hand, Liu''s Titan immediately invested the experience into leveling up.


    A dazzling golden light shed as his level advanced to 2.


    It was like this in the early stages, before officially bing a professional, each level formoners only required 1,000 points of experience, but the attributes gained were quite minimal. Once promoted to professional, all the experience and attribute points would be reset.


    "My name is Lis Kain. Keep up the good work, the White Dove Chamber of Commerce really needs talents like you!"


    Lis said with a smile to Liu''s Titan, casually sending him a recruitment invitation.


    -----------------


    [Lis Kain thinks you have exceptional talent, his goodwill toward you +5, and he decides to invite you to join the White Dove Chamber of Commerce!]


    [Yes/No]


    -----------------


    What''s there to think about, of course I''ll join!


    Liu''s Titan couldn''t believe his luck that he was seen as promising by this advanced NPC named Lis.


    After choosing to agree, Liu''s Titan noticed that the words [White Dove Chamber of Commerce: Intermediate Member] appeared on his panel, and before he could even ask, he was tightly surrounded by other yers.


    "Bro, did you just level up? That was quick!"


    "Yeah, got any tricks to share?"


    "Is it because of this NPC?"


    It turned out that the surrounding yers had noticed the golden light emitted by Liu''s Titan''s leveling up, invisible to the natives.


    Meanwhile, they also turned their attention to Lis standing nearby, perhaps an important plot character. Upon essing Lis''s panel, they came to a consensus.


    This is definitely an advanced NPC!


    Liu''s Titan, overwhelmed by the noise, had no choice but to recount what had just happened, prompting a group of yers to rush over to Lis''s side.


    "Boss, need any more help?"


    "Lord Lis, I''m skilled in all sorts of tasks. Let me handle the errands!"


    "Handsome, need someone to warm your bed? I''m soft and easy to topple!"


    Lis nced at the burly man with the beard who shouted thest sentence, immediately adjusting his goodwill toward him to negative ten.


    Ignoring the noisy yers, he said with a smile:


    "For now, there aren''t any minor matters, but since you are members of the White Dove Chamber of Commerce, I do have a troublesome matter. Could you help me with it?"

 Chapter 145 Launching the Leek Harvesting Plan

    Yay! A quest has been triggered!


    The yers surrounding Lis also quieted down, eager to hear what the quest was all about.


    "Recently, there have been many disturbances in the Lower City District of Bright City, and I don''t know what exactly is happening. Can you help me figure it out?"


    As soon as Lis finished speaking, a quest prompt appeared in front of the yers.


    -----------------


    [Silver Level Quest: The Hidden Crisis in the Lower City District]


    [Quest Requirement: Lis Kain has noticed that the Lower City District has been unrestfultely and suspects someone might be scheming something sinister. He would like someone to investigate it.]


    [Quest Reward: Depending on thepletion level (Highest Reward: Experience Points 100,000, Gold Coins 1,000)]


    -----------------


    Is this, this, this!


    Is this such an exaggerated quest?


    All the yers present received this Silver Level quest and, looking at the quest reward prompt, were nearly blinded by the dazzling offers.


    A hundred thousand Experience,pared to their current level-up requirement of just a thousand Experience, the gap was simply toorge.


    Furthermore, there was the reward of one thousand gold coins, and the game officials did not provide a channel to buy in-game gold coins, so even wealthy yers had to purchase coins from other yers.


    This was still when the yers had just entered the game and were unaware of the prices, but someone had already posted in the yer forum offering 100 dors for one gold coin.


    Even if thepletion wasn''t high, getting a share of the rewards would be enough.


    The yers at the scene looked at one another warily, seeing each person next to them as a directpetitor.


    At that moment, Lis continued:


    "It seems like all of you have the talent to be Professionals. Haven''t you gone to learn Professional Skills yet?"


    One yer quickly turned his eyes, and ingratiatingly responded:


    "Lord Kane, we''ve just arrived in Bright City and joined the White Dove Chamber of Commerce; we still don''t know where to learn Professional Skills. What do you suggest?"


    Lis almost wanted to p for this clever young man, what a great assist.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Pretending to contemte for a moment, Lis said with a smile:


    "The Guild will provide opportunities for everyone to learn Professional Skills, but since I am here today, you can ask me if there''s something specific you want to learn."


    After he finished speaking, a panel listing avable skills appeared in front of the yers.


    [Mage Skill Learning]


    [Magic: Mage''s Hand, sh Technique...; One-Circle Magic: Fireball Technique... etc]


    [Warrior Skill Learning]


    [Warrior Martial Skill: Danger Prediction, Block, Charge...]


    [Hunter Skill Learning]


    [Hunter Battle Skills: Tracking, Traps, Wind Walking Technique...]


    [Assassin Skill Learning]


    [Assassin Combat Techniques: Stealth, Backstabbing, Lock Opening...]


    What''s going on?


    How does this NPC have so many skills, and many of them are cross-professionalbat skills!


    Everyone looked at the skill learning panel that appeared before them, some of them were dumbstruck.


    You''re holding a magic wand, are you a Mage?


    Not right, maybe this is the correct way to use a Mage in an Otherworld?


    However, some yers noticed Lis''s All-Purpose Talent and guessed it might be the effect brought by this talent.


    However, looking at the Experience required to learn the skills, even for the most basic Magic, they did not have enough Experience to learn it.


    Even Liu''s Titan was the same, having spent all the recently gained Experience on leveling up.


    "Let me try."


    At that moment, a voice rose from among the yers, and a male yer with the name "Huo Yanyi" stepped forward, choosing to spend Experience Points to learn [Magic: Mage''s Hand].


    Huo Yanyi''s eyes lit up as he raised his left hand. A faintly glowing arm appeared in mid-air, moving at hismand as though he had truly gained an extra hand.


    The nearby yers burst into an uproar, asking eagerly:


    "Have you already learned it?"


    "Does that mean you count as a mage now?"


    "That''s so cool, I feel like bing a mage too!"


    Huo Yanyi nodded and said,


    "The system just notified me that I could choose to advance to mage, no problem."


    At this, many people looked towards Lis with burning eyes, as this was much faster than saving up money to learn skills in the Mercenary Guild.


    Ignoring the noisy yers, Lis looked at the yer named Huo Yanyi with a somewhat curious gaze.


    This person was also quite a famous mage in the games of the past life. Unlike Lis, he had transitioned here from another game.


    No wonder he had gathered the experience to learn the skills so quickly.


    Looking at the system panel, the Experience Points that Huo Yanyi had just spent on learning the skill had already entered Lis''s pocket. Explore more stories with empire


    Lis nodded in satisfaction; so far, everything was going smoothly. It seemed the prospects for these newbies were very promising, and soon he wouldn''t have to worry about the massive amount of experience needed for leveling up and learning.


    With so many yers, even a little from each was enough for Lis''s needs.


    Still, it was best to cultivate these yers properly, both to expand the scope of newbie grounds and to enhance their quality!


    "What''s your name?" Lis asked Huo Yanyi, looking at him with an appreciative nce.


    Seeing his chance, Huo Yanyi swiftly replied:


    "Lord Lis, my name is Huo Yanyi."


    "Good job, keep it up. I have high hopes for you." Lis said with a smile, elevating Huo Yanyi''s membership level to Intermediate, just like Liu''s Titan.


    Huo Yanyi was a bit surprised. When he joined the White Dove Guild, he had carefully studied the benefits. The higher the membership level, the more discounts on purchases and the more tasks he could receive.


    Just moving from low-level to intermediate needed enough contribution points for quite a long grind.


    When the other yers learned of this news, they too expressed their sincere envy and jealousy toward these two lucky yers.


    Lis just smiled and said,


    "I hope everyone works hard in the White Dove Guild. I have some special items here that you might like."


    With that, a brand-new shop page appeared on everyone''s panels.


    The system showed this shopping page as "Lis''s Mysterious Shop," where all the items were fairly rare magic equipment and tools.


    For instance, the top item [Jade Wand] was priced at twenty thousand gold coins and it also required a middle-level membership at the White Dove Guild and fifty goodwill points from Lis.


    Besides, there were a variety of Bronze level basic equipment, portable magic arrays, and consumables like magic potions.


    These were the supplies Mora had prepared especially for Lis. Although these yers couldn''t afford them, it was enough to keep their interest piqued.


    The yers became excited when they discovered the new store.


    "Damn! There''s even a Gold Level wand!"


    "Is it the one Lis is holding? It looks so cool!"


    "What are you thinking about? Didn''t you see it costs twenty thousand gold coins? How long would we need to save up?"


    "And it requires an intermediate membership and goodwill points too, how are we supposed to manage that?"


    "Let''s go, the manager from the White Dove Guild just said we could take on tasks, right? The rewards should include experience and contribution points."


    "Hurry, I need to grind, I need to overwork!"

 Chapter 146 Fiery Popularity

    yer Forum.


    The game had justunched, and the yer forum was rapidly updating with various newly posted threads.


    Mo Yun logged onto the yer forum out of boredom, scrolling through posts as she waited for her resurrection time to pass.


    As for why she had died so quickly, it was merely because she had tried out bungee jumping in this world without any safety measures.


    [This game is too realistic! It feels just like real life, thumbs up!]


    [Really realistic, I was just killed by a wild boar...]


    [Where were all of you born? Why am I the only one who spawned in a small vige? I''ve been wandering around for ages and haven''t seen any other yers???]


    ...


    As Mo Yun scrolled, she noticed manyrge gaming clubs announcing their arrival in "Divine Revtion".


    Among them, the top four gaming clubs of Hua Xia, Dragon Soul, Chang Ge, Kunlun, and Xiao Chao Rou, almost all issued statements of entry at the game''sunch. And as for the second-tier clubs and gaming guilds, there was even less to say.


    Mo Yun took particr note that all the star professional yers from these guilds had also announced their entry into "Divine Revtion", essentially abandoning their progress in previous games.


    Keep in mind, these star professional yers had been proficient and specialized in various different games, but without exception, they all chose to start over in "Divine Revtion". This showed their determination and confidence in the game.


    Almost every gaming club and professional yer became convinced after trying "Divine Revtion" that it was a groundbreaking blockbuster game.


    The online hype confirmed it, once the first batch of yers entered "Divine Revtion", verifying the game''s quality was beyond everyone''s expectations. All the gamers'' enthusiasm was ignited by screenshots shared by the first yers and the livestreams by popr streamers, skyrocketing discussion and activity levels to a phenomenal degree, and the influence of "Divine Revtion" rose exponentially.


    Mo Yun even saw a promotional video jointly recorded by the top ten influencer professional yers of Hua Xia, including Han Xing, Ye Yue Wuheng, Bing Gan Sui Sui, Star Eagle, and Love Egg Fried Rice, to build momentum for the global championship events of "Divine Revtion". It featured an interview with her favorite yer, Han Xing. Enjoy new stories from empire


    Watching these professional yers'' bold and ambitious promations, Mo Yun started to get excited herself.


    Now that was something, nearly capturing all the well-known professional yers in one fell swoop. Fans used to argue who had the best skills or the sharpest game sense, but it was hard topare since they weren''t ying the same game.


    Now, they were all in "Divine Revtion", and this time, it was indeed possible to bring them out for a realparison.


    As someone who loved to watch the fun, Mo Yun couldn''t helpughing joyfully. Anyway, she felt it didn''t matter if Han Xing lost; enjoying the spectacle was what counted most.


    Mo Yun was a small-time streamer, but as a minor richdy, she didn''t rely on this for her livelihood; she just streamed herself ying games out of boredom every day, and her streaming room didn''t have many viewers.


    This was also why Mo Yun didn''t want to face-cam while streaming. Otherwise, with her fair skin, good looks, and long legs, there''s no way she''d be as obscure as she was now.


    She hadn''t managed to snag a "Divine Revtion" game helmet, but luckily, she had acted quickly and bought one for fifteen thousand from someone else.


    "Ay, what''s the rush, I''m just browsing the forum."


    "If you guys hadn''t egged me on to bungee jump, I wouldn''t be stuck waiting for resurrection."


    The gaming helmet could connect to the streaming software, and Mo Yun had indeed been streaming theunch of "Divine Revtion".


    But now Mo Yun had some regrets, not because she had wasted a life in a rash action, but because she hadn''t expected the resurrection time to be a whole thirty minutes. Wouldn''t it have been nicer to spend that time exploring the game world?


    At that moment, a fewments drifted through her sparsely popted livestream.


    "How can you me us, it was your own fault for courting death!"N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Miss Mo Yun must be beautiful in real life, this avatar model, I''m in love!"


    "Guys, something''s not right. I bet this character model streamer is designing it to look like herself �C she must be a real beauty!"


    "prprpr..."


    Ignoring thesements, Mo Yun checked that he still had ten minutes of resurrection time left and could only continue to browse the yer forum, happily reading about other yers'' fatal failings.


    Soon enough, a thread quickly rose to poprity.


    [Shocking! The first silver-level quest on the server appeared like this!]


    What a clickbait title. I have to see what this is all about.


    Despite cursing the conscience-less clickbait internally, Mo Yun''s body honestly clicked in.


    -----------------


    Folks, who would believe this!


    My friend and I were born in Bright City within the Feis Kingdom, and as we were heading to the Mercenary Guild following the official guide, we saw the White Dove Chamber of Commerce recruiting people on the way.


    Out of curiosity, we took a look and then got retained.


    It seemed to be just a membership kind of thing, with no restrictions, and the benefits were not bad at all.


    But that''s not the main point!


    The most important thing is that an NPC named Lis Kain appeared (Picture: Lis character screenshot), decked out in luxurious equipment, and almost all information detected about him was question marks. The only useful info was his talent and a dire warning (LOL!).


    I''m guessing this must be the first high-level quest to appear in front of us yers, quite mysterious.


    His other identities aren''t too clear, but he seems to be the boss of the White Dove Chamber of Commerce (Picture: White Dove Chamber of Commerce storefront screenshot).


    He then issued us a silver-level quest (Picture: Quest screenshot). I swear on my second brother, it''s definitely legit.


    I have a few guesses about this NPC, Lis Kain:


    1, He''s definitely an advanced NPC; his talent is of legendary grade (Picture: Investigation info panel screenshot).


    2, He might be an important character in the main storyline. We can learn professional skills from him ahead of time, and what''s outrageous is that he can teach skills for four different professions right now (Picture: Skill learning panel screenshot, Secret Store screenshot).


    3, He''s a solid gold leg to climb on. There are already two yers who, because they buttered him up well, have gotten their rewards in advance, so envious! o(�i�n�i)o


    Ps. This high-level character should still be at White Dove Chamber of Commerce on Gedo Street in Bright City. Brothers who want to take on the silver-level quest can try it out, but although the rewards are substantial, I think the difficulty has to be high, and the rewards you actually get may not be that much.


    -----------------


    Mo Yun looked and saw several simr threads, but this one had the most detailed record and aplete set of pictures.


    Thement section below the thread was even livelier!


    "Is this triggering a hidden plot?"


    "Damn, I''m so jealous. I''m stuck in a small vige with no ce to learn skills. The only quest I can ept is to farm for the vigers..."


    "This White Dove Chamber of Commerce is pretty good; they even provide food and lodging!"


    "This NPC is named Lis? I''m Emperor Qin Shi Huang, then!"

 Chapter 147 Key Training Targets

    Should I give it a try? After all, I''m already in Bright City.


    As Mo Yun pondered this, the barrage of messages continuously egged her on.


    "Alright, brothers, once we make it out alive, let''s try Gedo Street."


    By the time Mo Yun "finally made it through the hardships" and reached the shop on Gedo Street, there were hardly any yers left inside.


    The yers from before had already received tasks from the Guild Manager and were racing against time to grind away.


    No matter what, one must first umte enough experience to advance to be a Professional, for that''s when the real game begins.


    The yers of Bright City are undoubtedly lucky, as they can seamlessly integrate into the leeks field prepared for them by Lord Lis. But for those born in other ces, things are ufortable, because Professional Skills and Knowledge aren''t so easy toe by. They might as well start off by slowly working for money. This was also the most criticized point when Divine Revtion firstunched in her previous life.


    After yers advanced to Professionals, they could easily join the various natives'' forces and factions. Then it was a step-by-step process toplete quests, increase faction contribution, and exchange for subsequent professional knowledge and skills.


    Therefore, Lord Lis directly reduced the cost of Professional Skills learned by yers from the White Dove Chamber of Commerce and himself to a minimum, which was equivalent to directly intercepting the recruitment channels of most forces in Bright City.


    Mo Yun walked into the White Dove Chamber of Commerce''s shop, and the Manager on duty immediately registered her as a Guild member after seeing her attire.


    Lord Lis had already instructed that anyone dressed in simr clothes was to be unconditionally epted.


    Mo Yun looked around and didn''t spot the NPC Lord Lis that the yers had talked about. She approached the Manager she had just spoken with and asked,


    "Uncle, may I ask if Boss Lis is around?"


    The Manager, recognizing the cute girl he had just registered, became even more amiable.


    "Lord Kane''s whereabouts are unknown at the moment. If you''re not in a hurry, you might wait here for a while and see if he turns up."


    "Oh, okay."


    Thanks to her own advantages, Mo Yun received a task as a signboard girl from the Manager, which required her to put on the White Dove Chamber of Commerce''s uniform and attract customers at the entrance while also attending to yers.


    For every yer she recruited, Mo Yun would receive a reward of one hundred experience points, which was much better than other tasks like moving goods or cleaning.


    And as time went by, more and more yers arrived on Gedo Street. With the ability to see yers'' names floating above their heads, Mo Yun quickly amassed enough experience required to be a Professional.


    However, she had yet to catch a glimpse of Lord Lis.


    The barrage ofments set in the lower right corner of her field of vision struck up a conversation:


    "Damn, the hostess wearing a maid outfit is just too good!"


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    "That yer named ''Moonlight Birdwatching'' was so funny!"


    "So bored. Can''t the host do something else?"


    ...


    Mo Yun ignored these people. To be honest, her live streams usually maintained this style and she didn''t go out of her way to please the viewers.


    At that moment, a male yer named "Zhao Zhao" walked in, who was also rather handsome.


    "Hello, is this the White Dove Chamber of Commerce?"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Zhao Zhao asked. He was quite curious as to why this yer named Mo Yun was standing there, dressed in a ck and white maid outfit.


    "Yes, please follow me."


    Mo Yun didn''t mind; she was used to being stared at when she went out.


    After helping Zhao Zhaoplete his registration, Mo Yun pocketed another hundred experience points.


    Zhao Zhao looked around and after hesitating for a moment, asked Mo Yun,


    "May I ask if the NPC who hands out Silver Level tasks is still here?"


    "Oh, he''s not here; I''m waiting for him too,"


    Mo Yun didn''t hide anything and casually pointed at the people rolling on the ground in the corner across the street. They were all waiting here as well.


    Zhao Zhao didn''t find it strange and was about to say something when a handsome young man walked down from the second floor.


    Isn''t that Lis?


    -----------------


    Lis had spent a good amount of time on the second floor familiarizing himself with the system update''s new modules. He had also redesigned and adjusted his Professional Skills and Knowledge learning interface, as well as the Secret Store, when he noticed more yers had gathered downstairs.


    He was still quite enthusiastic about sending out more quests to expand his ''crops'' of yers.


    Just as he descended the stairs, he saw two yers rushing toward him. Scanning them quickly, the names on disy were "Mo Yun" and "Zhao Zhao".


    Hmm? These two names seem familiar!


    Lis thought for a moment and then remembered these two had also been quite famous in the previous life''s game.


    Zhao Zhao, a Gold-level Puppet Master, ranked among the top ten yers in Hua Xia, was most notable for being a professional gamer with Changge Game Club. However, for reasons unknown, he had been booted from the previous game. After rising again in "Divine Revtion", he rejected all the lucrative offers from clubs and guilds and instead formed the "Embers of the Fire" club, which didn''t do too badly inpetitions.


    Mo Yun, a Gold-level Mage, was a top female live-streamer in "Divine Revtion", famed for her good looks and exceptional skills. Most professional gamers said she had the strength topete with male professionals, but for some reason, she had not chosen to be one.


    Sss~ These are two premium-quality ''leeks'' indeed!


    They could definitely help expand his influence among the yers!


    "Lord Lis, I heard you''ve been troubled by the disturbances in the Lower City District. I wonder if there''s any chance I could help share your worries!"


    Zhao Zhao stood in front of Lis respectfully. As expected of a professional yer, his way with words was extraordinary.


    Mo Yun, standing by his side, was nodding continuously, but her eyes were fixed intently on Lis.


    "So handsome, he''s definitely the protagonist of the story!"


    Mo Yun wiped away a non-existent drool as the audience in her live stream also marveled at the exquisite modeling of this game NPC.


    "Of course, you can."


    Lis said with a smile, and with a wave of his hand, a silver-level quest notification appeared in front of the two.


    At this moment, the yers waiting across the street noticed their target had appeared and crowded around Lis to receive their quests.


    After Lis finished distributing the quests, he thought for a moment and said:


    "I''m thinking of taking a stroll in the Lower City District now. I wonder if you have the time to join me."


    Upon hearing this, the yers became excited. Wasn''t this just like getting a plot quest? They got stirred up.


    "Me me me!"


    "Pick me; I have big breasts!"


    "Choose me, boss, I''ve got the best service skills!"


    ...


    Lis looked around and shook his head:


    "There are too many of you; it''s not convenient to go together."


    "Let''s do this; you, and you,e with me."


    The chosen Mo Yun and Zhao Zhao were ecstatic, like they had won the lottery, and followed Lis out of the store amidst the envious, jealous, and resentful stares of the other yers.

 Chapter 148 Blood Sacrifice Chaos

    Lis led Mo Yun and Zhao Zhao away from the White Dove Shop, but there were still many yers who were not willing to give up. They followed behind Lis, hoping to pick up a bargain.


    Lis nced at these yers and didn''t mind.


    If they wanted to follow, let them follow; after all, it was beneficial for expanding his own influence.


    Mo Yun and Zhao Zhao followed behind Lis, exchanging nces with a tacit understanding.


    "Shall we add each other as friends andmunicate more when we have useful information?"


    Zhao Zhao suggested since Lis had chosen them, it was most important that they help each other and cooperate toplete the mission.


    "No problem."


    Mo Yun agreed readily. She always enjoyed ying games and was quite interested in the unfolding hidden storylines. Not to mention that the game NPC in front of her was quite handsome, which meant he must be no simple character!


    Lis overheard the conversation of the two behind him and smiled slightly.


    As long as it wasn''t vocabry rted to the real world, the natives of Gaia World could understand it.


    Right now, yers hadn''t changed their mindset and subconsciously treated all NPCs as if they were fixed in their patterns, speaking without any reservations. It would only be after they suffered setback that they would learn their lesson.


    Pretending not to hear them, Lis led the two to Langai Street, preparing to find Old Jack.


    At this time, Mo Yun also turned on the screen recording function, prompted by the audience''s reminders, since following an NPC toplete a mission for the first time in the game was likely to attract attention.


    Mo Yun wasn''t doing it for the money, she simply wanted to share the fun of gaming. Otherwise, as a rich second generation, she wouldn''t be working as a game streamer.


    Arriving at the front of Old Jack''s small store, Lis didn''t knock this time and just walked in.


    Inside, Old Jack was tidying up his shop, having just returned yesterday.


    Lis had made a special effort to file a record with the Kingdom and the Church, after which they only briefly interrogated Old Jack before letting the matter go.


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    However, being noticed by the City Guard Army had its benefits, nothing Old Jack hadn''t taken with him had been lost during this time.


    Mo Yun and Zhao Zhao naturally followed Lis into Old Jack''s small store. As soon as they entered, their eyes were dazzled by the various weapons and armors that filled the ce.


    With just a rough use of the "appraisal" magic, they found that all the weapons and equipment present were at least Bronze Level to start with, and those arranged more neatly had already reached Silver Rank.


    "Are you interested in these pieces of equipment?"


    Lis seemed to notice their gaze and said with a smile,


    "You can also buy equipment directly from Old Jack here. Members of the White Dove Chamber of Commerce get a discount, right?"


    Huh? Is this a subsidiary of the White Dove Chamber of Commerce or a partner?


    The power of the White Dove Chamber of Commerce seems very strong.


    Zhao Zhao keenly picked up on the information revealed in Lis''s words, pondering quietly to himself.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    After speaking, Lis turned his head to Old Jack and asked:


    "Old Jack, do you have any news about the matter I asked you to inquire aboutst time?"


    Old Jack had someone repair the damaged roof of the shop yesterday, and now he was cleaning the shop. With Ashley not around, he had no choice but to do these things himself.


    Seeing Lise in, Old Jack wiped his hands and stood up straight to say,


    "I asked around, and those people you mentioned seem to have suddenly kept a low profiletely, but I still found where they often hung out before. It''s all written down on this piece of paper."


    With that, Old Jack took out a slip of paper from his valuable cupboard and handed it to Lis.


    Lis looked over the slip and was familiar with the ces listed, all of which were the main sites of the Blood Sacrifice incidents in Bright City in a previous life.


    It seemed that the haunts of those people were indeed at those locations!


    In a past life, following the ceremonial assassination incident during the Sacrificial Festival in Bright City, the next major incident was the Blood Sacrifice Chaos.


    An Evil God Church had been conspiring to hold a Blood Sacrifice Ceremony in the Lower City District of Bright City, releasing numerous magic beasts to engage in wild ughter, with the three main locations being Mingzhu Street, Faise Street, and Golden Lily Lane.


    There were hundreds of magic beasts at each of these three Blood Sacrifice sites, most of them possessing Silver and Bronze Level strengths, with even a few reaching Gold Level.


    At that time, the state of these beasts was very strange; regardless of the type of magic beast, their eyes were blood red, and they attacked the residents of the Lower City District, as well as fought each other.


    At that time, no one knew who had managed to bring so many magic beasts into Bright City or what their purpose was, so after the powerful individuals who arrived in Bright City killed all the beasts, they discovered that the blood of the magic beasts and the fresh blood of the in residents had mixed together, forming Blood Sacrifice Ceremonies in those three districts.


    Only then did the shadowy figures behind the scenes��the All Beast Church��appear. They used the power gathered from the Blood Sacrifice Ceremony to summon the Divine Incarnation of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts, Maler, and initiated a bloody ughter in the Lower City District.


    In the end, Maler''s incarnation was repelled by the joint efforts of three Legendary Strongmen, and by the time the battle had started, the members of the All Beast Church had long since fled the scene.


    However, as a result, their identities were disclosed to outsiders; several of them were leaders from the Grey area of Bright City, which indicated that they had been nning this Blood Sacrifice Ceremony for a long time in Bright City.


    The identified members of the All Beast Church were Blood Hand Angelo, Death Eagle Tash, and the vampire, Kutena.


    Yes, that''s right!


    It was the Golden-level Vampire who was killed by Marion.


    At the time, Lis felt that the vampire seemed familiar, and after learning about the unrest in the Grey area of the Lower City District from Old Jack, he remembered this individual.


    However, this vampire was rather unlucky, in a sense also a victim of the butterfly effect caused by Lis.


    Speaking of which, the Blood Sacrifice Chaos in the Lower City District of Bright City resulted in over ten thousand casualties ording to the kingdom''s tally. Initially, not many residents died during the magic beast attack, but when the Incarnation of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts appeared, even though the Church of the Gods in Bright City responded swiftly and immediately sealed off the affected area, thousands of ordinary people died from exploding bodies just by looking directly at the divine body.


    After all, Maler was no benevolent god!


    The Master of Ten Thousand Beasts, Maler, was just a deity with Weak Divine Power, but his Divine Domain included the areas of "All Beasts", "Fear", and "Hunting". Although Maler''s core Divine Position was not "Fear" but "All Beasts", it was clear that Maler aspired to control the more powerful Divine Domain of "Fear" and advance to greater Divine Power.


    The purpose of the Blood Sacrifice Ceremony plotted by the All Beast Church in Bright City was the same; Maler had already mastered part of the "Fear" Divine Domain so he could spread fear among ordinary people, umte more Fear Divine Power, and help him take better control of the "Fear" Divine Position.


    This was the modus operandi of those from the Evil God Church, as evil deities relied on spreading fear tomand awe and faith from mortals.


    For Maler, who held the "Fear" Divine Position, it was even more so.

 Chapter 149 Eagle Brother Society

    However, it was not easy for Maler to smoothly take on the Divine Position of "Fear."


    Ever since the Fear Demon King Tikedis fell from the Endless Abyss, no one has fully mastered the Divine Position of "Fear," which is one of the few that could lead to the promotion of powerful divine forces.


    Many deities were eyeing the Divine Position of "Fear," and Maler was just one of them.


    Apart from Maler, there were two other deities with Medium Divine Power in the Abyss meddling in the domain of fear, each wanting to fully control the Divine Position of "Fear."


    For those deities who wanted to grasp the Divine Position of "Fear," they were all enemies to each other, and were definitely not going to give up any opportunity to target each other.


    The True Gods felt the same; they would not sit back and watch a powerful deity with the Divine Position of "Fear" emerge so easily, let alone an Evil God.


    So, Maler''s current situation was actually quite difficult, as he was far from being the most powerful among the deities holding the Divine Position of "Fear."


    That''s why he chose to take a risky step as the first one to act before the chaos in the Gaia World began.


    Maler''s arrangements and schemes in Bright City in his previous life were undoubtedly sessful, but now, that might not be the case.


    Lis had made up his mind that he must disrupt the All Beast Church''s Blood Sacrifice Ceremony this time.


    The Lower City District of Bright City was a crucial part of his n, and he could not simply watch the All Beast Church mess things up.


    Since he knew that the disturbances in the Lower City District were caused by the All Beast Church, Lis could use his memories from his previous life to gradually root them out.


    ncing at Mo Yun and Zhao Zhao, who were trying to feel their way around, Lis brought them with him for a purpose.


    One was to have them live stream Lis''s entire operation process, shaping him as an important character in the plot, increasing his influence and appeal among the yermunity, and the other was to specifically train some potential yers, guiding the yermunity''s actions through this method.


    Lis nodded, "I really am a master nner!"


    With Mo Yun and Zhao Zhao, Lis arrived at Golden Lily Lane, also one of the most famous special areas in the Lower City District.


    This ce was originally controlled by Kutena, but in thest disturbance and battle, Marion had killed all of Kutena''s subordinates, the vampires, so this area had been quiet for a long time.


    The City Guard Army and the Dawn Church had sealed off and controlled this area for a period beforehand.


    However, after the personnel from the City Guard Army and the Dawn Church withdrew, the "business" here had picked up again, as the mercenaries, unable to channel their energy anywhere else, were easy to earn Gold Coins from.


    Kutena''s power had been annihted, but the gangs surely would not miss out on such a big slice of the pie.


    From the intelligence provided by Old Jack, Lis knew that another gang in the Lower City District, the Eagle Brother Society, had taken over, led by the gang leader, Death Eagle Tash.


    Sound familiar?


    Yes, he was one of the three gang leaders secretly supported by the All Beast Church in Bright City.


    As a key point in the n, the All Beast Church definitely wouldn''t let others upy this area.


    Although Lis knew that Golden Lily Lane was one of the three key points for the All Beast Church''s Blood Sacrifice Ceremony, he was not sure where the All Beast Church''s tricks were hidden.


    But thinking about it, it must be in that room where Marion fought against Kutena, Kutena would definitely be guarding near the ceremony.


    Walking towards the location noted in the intelligence report, the yers following Lis couldn''t help it anymore, their eyes drifting everywhere.


    "Is this... Heaven?"


    "I dere that the game ''Divine Revtion'' is the light of my life, the faith of my lifetime!"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "That girl has huge legs, no, long breasts!"


    "What is Lis doing here, could it be... hehe."


    ...


    The keen-eared Lis paid no mind to the fools behind him.


    "I don''t know any of these bizarre creatures that roll, scream, crawl, and walk!"


    Lis walked toward the house that appeared in his view, a rathervish one, if it weren''t for one entire wall being torn down.


    Standing outside and sizing it up, Lis could tell that the ce had been "visited" by eager people before, as not a single piece of furniture was in sight.


    Just as he was about to enter to take a good look, Lis noticed two burly men in ck approaching from an alley, their impatient expressions and fierce faces practically screaming, "I''m here to cause trouble."


    "What are you guys up to?"


    The two musclemen stopped in front of Lis, speaking threateningly, as if they intended to scare Lis and hispanions away with their demeanor.


    "Just hanging around, nothing much."


    Lis looked at them with interest. Although they seemed formidable, Lis''s senses told him they weren''t even Bronze Level Professionals.


    They only looked scary. Even with bodies tempered a hundred times, their strength was at most equivalent to a Level 5 warrior.


    "Scram, go somewhere else. This is Eagle Brother Society''s territory!"


    The two men in ck seemed to sense something, as Lis, a seemingly frail young man, showed no signs of fear in front of them.


    Something''s not right!


    Thus, they tried to scare Lis away with the name of the Eagle Brother Society, a notably infamous gang in the Lower City District.


    Lis''s eyes brightened.


    If you say that, then I''m definitely not leaving.


    Since the Eagle Brother Society has people guarding this ce, Lis concluded there must still be something going on in this house.


    "What if I don''t leave?"


    Lis said, smiling, his face even showing a hint of yfulness.


    The two musclemen exchanged nces. While they felt that Lis was not to be messed with, their boss had ordered that no unrted persons should enter the house, and they did not dare to contravene.


    "Looks like we''ll have to teach you a lesson."


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    The two men readied themselves as if they were about to resort to violence.


    The moment Lis''s mind stirred, new mission information popped up in front of Mo Yun and Zhao Zhao, who had been following Lis.


    ---------------


    [Bronze Level Mission: Stand back and let me handle this!]


    [Mission Requirements: Two clueless guys actually want to make a move on Lis Kain. It''s time to show our strength! Defeat them!]


    [Mission Rewards: Experience Points 3000, Gold Coin 1, Lis Goodwill +5]


    ---------------


    Without any hesitation, Mo Yun and Zhao Zhao immediately epted the mission.


    What a joke, with such generous rewards, just ept it first!


    As for whether they could win, just fight and see, after all, the yers aren''t afraid of death!


    Mo Yun and Zhao Zhao now stood in front of Lis, ring fiercely at the two ck-d musclemen.


    What are these little sprouts trying to do? The members of the Eagle Brother Society were taken aback, but still made their move, nning to teach them a lesson first.

 Chapter 150 Silver-level Assassin, Thats It?

    Mo Yun and Zhao Zhao had already gathered information on the two men in ck through investigation.


    Although they were not professionals, they were much stronger than the two in terms of attributes, and it seemed theirbat experience was definitely superior as well.


    Currently being novices, the duo felt a bit panic-stricken. When yers are newly born, all attribute points, ording to the chosen profession, are not the same but average to 5.


    This is also the attribute points of an ordinary adult.


    Lis smiled, the task that Mo Yun and Zhao Zhao just received was actually directed by Lis himself, giving them a sense of participation.


    However, Lis was not nning to actually let them just rush up and take a beating, as that would not match the requirements of the Newbie Cultivation Handbook.


    Lis waved his right hand, and several streams of Magic Light fell upon them, refreshing their system panels with notifications.


    ---------------


    [You have received the Beneficial Magic enhancement from Lis Kain, you will benefit from the following effects (adjusted):] Your journey continues on empire


    [[Bear''s Tenacity](Second Circle Magic): Your endurance attribute points increase by 30, Duration: 10 minutes]


    [[Bull''s Power](Second Circle Magic): Your strength attribute points increase by 30, Duration: 10 minutes]


    [[Cat''s Grace](Second Circle Magic): Your agility attribute points increase by 30, Duration: 10 minutes]


    [[Owl''s Wisdom](Second Circle Magic): Your mysterious attribute points increase by 30, Duration: 10 minutes]


    [[Fox''s Cunning](Second Circle Magic): Your intelligence attribute points increase by 30, Duration: 10 minutes]


    [[Eagle''s Majesty](Second Circle Magic): Your charm attribute points increase by 30, Duration: 10 minutes]


    [[Stone Skin Skill](Four Rings Magic): Your skin is as hard as rock, granting you a higher resistance to physical damage, Duration: 20 minutes]n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ---------------


    Wow!


    This damn powerful magic instantly multiplied Zhao Zhao and Mo Yun''s six-dimensional attributes several times, reaching the level of a Bronze Intermediate Professional.


    Is this what it''s like to be a big shot? Isn''t this just afortable setup now?


    Zhao Zhao grinned, clenching his fists as he approached the two men in ck, and even Mo Yun was eagerly brandishing her little fists.


    A big shot casting buffs on you, what could be more thrilling?


    Fight, and the more fierce, the better!


    Mo Yun''s live stream also exploded in activity; previously, during her time with Lis, someone had featured her channel on a yer''s forum.


    It was even named [NPC Guiding You Through the Flower Streets], and unexpectedly, they now saw Mo Yun receiving such strong Beneficial Magic.


    This shocked those yers whose basic attribute points hadn''t even reached 10.


    As the news spread, more and more people entered Mo Yun''s live stream, and more people became aware of Lis, this mysterious NPC powerhouse.


    Watching Mo Yun and Zhao Zhao pinning down those two men in ck and beating them up, a smile also appeared on Lis''s face.


    This was the effect he wanted, subtly showcasing his "strong" identity through certain actions, making more people aware of Lis''s existence.


    After ncing at Mo Yun and Zhao Zhao, Lis no longer concerned himself; if they could lose this, Lis would eat his Jade Wand on the spot.


    Shaking his head, Lis turned around and spoke to the shadow in the corner of the wall:


    "Mister Assassin, how much longer do you intend to watch?"


    "If you don''te out soon, your subordinates might not survive."


    Seeing no response from that area, Lis smiled and conjured a blue fireball in his hand, hurling it towards the corner.


    Suddenly, the shadow writhed and a middle-aged man d in gray casual wear appeared there, dodging Lis''s Blue Ball Skill.


    Staring incredulously at the wall demolished by Lis''s Blue Ball Skill, the gray-clothed assassin solemnly said to Lis,


    "I am merely passing through and bear no ill will towards you. I shall take my leave now."


    Without even engaging inbat, the gray-clothed assassin felt an immense pressure from the young mage smiling before him.


    Although he was a Silver-level Assassin, when he had just attempted to use Invisibility to sneak attack Lis, his Spiritual Sense was frantically warning him, as if the young man before him were some fearsome monster.


    It shouldn''t be so, why would he feel such fear towards a mage?


    The gray-clothed assassin pondered in his heart, but had already raised his vignce to the highest level. He simply could not understand how a mage had so easily discovered his location.


    After all, his aura hadn''t reached the Golden Rank yet.


    Lis, on the other hand, was not in a hurry��showing a demeanor of assured victory.


    In fact, he had the Silver Assassin pegged.


    The moment Lis had approached the area, he sensed the Silver Assassin via the Shadow ne.


    As a mage with the Assassin profession specialty "Shadow Crown," and after extensive training by the Legendary Assassin Joyce, Lis could easily kill this gray-clothed assassin using just assassinbat techniques.


    Of course, this was a perfect target delivered to his doorstep; not to show off would be an injustice to the cooperation of the Eagle Brother Society.


    Seeing that Lis made no move, the gray-clothed assassin cautiously prepared to leave, only to see Lis sh him a grin.


    Several blue fireballs bearing horrific heat waves flew towards him.


    Having just witnessed the terrifying crisis of these fireballs, the gray-clothed assassin naturally did not dare to face them head-on, and with a twist of his body, his figure blurred into a nearby shadow.


    Assassin secret technique "Forced Disentanglement"!


    It looked simr to "Shadow Jump" used by Old Jack, but the difference was significant. It was merely a burst skill used for escaping��its teleportation distance was very short.


    The gray-clothed assassin turned pale and didn''t look back, preparing to stealthily leave.


    Lis naturally would not let him just leave: the stage for the performance was set. How could he allow the performer to leave the scene?


    Lis took out the Jade Wand and struck it heavily on the ground.


    Five-Ring Magic "Mirage"!


    This spell was very special, creating a unique domain. There was no effect in the core area of the domain, but on its edge, it formed illusory bubbles, confusing any perception and vision.


    Thus, this skill was often used by mages as a control skill.


    Lis used this skill to confine the Silver Assassin, preventing him from perceiving the situation outside the domain and naturally stopping him from using various skills to escape the scene.


    Honestly, it was very easy for Lis to defeat the Silver Assassin. He didn''t need to use "Mirage," but simrly, if the defeat were too easy, it wouldn''t showcase the strength of the gray-clothed assassin, nor would it establish Lis''s powerful image among the yers.


    Lis smiled easily and said,


    "Mr. Silver Assassin, there are a few things I''d like to ask you, so don''t be in such a rush to leave!"


    Meanwhile, Mo Yun and Zhao Zhao had justid two burly men in ck t and noticed they were covered by a three hundred square meters semi-circr illusionary dome. Hearing Lis''s voice, they immediately turned their heads, sizing up the gray-clothed person standing opposite Lis.


    This "Extremely Dangerous" person is a Silver Assassin?


    Really?


    Why does he seem so much weaker than Lis?


    With Legendary Talent, yet so strong?


    Lis really must be the protagonist!

 Chapter 151 Easily Crushed

    Bright City''s Lower City District, Golden Lily Lane.


    Surrounded by the seven-colored brilliance of the spell "Mirage", the grey-clothed assassin looked gloomily at Lis.


    He was merely spying from the shadows, yet he had stumbled upon such a great trouble��he really didn''t understand why the boss Tash had arranged for him to keep watch over this house.


    Lis, on the other hand, didn''t care about what the grey-clothed assassin was thinking. To him, the appearance of a member from the Eagle Brother Society in this ce already exined a lot.


    Without further ado, Lis lifted his magic wand slightly, and a Second Circle Magic "Spider Web Technique" flew towards the body of the grey-clothed assassin.


    The grey-clothed assassin also knew that it was a critical moment��he must not let Lis restrict his movements. His body violently dashed to the front left, and after dodging the "Spider Web Technique", he charged towards Lis''s side.


    As an assassin, before breaking through to the Gold Level and establishing a connection with the Shadow ne, one almostcks any long-range killing skills.


    To defeat the young mage before him, the grey-clothed assassin understood that he had to engage in closebat, which was the only chance he might have to survive.


    Even though his Spiritual Sense was frantically warning him to stay away, he couldn''t care less at this moment.


    Lis watched the grey-clothed assassin sprinting towards him at an extremely fast speed with a calm expression on his face.


    To the onlookers like Mo Yun, the grey-clothed assassin appeared like a blur, but in Lis''s eyes, he was as clear as slow motion.


    "Really, this is just too crude!" Lis murmured to himself.


    It was time to show some real skill!


    Lis withdrew the magic wand and, to the shocked expressions of Zhao Zhao and Mo Yun, took out a short-handled dagger that glittered with a cold light, assuming a standard assassin''s ready stance.


    He gripped the dagger with his right hand in a reverse grip, leaned forward and bent at the waist, with knees slightly bent, his entire body tensed like a cheetah, ready to spring into action.


    The grey-clothed assassin charging at Lis couldn''t believe what he was seeing.


    What is he doing?


    Isn''t he a mage?


    A Silver Mage is now going to fight me in closebat, with an assassin''s weapon, a dagger?


    But in this crucial moment, the grey-clothed assassin couldn''t afford to think too much.


    In the midst of his charge, the grey-clothed assassin''s figure shed and disappeared from Lis''s sight.


    Assassinbat technique "Extreme Speed Assault"!


    Assassinbat technique "Stealth"!


    For professionals with inadequate perception, the "Stealth Skill" of an assassin is one of the most troublesome and prickly abilities��they simply cannot detect the trace of their attacks, which means they can only react passively inbat.


    Of course, for those with high perception who can notice the tracks of assassins, it bes much easier to deal with.


    Not to mention Lis, whose high affinity with the Shadow ne allowed him to easily find the figure of the grey-clothed assassin.


    "Didn''t I already spot you in stealth just now? You still dare to use stealth in front of me?" Lis said with a smile, his words conveying ease and confidence.


    Stealth is the greatest reliance of assassins, but it is also a kind of restraint.


    They cannot use other abilities while maintaining stealth, so assassins in stealth are particrly vulnerable.


    Lis''s dagger deftly twirled in his hand, shing fiercely at the air in front of him to his left.


    ng!


    The clear sound of des shing rang out from nowhere, and the figure of the grey-clothed assassin holding a dagger appeared midair, retreating at an even faster pace towards his original direction.


    The grey-clothed assassin felt half of his body going numb and looked at Lis with disbelief.


    Had he discovered him so easily?


    Just one exchange was all it took for him to realize that Lis was not only as fast as him, an assassin with an agility specialty, but his strength was far greater as well.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Not to mention his appearance as a Noble Mage, and the spell enveloping the area looked extremely sophisticated.


    Since when did Bright City have such an individual?


    As for Mo Yun and Zhao Zhao, who were watching from the side, they too had looks of shock, as if a door to a new world had been opened.


    So this is how mages are yed in the game?


    Lis didn''t say much, the dagger adeptly twirling between his hands as he naturally walked towards the direction of the grey-clothed assassin.


    "So, can you tell me now what Tash had you guys doing here?"


    After all, the grey-clothed assassin was Tash''s subordinate and might know some secrets.


    Lis didn''t mind asking one more question.


    The grey-clothed assassin gritted his teeth, half of his body had just recovered from paralysis, feeling as if he had been hit by a wild bull with pain all over, which also caused him to lose the courage to continue resisting.


    Bowing his head, the grey-clothed assassin said:


    "Respected sir, Big Boss Tash had me watch over this house and to immediately inform him if any special people came."


    "So, have you passed the information to Tash?"


    Lis continued to ask, now standing in front of the grey-clothed assassin.


    The grey-clothed assassin felt very ufortable; when had a mage of the same level dared to stand in front of him so unprotected?


    But he still honestly answered:


    "Not yet, I was just about to leave when you found me."


    The grey-clothed assassin concealed the fact that he had tried to make a move on Lis; right now, he just wanted to survive.


    The Eagle Brother Society?


    What''s that! As long as he could leave alive, where couldn''t he live the high life as a Silver-level assassin?


    These were the thoughts of the professionals active in the grey areas.


    "Did he only tell you to watch the house, or did he say something else?"


    "Like to pay attention to something specific in the house, some particr item?"


    Lis asked, following up because this information alone wasn''t clear enough.


    The grey-clothed assassin thought for a moment and then shook his head.


    Lis looked at him with disdain. This is all you know, what use are you?


    Feeling Lis''s murderous intent, the grey-clothed assassin quickly said:


    "Sir, I also know other news! This was previously Vampire Kutena''s stronghold, and Tash had been here before, but in the past three months, he''s visited much more frequently."


    Oh?


    Lis waved his hand, dispelling the Mirage barrier, and turned to nce at Kutena''s house.


    So the Blood Sacrifice Ceremony was probably set up inside the house, prepared for a long time, and too inconvenient to move, which is why these few people were arranged to guard it? Explore more at empire


    However...


    A Blood Sacrifice Ceremony of such importance, protected by just one Silver-level assassin and two ordinary people?


    Is this some kind of joke?


    Or is there another backup n?


    Lis pondered in his heart, bing more vignt as well.


    The grey-clothed assassin watched Lis, who was deep in thought, with some trepidation. Even though the Mirage barrier around them had been dispelled, he didn''t dare to sneak away.


    Stealth skills were useless in front of this man; he felt that Lis could crush him easily with a little earnest effort.


    "This sir... please spare me this time; I am willing to serve you."


    The grey-clothed assassin thought for a long time before finally squeezing out this sentence.


    Without responding immediately, Lis turned his head to look at the grey-clothed assassin and said with a smile:


    "So easily ready to betray? Could Tash let you go?"


    "Sir, the truth is he has always disliked me. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have assigned me this lousy job."


    The grey-clothed assassin couldn''t help but bow down, saying respectfully.

 Chapter 152 The Secret Room Beyond the Flipping Gate

    Lis nced at the assassin in gray in front of him, feeling a bit intrigued.


    After all, even with Joyce around, the guards of the Kane family, led by Welf, were all quite simple-minded, and recruiting an assassin didn''t seem like a bad idea, since he was also talented.


    Having him guard the door at the White Dove Chamber of Commerce would be perfect!


    However, the primary concern was to ensure this Silver-level Assassin wouldn''t betray him, especially considering how adept he looked, as he must have done this sort of thing before.


    Lis nodded and asked,


    "What is your name?"


    The gray-d assassin quickly replied,


    "At your service, sir, my name is Lister."


    Lis smiled, took out the Jade Wand again, ced it on Lister''s forehead, and said,


    "Don''t move."


    Then, a faint white light glowed from the Jade Wand and slowly entered Lister''s body.


    Lister''s body tensed, sensing that something bad was happening, but he soon rxed again and stopped resisting.


    Surviving was more important than anything else.


    Six-Circle Magic "Confusion Control Mark"!


    This spell was something Lis had only recently mastered, but its effects were quite potent.


    This spell was somewhat simr to "Confuse Humans," but the "Confusion Control Mark" could affect more powerful professionals.


    It imnted a mark in the target''s body, using continuous suggestions to make the recipient loyal to the caster from the depths of their heart.


    This powerful spell naturally had its shorings. First, it couldn''t control those with strong minds, and the recipient could not resist during the spell-casting; second, once the recipient''s strength surpassed that of the caster, the mark inside would dispel automatically; third, there was a usage limitation, and Lis could only control up to three professionals whose strength did not exceed his own.


    So the conditions for using the "Confusion Control Mark" were quite strict.


    This was a unique spell created by Fran Stephens, and the dean had admonished Lis not to spread this spell carelessly.


    After all, the effects of this spell were indeed somewhat horrifying!


    Seeing that the mark had been sessfully imnted in Lister''s body, Lis nodded and said,


    "My name is Lis Kain, you will stay at the White Dove Chamber of Commerce from now on."


    A glint appeared in Lister''s eyes. Recently the White Dove Chamber of Commerce had been very active in the Lower City District, and naturally, the Eagle Brother Society had investigated a bit and knew that the actual controller was the current hot figure in the Royal Capital, Viscount Kane.


    Looking at this, it seemed not bad at all, much more promising than staying with the Eagle Brother Society.


    Lister silently straightened up and positioned himself behind Lis without being told to.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    It was unclear whether this was his true thought or an effect produced by the "Confusion Control Mark."


    Mo Yun and Zhao Zhao stared in disbelief at Lis''s disy. Had a Silver-level Assassin just be Lis''s subordinate that easily?


    Could Lis be a Gold-level powerhouse?


    ...


    Ignoring the reformed Lister, Lis headed towards what had once been Kutena''s stronghold.


    Upon entering, Lis noticed that while the exteriors of the house seemed ordinary, the internal decorations were quite luxurious.


    Expensive Cedar Wood furniture and exquisite red carpets, seldom seen even among the Noble houses of Bright City, unfortunately, were now gathering dust.


    It was probably due to the furniture''s size being too inconvenient to move; otherwise, it would have been taken away like everything else.


    Lis looked around and asked Lister, who was behind him,


    "Has the Eagle Brother Society ever arranged to send anything in here?"


    "There shouldn''t have been any; I haven''t seen any during the days I was here."


    Lis nodded and began to carefully inspect the surroundings.


    He had a premonition that the secret of the Blood Sacrifice Ceremony must be hidden somewhere in this room.


    However, after inspecting the entire room, Lis found nothing out of the ordinary.


    Looking around in confusion, Lis finally said helplessly,


    "It seems that there''s nothing unusual here, I must have guessed wrong."


    After speaking, he left with Lister and Zhao Zhao.


    Zhao Zhao and Mo Yun were still puzzled by how Lis seemed to start off strong but end weakly, just as they saw Lis, who had already walked to the alleyway, stopped, and turned back to nce at the house they had just left.


    In his expression, there was none of the confusion and disappointment from before, he almost startedughing!


    Lis was indeed in a good mood, having noticed something amiss near the basement as soon as he approached it, yet he pretended to have found nothing.


    Seven-Circle Magic "Flipping Gate"!


    This was the spell Lis had discovered on the door of the basement in Kutena.


    This spell is very peculiar as it can only be used on the door leading to a secret chamber''s sole exit. If an outsider enters and simply opens the door without using a specific counterspell, they would only see a pre-arranged normal room instead of the hidden chamber concealed by the "Flipping Gate".


    This is also a rather rare yet extremely practical hidden spell.


    Theoretically, the magic fluctuations of the "Flipping Gate" are extremely weak and hard to detect.


    But Lis, being an Arcanist, realized at first sight of the basement door that a "Flipping Gate" had been cast here.


    This was only possible with his past life''s extensive experiencebined with the keen elemental perception of an Arcanist in this life, not something a Gold Mage could easily achieve.


    However, Lis remained calm afterwards, checked the normal room after the "Flipping Gate" had been activated as usual, and pretended to be quite disappointed as he left the house.


    Upon approaching the "Flipping Gate," Lis felt as if he was being watched.


    It must have been the strong entity hiding behind the "Flipping Gate," at least a Gold Level.


    Alright!


    The target is confirmed!


    For Lis, discovering a secret location of the All Beast Church was already enough.


    Given the style of the All Beast Church, the other two locations must be even more concealed and Lis definitely couldn''t find them out in a short time.


    Now, it''s time to raid the All Beast Church''s ce!


    ---------------


    Behind the "Flipping Gate," inside the secret chamber.


    Petar stood silently in the darkness, but he was relieved in his heart.


    Indeed, this Mage, just like the previous City Guards, had not discovered the secret chamber.


    Petar thought about it; a bunch of Gold Levels had failed, how could they possibly see through a Seven-Circle Magic.


    Petar felt more at ease, stayed silent for a moment, and thought this was a minor hup, nothing special, and decided it wasn''t necessary to inform Kaiser.


    Shaking his head, Petar sat down on a nearby chair, silently watching ahead.


    Only such a long-prepared major n by the All Beast Church could make the usually fiery-tempered him so docile.


    The crimson blood flowed continuously on the empty chamber floor, forming a sinister and bloodcurdling ritual array, extremely evil yet strangely eerie.


    Next to the array, were the magic beasts lying unconscious, the count already reaching over a hundred.


    "Soon."


    Petar murmured as ifforting himself,


    "It won''t be long before I don''t have to endure anymore."

 Chapter 153 Bevis of the Golden Lion Legion

    Lis looked at the small cabin not far away, smiled, and said to Lister, who was following behind:


    "You hide here and keep an eye on that house from a distance. No matter who goes in ores out, make sure to record it all. Understood?"


    "Yes, Lord Lis."


    Lister answered decisively but his heart was filled with chaos.


    In the Eagle Brother Society, it was just watching that house, and now pledging allegiance to Lord Lis, still watching that house.


    Do I really only qualify for standing guard and surveince?


    Lis didn''t pay any more attention to Lister and walked away with Zhao Zhao and Mo Yun.


    As for the group of yers who had been following Lis? They had been lured away by thedies of Golden Lily Lane.


    Who is Lis? They do not recognize!


    Forever rejecting gambling and drugs is their true nature.


    ---------------


    The first destination was pretty far, so Lis took two people and rode in a carriage to get there.


    That was the Golden Lion Knights'' base in Bright City.


    Lis had no intention of going to the City Guard Army. The Bright City''s City Guard Army was only good enough to maintain order within the city and catch petty thieves.


    The entire City Guard Army had only one Gold Level strong man, and they were expected to raid the All Beast Church''s home base?


    Better not.


    Hence, Lis directly sought out the strongest force of the Feis Kingdom in Bright City, the Golden Lion Legion.


    Merely approaching the ce, Lis was stopped by two fully armed guards. Judging by their demeanor, they were already professionals.


    All soldiers of the Golden Lion Knights were meticulously selected from various military forces of the kingdom, all were official professionals.


    That is to say, the lowest strength level of the Golden Lion Legion''s soldiers was Bronze Level, they had a dozen Gold Level strong men, and even had Bivis Mn, hailed as the kingdom''s strongest warrior and the "Lion of the Kingdom of Feis."


    Such a powerful army, only barely cultivated by the wealth and strength of the Feis Kingdom, was also one of the kingdom''s trump cards.


    Lis looked at the silent guards in front of him, nodded, and said:


    "I am Court Viscount Lis Kain, with an urgent matter to see Mn Group Leader. Please inform him."


    Hearing that Lis was a Viscount, the two guards'' expressions finally changed slightly. After exchanging looks, one guard sheathed his weapon and went inside the base, while the other remained standing guard.


    Zhao Zhao and Mo Yun stood aside in silence, feeling unsettled. Honestly, having lived in peaceful times, they had never encountered such an elite and intimidating force.


    Mo Yun felt the guard sizing her up as if looking at a dead person.


    It wasn''t long before a young man in silver armor rushed out from the base.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Upon seeing Lis, after a few looks, he enthusiastically extended his hand and said:


    "Greetings, Viscount Kane. We meet again. The leader has been awaiting you."


    "Oh, how should I address you?"


    Lis was curious as he didn''t have any recollection of this rather handsome young man.


    "My apologies."


    The young warrior said with a smile:


    "I am Herbert Bo, currently the squad leader of the Golden Lion Legion''s first squad."


    "I met you at the royal banquet a few days ago; your grace and the youngdy''s poise were truly admirable."


    Hearing this, Lis felt a bit embarrassed. Truth be told, his dancing that day was not great; at the ball, he was led by the ear throughout, and he identally stepped on Ya''er''s feet several times, earning him several res from the youngdy.


    Touching his nose, Lis turned his head and instructed Zhao Zhao and Mo Yun to wait outside, then he followed Herbert into the Golden Lion Legion''s base.


    "Is the Mn Group Leader here?"


    Lis asked Herbert, who was standing beside him.


    "The Group Leader was just training. He sent me to greet you as soon as he heard you''de," Herbert replied. As the leader of the first squad and often apanying Bevis, he was essentially acting as the secretary to the group leader.


    From his manner, he seemed to be the descendant of a noble family from Bright City.


    Lis nodded and followed Herbert through two doors. They arrived at a spacious ground where soldiers were training and weapons and equipment wereid out��it must be the training ground of the Golden Lion Knight Order.


    Lis''s gaze quickly found Bivis Mn.


    It was hard to miss the Golden Warrior. His bare upper body was covered in fierce scars, with clearly defined muscles that seemed to contain infinite strength.


    At that moment, Bevis noticed Lis on the side of the field. He put down his two-handed sword, took a towel from a servant, roughly wiped off his sweat, put on some casual clothes, and walked over to Lis.


    "Group Leader Mn, hello."


    Lis bowed to Bevis, but Bevis did not respond. Instead, he sized up Lis from head to toe.


    What''s going on?


    Lis stood straight, noticing the strange look in Bevis''s eyes, and was almost choked by his words.


    "Kid, if you ever treat Ya''er poorly, watch out��I''ll punch you out!"


    "Even if you''re that person''s disciple."


    Bevis certainly knew Taya''s identity. Thest time at the Royal Pce''s evening party, when he saw Taya clinging to Lis''s arm, he was almost shocked enough to crush his wine ss.


    When had he seen his disciple with a shy, blushing expression like a young girl? She used to be a tomboy when she was learning from him.


    If it weren''t for the fact that Lis had already been taken as a disciple by "Judgement me," Bevis might have had to take it upon himself to test Lis and see what kind of mettle the young man who had won Taya''s heart was made of.


    "Cough cough, I actually have something very important to discuss with you today, you see..." Lis said with a wry smile to Bevis.


    "Hmph!"


    Bevis gave Lis a look and turned to walk to one side.


    Lis, understanding the cue, immediately followed. Herbert stood back, smiling without moving.


    Entering a modestly furnished parlor, Bevis leaned on a sofa and asked:


    "So, what''s the matter? Can you talk now?"


    Sitting on the sofa opposite Bevis, Lis pondered for a moment before saying:


    "Lord Mn, have you heard of the All Beast Church?"


    "Hmm?"


    Upon hearing the name, Bevis''s expression turned serious, and he asked:


    "It''s one of the Evil God Churches, but their traces are rarely found. How do you know about them?"


    Lis organized his thoughts and narrated his discovery in Golden Lily Lane to Bevis, emphasizing the arrangement of the basement and the hidden Golden Strong Man.


    "ording to the knowledge I acquired from Mr. Stephens, what the All Beast Church set up there must be a Blood Sacrifice Ceremony!"


    Lis looked serious, speaking as if he had seen it with his own eyes.


    He wasn''t worried��after all, the facts were just as he described.


    Bevis''s face darkened. At this moment, he hadpletely straightened up and was deep in thought.


    "How certain are you?"


    "One hundred percent. This Blood Sacrifice Ceremony, I suspect the other party might be attempting to summon the incarnation of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts, which is why I need to inform Mr. Stephens about this soon."

 Chapter 154 The Plan is Set

    Bevis nced at Lis, an avatar of a deity, and it was a damn Evil God!


    The location of the ritual was in Bright City, what could this Evil God possibly be up to that needed any guessing?


    "I don''t know how you found this out, but this news is too shocking!"


    At this moment, not a trace of a smile could be seen on Bevis''s face, he was all seriousness, his right hand tapping repeatedly and nervously against the wooden armrest of the sofa, producing a shivering sound.


    The purpose of these Evil God Church members is always so simple and direct, to cause panic and to proim the terror and greatness of the Evil God.


    As for how many lives would be lost, that was not something they bothered to consider.


    In fact, for these maniacs, ughter was a delightful affair.


    "Can you take me there to have a look?"


    Bevis''s gaze towards Lis no longer contained a hint of the gentleness he had shown towards a junior, only endless killing intent.


    As the leader of the Golden Lion Knights tasked by His Majesty the King with the defense of the Royal Capital, Bevis absolutely couldn''t tolerate the Evil God Sect''s plot to throw Bright City into chaos.


    Lis shook his head and said with certainty,


    "Very difficult, Lord Mn."


    "There may be a Gold Level strong man hidden in that secret chamber, I pretended I hadn''t noticed anything so as not to alert him."


    "If you go, it will definitely rm him."


    "I think these Evil God Sect members definitely have more than one n in ce, and there are simr secret chambers elsewhere in the Lower City District."


    "Once you alert him and he sends the message out, there will be trouble."


    "So, what are your thoughts?"


    Bevis thought about it and felt that what Lis was considering was right, so he decided to listen first to Viscount Kane''s idea.


    "We definitely have to act, but there''s no way to ensure the Golden Strong Man won''t send out the message."


    "Moreover, I think it would be better if he sends the message to other members of the All Beast Church!"


    Lis said earnestly, staring intently at Bevis.


    "Hmm, how so?"


    Bevis''s expression eased somewhat, he didn''t think that Lis was joking with his remark.


    "The Evil God Sect definitely has several other setups in Bright City, but where are the others?"


    Lis paused for a moment, then continued,


    "Wouldn''t it be better if we startle the snake by hitting the grass, as long as we prepare in advance, I believe we can keep the Kingdom''s losses to a minimum."


    This was something Lis had thought of when he deduced the n of the All Beast Church.


    Lis indeed knew that the two other setups of the All Beast Church were in the Lower City District''s Mingzhu Street and Faise Street, but he didn''t know the precise locations of those secret chambers.


    Searching widely would undoubtedly signal to the All Beast Church that the Kingdom had realized something was wrong.


    It would be better to make preparations and forcefully suppress the All Beast Church''s Blood Sacrifice Ceremony.


    As the capital of Feis Kingdom, the Kingdom undoubtedly has much more power in Bright City than the All Beast Church; otherwise, the All Beast Church wouldn''t be so cautious.


    If that''s the case, crushing them outright would be better.


    "You''re right."


    Bevis was silent for a moment and realized that Lis''s suggestion was indeed the best way to handle it.


    "Moreover, if the All Beast Church is preparing the Blood Sacrifice Ceremony at this time, I suspect they may n to act during the Sacrificial Festival celebration."


    Lis was just talking nonsense with his eyes wide open��the All Beast Church of his previous life only started preparations after the Sacrificial Festival and took a while to act. Your next chapter awaits on empire


    Lis had his considerations, after all, it seemed that the n of the All Beast Church had changed because of Marion''s meddling, who knows what those people will do?


    Better resolve it sooner!


    However, to Bevis, the words Lis spoke seemed very usible.


    The Evil God Sect members were daring enough to do anything; to them, the greater the impact, the better.


    No more hesitation!


    Bevis suddenly stood up from the sofa and said fiercely,


    "Kid, I''ll trust you this time."


    "I''m heading to the Royal Pce right now to report to His Majesty and mobilize Bright City''s elite forces into the Lower City District. I want to see what kind of storm the All Beast Church can stir up."


    Lis nodded and hinted,


    "And there''s the Dawn Church."


    Within the Church of the Gods in Bright City, only the Dawn Church was predominant, housing a Legendary Priest and the Dawn Holy Knight Order at the Dawn Cathedral.


    Bevis nodded, as that was a given.


    When it came tobating the Evil God Church, there was no need for him to persuade anyone; those white-robed individuals were sure to be at the forefront.


    "I''ll notify the Dawn Church. As for Lord Judgement me..."


    "I''m going to see my teacher in a moment, but I guess he probably won''t make a move before the Evil God Avatar appears."


    Lis understood Bevis''s intention and nodded in agreement.


    "Good!"


    Now Bevis felt much more at ease, knowing for sure the strength of that individual was not to be doubted.


    After confirming, Bevis did not retain Lis any longer, for time was pressing, and the Sacrificial Festival was only three days away.


    If not dealt with properly and the descent of the Evil God urred during the festival celebration, the situation would truly be severe.


    Bevis and Lis came out from the Knight Order''s quarters together, exchanged a greeting, and then hastened on horseback towards the direction of the Royal Pce.


    Lis did not dy either and rushed with Zhao Zhao and Mo Yun towards the Royal Magic Academy of the Feis Kingdom.


    After having them wait outside the First Magic Workshop, Lis walked into the workshop.


    Zhao Zhao and Mo Yun looked in surprise at the stone door of the workshop that closed after Lis entered.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Automatic doors?"


    "Seems like it, I didn''t expect such a thing in a game with a medieval style."


    "Well, there is magic after all."


    The two of them discussed, not finding it boring in the least.


    Though they did not gain anything substantial, this was akin to taking them to new maps, many ces that yers could only enter having achieved certain strength and status. They indeed broadened their horizons significantly.


    ...


    After Lis informed Fran about the All Beast Church matter, the expression of the Legendary Mage was quite rxed.


    "So those Evil Gods can''t sit still anymore? What exactly is going to happen?"


    Fran sat smilingly to one side, appearing not to take the likely descent of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts seriously at all.


    Seeing Lis somewhat puzzled, Fran exined,


    "You haven''t reached that level yet, so naturally, you wouldn''t know."


    "Restricted by the rules of the Gaia World, the true bodies of those gods cannot descend into the Main World."


    "Likewise, even if they pay a massive price to send down an avatar of a god, the avatar''s strength will be severely limited, at most reaching the peak of Demigod rank."


    "As for the avatar of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts, it barely possesses the strength of a Demigod."


    "However, a Demigod is not necessarily stronger than a Legend."


    "Like me, haha."


    Judgement me waved his hand and said with augh,


    "I''m aware of the situation now, and I''ll keep an eye on it."


    "You can also get involved. After all, the methods of those Evil God Sect followers are quite unique. Gaining some experience will benefit you in the future."

 Chapter 155 The Golden Legend?

    Upon emerging from the First Magic Workshop, Lis saw Zhao Zhao and Mo Yun standing straight, waiting for him.


    These two guys should think just like he expected, right?


    Lis walked over to them without any change in expression and said with a smile,


    "You''ve worked hard today. The situation in the Lower City District is already taking shape."N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Ah?"


    Zhao Zhao and Mo Yun looked at each other in bewilderment, wondering how things could have progressed so quickly.


    It felt to them like they had just rushed around with Lis, and aside from the issue with the Silver Assassin, it didn''t seem like they''d aplished much of anything.


    Lis did not borate further, as it would detract from his prestige.


    Read exclusive content at empire


    "Well, the oue will be clear tomorrow. If you want toe, you can just wait for me at the White Dove Chamber of Commerce," he said.


    Zhao Zhao and Mo Yun saw that their Silver-level quest [Crisis Hidden in the Lower City District] had just jumped to apletion of ten percent and naturally nodded repeatedly, not wanting to miss the chance to piggyback on an NPC''s quest.


    Plucking up her courage, Mo Yun asked Lis,


    "Lord Lis, may I ask what that ce was just now?"


    Lis turned to look where Mo Yun was pointing and replied nonchntly,


    "Oh, that''s my teacher''s First Magic Workshop. I was just visiting Mr. Stephens."


    "Oh, oh."


    Mo Yun, having received an answer, nodded repeatedly, registering this information in his mind, ready to inquire earnestly on the yer forumster on.


    After Lis sent the two back to Gedo Street, he left. They took the opportunity to learn skills from Lis using the Experience Points they had earned from beating up the man in ck forpleting the quest.


    Zhao Zhao chose to learn the Mage''s basic skills, while Mo Yun opted for the Hunter''s basic skills.


    Zhao Zhao thought that Lis''s use of the "Mirage" Spell was incredibly powerful and cool, and he had previously chosen the Mage Talent.


    As for Mo Yun, she had always wanted to be a Hunter, not for anything else, but because Hunters could have pets...


    ---------------


    After Lis returned home, he immediately found Joyce and informed this Legendary Assassin about the matters concerning the All Beast Church.


    "Uncle Joyce, I''m not sure if that incarnation of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts'' divine spirit would be of any use to you."


    With a frown, Joyce thought for a moment before saying,


    "I''m not sure. The Master of Ten Thousand Beasts has three Divine Positions: ''Ten Thousand Beasts,'' ''Fear,'' and ''Hunting.'' Only the ''Hunting'' Divine Power could be of use to me. I don''t know if he will choose the ''Hunting'' Divine Position as the core for this incarnation."


    "I understand. It''s tomorrow, right? I''ll be on the lookout then," said Lis.


    Lis, feeling puzzled, directly asked,


    "Didn''t you previously tell me that it''s quite troublesome to assimte the divine power of a god who hasn''t fallen? In that case...?"


    Joyce exined patiently, not minding the question,


    "Assimting such divine power indeed can be quite troublesome, but my goal isn''t to obtain that power. Rather, it''s toprehend the ''Hunting'' Divine Position it embodies, which is greatly beneficial for those wishing to master simr domains and divine positions."


    "Besides, sometimes certain special objects from the ''Hunting'' Divine Domain need rted divine power to be awakened and activated, so it''s advantageous to have some understanding beforehand."


    Lis nodded, gaining a deeper understanding of divine power.


    From this perspective, Mr. Fran Stephens likely had not pursued the Path of God Sealing, while Uncle Joyce was following the most orthodox route.


    Lis couldn''t tell who was better or worse yet. That seemed like something he would consider only when he reached a simr realm.


    After briefly chatting, Lis returned to his bedroom.


    For the ns set for tomorrow, Lis had to do some preparation in advance.


    Even though he didn''t have to face the incarnation of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts himself, Lis was quite interested in those powerful members of the All Beast Church.


    -----------------


    After bidding farewell to Zhao Zhao, Mo Yun headed to the dormitory provided by the White Dove Chamber of Commerce for their yers.


    Mo Yun looked around the ce. She was assigned a two-bedroom house on the ground floor. It seemed she was supposed to have a roommate, yet there was no sign of anyone at the moment.


    "The White Dove Chamber of Commerce really thought of everything. Otherwise, I''d be worried about where to eat and rest, even fearing problems when logging off."


    Mo Yun nodded with some satisfaction. Although the house was quite simple, with several holes in the wooden windows, it didn''t bother the yers. After all, it was just a ce for logging off regrly.


    After setting her resurrection point in the house, Mo Yuny down on the bed, ready to log off.


    She bid farewell to her audience, whose numbers had multiplied in the livestream, and Mo Yun''s consciousness left the "Divine Revtion" game.


    "Hmm~"


    Stretchingzily, her attractive figure was entuated by a pink pajama set; Mo Yun rubbed her somewhat sore neck and sat in front of theputer.


    After some thought, Mo Yun began to rapidly type up a post in the yer forum.


    [A Day''s Encounter with the Mysterious NPC Lis]


    Lis is much stronger than a Silver-level Assassin! Super handsome!


    Lis, though a Mage, can use the assassin''s specialized weapon, the dagger, and he''s also strong in closebat. It seems to match the scenario in the skill-teaching panel where I learned Hunter skills from him.


    Lister went to the Golden Lion Knights and the Royal Magic Academy in Bright City. Without him, there''s no way I could''ve gotten in.


    Lis''s teacher is Fran Stephens from the First Magic Workshop. Does anyone know him?


    Not wanting to be a clickbait poster, Mo Yun thought for a moment and added her livestream video to the post as evidence.


    Mo Yun''s post had just gone out and hadn''t moved when many peoplemented on it, generating heat.


    Some were Mo Yun''s livestream fans, while others were passing by, the so-called melon-eating crowd.


    I Don''t Eat Beef: I saw the livestream, especially the fight with that Silver Assassin. So cool!


    Milk Tea Bubble: Is this a melee Mage? Loving it!


    Game Life: Is that guy really Silver-level? Watching videos others posted, it feels like one Silver-level could take out ten Bronze-levels. Isn''t that kind of exaggerated?


    Sewer Explorer: Could this Lis be a Gold-level NPC? If true, isn''t he the first confirmed Gold-level in "Divine Revtion"?


    Daddy: I don''t know if he''s Gold-level, but he''s really handsome, I want to have his babies!


    A Long Journey, a Fallen Horse: To the big brother above, tone it down a bit (dog head.jpg).


    Loving Family: Stay away from my brother Lis!!!


    ...


    Watching the thread take a turn, Mo Yun was somewhat speechless when she suddenly noticed a newly refreshedment.


    Big Bone Broth: The First Magic Workshop? Fran Stephens? I''ve heard the mercenaries in the Mercenary Guild boasting that the only legend in Bright City is Fran Stephens from the Royal Magic Academy. Isn''t that the one the original poster mentioned!!!


    Hmm?


    Lis''s teacher is the Legendary Mage?


    Mo Yun was a bit surprised. Doesn''t that make Lis solidly Gold-level?


    Seeing her livestream followers and game forum attention numbers skyrocket, Mo Yun nodded in satisfaction.


    With that said, she really had to hold on tight to this golden legend!

 Chapter 156 The Eve of the Great War

    The next day, Golden Lily Lane.


    Early in the morning, Lis went to the Golden Lion Knights. The night before, Bevis had someone notify Lis, saying everything was ready, and they would take action first thing in the morning.


    When Lis saw Bevis, he noticed that this Golden Warrior was already d in golden full-body armor, his imposing and solemn demeanor akin to a lion that had already bared its tusks.


    At the moment, Bevis at the central encampment paid no attention to Lis, for His Majesty the King had entrusted the handling of the All Beast Church matter entirely to him, and he had to be responsible for the duty on his shoulders.


    "Hurry up, assemble everyone!"


    "Teams one to three, fully armed, follow me to Golden Lily Lane."


    "Teams four to ten, follow Roy and Bell, enter the Lower City District as arranged yesterday, and make sure not to alert anyone."


    "Yes!"


    The soldiers of the Golden Lion Knights in full-body armor responded in unison, without the slightest hesitation, truly living up to the reputation of the kingdom''s premier knight order.


    "Audis, the support from the Royal Mage Corps is up to you to arrange, try to minimize civilian casualties as much as possible."


    "Don''t worry."


    The grave-faced Deputy Commander Audis nodded, not a single thought of rxation present at this moment.


    Although the mage group didn''t need to join the battle early on, their burden was still quite heavy. They needed to set up barriers in a timely manner when the Evil God Avatar descended, to lessen the harm to civilians in the Lower City District.


    After receiving the reply, Bevis nodded and turned to look at another group of people. They were wearing various ordinary civilian clothes, but the fierce fighting aura on them betrayed their identity as veterans of countless battles.


    "You are the subordinates I have handpicked, as well as the elite soldiers His Majesty the King has summoned from other ces. Therefore, I believe you canplete the most difficult tasks."


    "Later, you will enter the Lower City District directly. In teams of three, spread out without drawing anyone else''s attention!"


    "If anything unusual happens in areas outside Golden Lily Lane, you must be the first to hold the line, buying time for the Golden Lion Knights to arrive!"


    "Understood?"


    "Yes!"


    "For His Majesty the King, for Bright City, crush those sons of the All Beast Church underfoot in the sewers of the Lower City District."


    "Yes!!!"


    Although Bevis had already confirmed and conveyed all the arrangements yesterday, he still chose to gather everyone before departure to inspire their morale.


    After all, they might be facing an Evil God''s avatar soon, and only courage and will would be their means to resist the Evil God''s oppression.


    Watching troops move towards the Lower City District as ordered, Bevis also turned his head, noticing that Lis was waiting nearby.


    "Come here!"


    Bevis beckoned to Lis.


    Lis stepped forward, respectfully saluting:


    "Good morning, Lord Bevis!"


    "Good morning, Lord Audis!"


    Presently, Feis Royal Mage Corps Deputy Commander Audis watched Lis, his prot��g��''s favored pupil, with aplex expression. It was just a fleeting thought that caused the loss of a good apprentice - such a pity.


    Bevis, oblivious to Audis''s peculiar expression, solemnly said to Lis:


    "I''ve already reported to His Majesty the King. I''m in full charge of this operation."


    "The Dawn Church has also arranged for personnel to be stationed in the Lower City District."


    "Lis, you''lle with me. We still need you for the preliminary confirmation work."


    "Understood, Lord Bevis."


    Lis agreed promptly, as this was also part of the n he had been studying.


    To be honest, he didn''t expect the Kingdom''s actions to be so swift; it seems the All Beast Church''s attempt to stir up a Blood Sacrifice Ceremony in Bright City truly touched the Kingdom''s most sensitive nerves.


    Bevis didn''t say much, but silently led Lis and the others toward the direction of Golden Lily Lane.


    ---------------


    "Have they arrived?"


    Mo Yun asked, while the intently observing Zhao Zhao shook his head.


    "Not yet, don''t rush."


    Huo Yanyan and Liu''s Titan were silent, quietly leaning against the wall corner and waiting.


    This morning when White Dove Guild''s manager found the two of them, they were puzzled why Lis had sent them to Golden Lily Lane, but after running into Zhao Zhao and Mo Yun, they learned there was a hidden storyline here.


    They didn''t expect Lis to remember them.


    Moved.jpg!


    Yesterday, after diligentlypleting the White Dove Guild''s assigned tasks of cleaning and moving goods, Liu''s Titan and Huo Yanyan became official Professionals.


    Liu''s Titan chose Warrior, and Huo Yanyan chose Mage.


    Meanwhile, yers who opted to struggle at the Mercenary Guild were still grappling with their first task, highlighting a stark contrast.


    As a result, more and more yers born in Bright City chose to join the White Dove Guild.


    "Are you the Lucky ones mentioned in the forum posts?"


    "You''ve already be intermediate members of the White Dove Guild?"


    "I remember there is a 9.5% discount on purchases at the Guild, right?"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    After Mo Yun finished introducing Lis''s actions from yesterday to the two, he asked out of curiosity,


    "Indeed, but we were just Lucky."


    "I..."


    "Stop talking, Lis and the others have arrived!"


    Just as Mo Yun was about to inquire if there were any other benefits for intermediate members of the White Dove Guild, Zhao Zhao, who was keeping watch, interrupted him.


    The three of them quickly stood up, gathered around Zhao Zhao, and looked out to indeed see Lis apanied by a group of soldiers d in Heavy Armor approaching.


    Their Gold Armor was especially dazzling in the sunlight, particrly the few elders beside Lis whose presence was so powerful it caused a ripple in the hearts of the four onlookers.


    Mo Yun and the others couldn''t help but mutter to themselves about how ying a game felt like facing real fierce beasts.


    However, seeing Lis apanied by so many people, the four couldn''t approach and could only anxiously wait from the sidelines.


    Lis also noticed the four heads peeking out from the alley and silently nodded in recognition.


    This was also part of his deliberate arrangement; after all, wouldn''t it be a pity if there were no live broadcasters by his side during the great battle with the All Beast Church?


    It was a good opportunity to give them a mission.


    With a thought from Lis, a new mission notification appeared on the system panel of Mo Yun and the others. Your journey continues with empire


    ---------------


    [Silver Level Mission: The Conspiracy of the All Beast Church]


    [Mission Requirements: Lis has discovered a conspiracy nned by the All Beast Church in the Lower City District. Join forces with the Golden Lion Knights, Feis Royal Mage Corps, and Dawn Church to surround and suppress the All Beast Church hidden in the Lower City District and get involved!]


    [Mission Reward: Rewards will be distributed based on thepletion degree of the task (Highest Reward: Experience Points 300k, Gold Coins 3000)]


    ---------------


    After epting the mission, Mo Yun and the others exchanged nces, slightly bewildered. They were merely bystanders in the previous Silver Level mission and yet encountered a Silver Assassin. Now, with such high rewards, would they be able to survive this time?

 Chapter 157 Petar Who Was Calculated to Death

    Lis did not bother with the few yers anymore, letting them tag along was merely for observation, not expecting them to be of any actual help.


    The task from the All Beast Church, if one were to speak of it, was at least a Gold Level mission.


    Even several months after the gameunched, when the Blood Sacrifice Chaos of the All Beast Church erupted, the yers were nothing more than background, with not the slightest chance to resist.


    They were nearly at the house in Kutena. Following a gesture from Lis, Bevis waved his hand, and the soldiers following them came to a halt in unison, without any superfluous movement.


    With a light tap from his magic wand on the ground, a shadowy figure emerged from the shadows under the wall not far away.


    It was the Silver Assassin Lister.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Did anyone enter that house after I left yesterday?"


    Lis asked Lister, while Bevis and others beside him paid equal attention to this question.


    "No one, Lord Lis."


    Lister was almost scared to death, bowing his head and daring not to speak more.


    What was this formation? Especially the line standing next to Lis, each of their auras was no weaker than Death Eagle Tash.


    Meaning, these six or seven people were all Gold Level strongmen!


    "Mm."


    Lis looked towards Bevis and Audis, and Audis nodded.


    Four-Circle Magic [Silent Skill]!


    Seven-Circle Spell [Group Invisibility Technique]!


    Under the effect of Audis''s spell, the figures of Lis and his team gradually disappeared into the air, and the soldiers behind them did not show any signs of curiosity, just silently standing in ce, waiting for orders.


    "Where is it?"


    Audis''s voice sounded out of nowhere, but the sound of his speech stayed suspended around them and did not spread out, the same was true for their footsteps.


    This was the [Silent Skill] of an Arcane Master, its effects far surpassing the original Four Rings Spell after being improved.


    "Follow me, it''s in the passage behind the living room."


    Lis''s voice quickly followed, with the Golden Strong Men closely following behind Lis, heading for the basement.


    The dark passageway in the house, where the candles on the sides used for lighting were long extinguished, seemed as if no one had been there for a long time.


    Lis pointed at the basement door just within reach, signaling Bevis and Audis.


    After Audis inspected it carefully, he nodded to Bevis, indicating that the door was indeed enchanted with the [Flipping Gate] spell.


    Furthermore, Audis did sense a foreboding trace, as if something deeply dark and dangerous was lurking within.


    Once confirmed, Bevis spoke no more and gestured for Lis and the others to take a few steps back.


    How to enter the secret chamber behind the [Flipping Gate]?


    The simplest method was to break through it with an attack exceeding the [Flipping Gate]''s endurance limit.


    And Bevis was the most suitable person at the scene to do this.


    Bevis took a deep breath, as if he was about to exhaust all the air around him, mobilizing all his strength, his skin slightly reddening, as a pure, dazzling gold light started to congregate on the longsword he held in both hands.


    This was the Power of Breaking Magic, a strength that Gold Warriors relied upon to contend with Mages and otherte-stage professions.


    [Martial Arts: The Golden Lion''s w]!


    The now wholly golden longsword fiercely shed at the [Flipping Gate], and under Bevis''s formidable martial force, the Seven-Circle Spell had no strength to resist, shattering instantly.


    ...


    Behind the [Flipping Gate], inside the secret chamber.


    Petar sat down after he had finished the scheduledmunication with Kaiser for the day.


    The number of Magic Beasts scheduled to be sent was still far from enough, and he wondered how Kaiser''s preparations were going.


    For some reason, ever since the young Mage had left yesterday, Petar had been feeling restless, as if something bad was about to happen.


    Yet he had checked the secret chamber several times, and the Blood Sacrifice Ceremony Array was working normally with no problems.


    The Magic Beasts were also peacefully sleeping under the influence of the potions and the Divine Power of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts, with no mishaps urring.


    Explore new worlds at empire


    But he couldn''t shake the feeling of impending doom, and as time passed, the shadow hanging over his heart grew darker and more ominous.


    Something was definitely wrong, very wrong!


    There was something off about that young Mage from yesterday!


    Petar could no longer sit still; he stood up from his chair, about to notify Kaiser of the situation.


    Just at that moment, he suddenly saw a golden crack appearing on the Flipping Gate.


    Boom!


    A thunderous noise came out of nowhere, and the house, though fortified with various secret techniques, shattered abruptly, and several figures suddenly charged towards Petar through the smoke.


    "Damn!"


    How could Petar not realize what had happened? Had the Kingdom''s strong men alreadye knocking?


    He quickly retreated, pulling out themunication device that Kaiser had given him, but no matter how Kaiser tried to activate it, there was no response.


    Petar looked up to see an old man in a luxurious Mage Robe standing outside the door, with his Magic Wand radiating an inexplicable glow.


    If it weremunication between strong men of the same level, it might be tricky for Audis, but interfering with amunication device was still quite simple for him.


    Although Lis and the others were prepared to strike the grass and startle the snake, slowing down the All Beast Church''s information gathering time would also allow them to focus on cleaning up this arrangement first.


    "Damn, ourmunication has been interfered with!"


    Petar''s thoughts raced, the situation was already as bad as it could get.


    There was no time to hesitate. Remembering Kaiser''s admonition, Petar gritted his teeth and fiercely smashed the ground, activating the Blood Sacrifice Ceremony Array imprinted there, and at the same time, he released the Divine Arts covering the sleeping Magic Beasts.


    Bevis saw the blood array on the ground emitting a vicious aura, and the various sizes of Magic Beasts awakening on one side of the secret chamber; his expression remained unchanged, but his eyes became much more ferocious.


    Well done, you fools of the Evil God Church!


    Seeking death!


    In his anger, Bevis felt a tinge of relief; thankfully, Lis had discovered it, or else, if these Evil God Sect members had been fully prepared, who knows what kind of painful disaster they would have caused in Bright City.


    Without further thought, Bevis charged ahead, his sword falling mightily towards Petar.


    Petar pulled out a mace covered with various barbs and managed to block Bevis''s sword with difficulty.


    As a ruthless man who had survived the baptism of the Evil God, Petar was cruel to others, and even more so to himself.


    This was why he acted without restraint within the All Beast Church.


    But even so, his strength was far inferior to Bevis, the Kingdom''s number one warrior, and moreover, Bevis was not going to show him any Knightly etiquette this time.


    The Gold Rank strong men from the Knight Order who followed him made their moves, and thus began the righteous beating of Petar.


    Petar was unable to block for long before he was seriously injured, and could no longer get up; Bevis grabbed him by the neck and held him aloft.


    Lis stood by Audis, keeping a close eye on the battle.


    Petar''s downfall was only the beginning; a greater danger stilly ahead.


    As the Magic Beasts gradually woke up, the spreading of their ferocious and savage auras had already begun to spread outward.

 Chapter 158 Blood Battle!

    As the Magic Beasts awoke, the expressions of everyone present grew even more solemn.


    Tusked Wild Boars, Wind Griffins, Blood Meteor Snakes...


    Lis even spotted a Moon Spirit Leopard mingled among the Magic Beast Group, as if he realized something?


    But now was not the time to think about these things!


    Lis quickly estimated that there were at least a hundred Magic Beasts, most of them Bronze Level, a smaller number at Silver Level, and a few at Gold Level.


    Such an exaggerated move, it would be quite difficult to kill all these Magic Beasts here.


    Bevis and the others were also calcting in their minds but were unaware that the All Beast Church had originally nned to arrange more than three hundred Magic Beasts in each secret chamber, which meant the situation was already much better than expected.


    However, these Magic Beasts, seemingly without any hint of rationality or wisdom, began to ughter each other under the influence of the Blood Array.


    Just as Bevis and the others retreated into the basement corridor, preparing to use the terrain to trap and kill the Magic Beasts here.


    Suddenly, along with the awakening of the Magic Beasts, the ceiling of the basement shattered, and most of the Magic Beasts rushed out through the huge hole in the ceiling.


    Bevis''s face turned ashen when he saw this; how could he not understand that the people of the All Beast Church had long been prepared to release the Magic Beasts?


    There was no time to dy, Bevis leaped out of the basement and shouted at the soldiers of the Golden Lion Knights standing calmly not far away:


    "All forces, attack! Keep all these Magic Beasts within this area!"


    "Squads one, two, and three, kill the Magic Beasts; squad four, intercept the Magic Beasts and evacuate the irrelevant personnel."


    The soldiers who received the order immediately took action without any fear, rushing towards the Magic Beast Group spilling out from the basement.


    It was immediately evident that the Golden Lion Knights lived up to their reputation as the Kingdom''s most elite troops.


    The soldiers skillfully formed trios to tackle each Magic Beast, relying on clever attacks to ward off the onught of the beasts.


    Bevis, apanied by other strong warriors, charged into the Magic Beast Group, each taking on one of the few Gold Level Magic Beasts.


    This level of Magic Beast had already exceeded the limits of what the soldiers could handle, so it was up to them to take over from here.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Lis nced at Petar, lying in a pool of blood to the side, his limbs seemingly shattered by Bevis.


    Audis was still casting Beneficial Magic on Bevis and the others; he had no choice, as the strength of the Dawn Church was concentrated in other areas of the Lower City District, and there were no Priests of the Dawn Church with them here.


    Bevis and the others were under immense pressure, as they never expected the All Beast Church to release so many Magic Beasts in the Lower City District with such a violent intent.


    These Gold Level Magic Beasts, having lost their minds, might have decreased in power, but at the same time, they were recklessly fearless of death, not retreating in the face of injuries.


    So even though Bevis had an enormous advantage, with the robust bodies of the Gold Level Magic Beasts, it still required a considerable amount of time for them to kill these beasts.


    Lis also joined the battle directly, but instead of targeting the Gold Level Magic Beasts, he chose to strike at those of the Bronze and Silver Levels.


    Under the enhancement of the Jade Wand, clusters of pale blue fireballs materialized around Lis''s body, which he controlled precisely to smash fiercely onto the Magic Beasts.


    At this moment, Lis''s Talent for increased damage really came into y, with "Extraordinary Magic" and "All Laws Return to Storage - Lis" amplifying the damage, allowing Lis''s simple Blue Ball Skill to inflict massive injuries on the Magic Beasts.


    Bronze Level Magic Beasts couldn''t withstand two or three Blue Ball Skills, while even the Silver Level Magic Beasts were seriously wounded after several hits.


    As this was Lis''s Three-Ring Magic, with his ever-growing strength, the power it exhibited became increasingly terrifying.


    Just as Lis officially began battle, his system panel refreshed with a new task.


    -----------------


    [Gold-level Task: Blood Battle!]


    [Task Requirement: You have discovered and started to destroy the Blood Sacrifice Ceremony being nned by the All Beast Church. The final battle has begun, thwart the schemes of the All Beast Church!]


    [Task Reward: Experience Points 10,000,000, special skill "Red ughter"]


    -----------------


    Phew, a task has been issued!


    Unexpectedly, by triggering the Blood Sacrifice Chaos ahead of time, the system has also given him an exclusive task, and it''s Gold-level, no less.


    Lis nodded as he looked at the hot and fresh task on the system panel.


    However, he didn''t know if it was because of his own strength or because he actively led the task, but the experience points for the task rewards were much more than in his previous life, and there was also a brand-new special skill, although he still didn''t know what effect it had.


    Lis wasn''t worried about failing toplete the task, as the current situation was already much better than the Blood Sacrifice Chaos of his previous life. With a bunch of big shots backing him up, Lis now only had to concentrate on cleaning up.


    Yes, Lis was now grinding monsters, an opportunity that is quite rare under normal circumstances. The "Divine Revtion" game is not like other games where mounds of wild monsters stand around waiting for yers to grind. yers who want to level up through monster ying really have to make a great effort, unlike now where they didn''t dodge his attacks and just took them head-on.


    Lis, looking at the frantic notifications on his system panel, couldn''t help but exim:


    Thanks a bunch, fes from the All Beast Church!


    If it wasn''t for the high efficiency of spell grinding, coupled with his n to disguise his Talent, Lis would now want to draw his Longsword and rampage into the fray, a feeling that would undoubtedly be great.


    Boiling blood sprayed every corner of the battlefield, severed limbs scattered about, and terrifying beast roars sounded in everyone''s ears, but they did not shake the ferocity of the blood-soaked soldiers for an instant.


    For Bright City, a dead Magic Beast is a good Magic Beast.


    Mo Yun and the others hiding aside watched the battle before them with wide eyes, somewhat dumbfounded.


    What is this situation!


    Where did all these Magic Beastse from, and why does each one seem so terrifying!


    As freshly level two or three Professionals, even the weakest Bronze-level Magic Beasts on the battlefield seemed deadly red in their probing.


    Such powerful Magic Beasts, all in in a second by a single spell from Lis?


    In the midst of the battlefield where Lis was brutally ughtering the Magic Beasts, a multitude of various colored magic spells struck the approaching demons.


    Read exclusive chapters at empire


    A huge Ice Cone smashed down fiercely from above the Tusked Wild Boar. At this moment, the tough skin of the boar was like torn fabric, providing no resistance. The Ice Cone sunk deep into the ground along with the body, and the burst of blood sma was like a dazzlingly blooming flower of blood.


    In the eyes of these yers, Lis was like a cold-hearted Death God in the battlefield, impartially delivering death to every foe.


    And, like a refined artist, his appearance as he calmly cast spells while floating midair was so elegant and cool,pletely undeterred by the battlefield''s gore.


    Is this what a Mage is?


    So elegant! So cool!


    Mo Yun''s eyes lit up,pletely astonished by the scene.

 Chapter 159 Breaking the Formation!

    In the battlefield of Golden Lily Lane,


    magic beasts surged out but fell like harvested wheat under the attacks of Lis and his group. Bevis and his team had already dealt with the Gold Level magic beasts they were facing.


    By the time thest magic beast fell by Bevis''s hand, the battlefield was almost covered with blood and severed limbs, and the soldiers, who seemed to have been fished out from the blood, stood there panting heavily, waiting for Bevis''s instructions.


    As soon as the magic beasts appeared, Bevis had the Golden Lion Knights control the surroundings, resulting in only a few unlucky pedestrians getting caught in the crossfire.


    This oue was much better than in Lis''s previous life!


    Bevis ordered the squad leaders to organize their teams. Resting was not an option now, as there was an even tougher battle waiting for them.


    "Lis, what should we do now?"


    Bevis walked over, stepping on the bodies of magic beasts, with a hint of relief on his face.


    It was fortunate that he had discovered the schemes of the All Beast Church in advance, otherwise letting them continue preparing would have made ending this extremely difficult.


    This was why he asked for Lis''s opinion first.


    Lis pointed to the location of the basement just discussed and said to Bevis:


    "The ceremonial array in the basement, do you have a way to stop it?"


    Bevis nodded; he had almost forgotten about that array, having beenpletely focused on annihting the magic beasts until now.


    "No problem, I specifically brought a countermeasure from the Dawn Church."


    Bevis, leading Lis and the others, leapt down through the opening on the ground, only to see the Blood Sacrifice Ceremony Array engraved on the cer floor.


    The entire array didn''t seem to be affected by the falling rocks, still operating normally, though the blood-red color was even more vivid than before.


    "I suspect the greatmotion stirred up by the All Beast Church was just to supply fresh blood power to the array, which must also be a key part of the All Beast Church''s strategy."


    Lis looked at the blood-red array patterns on the floor and said cautiously.


    Audis stepped forward to study it momentarily and shook his head:


    "The principle is simple, but the array''s power likelyes from the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts, whose power level is too high for me to dismantle in a short period."


    "Well, good thing I brought this."


    Bevis took out a ss bottle containing a pure white liquid from his storage ring. The bottle held just three or four drops of the liquid, emitting a heartwarming glow but also a lofty, impressive aura.


    "Is this... Holy Water?"


    Lis was somewhat puzzled. He had used Advanced Holy Water from the Dawn Church before, but the power contained in what Bevis held was likeparing the light of a firefly to the brilliance of the moonlit sky.


    "No, this is the Divine Power of the God of Dawn."


    Bevis said with a sigh, while also carefully examining the small bottle in his hand.


    "Were it not for the All Beast Church''s ns truly infuriating those in white robes, I doubt they would have brought out the pure Divine Power of the God of Dawn."


    "But this is also the most efficient method. No matter what the setup, it will be purified by the Divine Power of the God of Dawn."


    After all, it is the might of a god standing at the pinnacle among all gods!


    Lis thought to himself that this single drop of pure Dawn Divine Power probably could be diluted into hundreds of bottles of the Advanced Holy Water he had used.


    Bevis stood next to the blood-red array patterns, opened the bottle''s cap, and carefully dropped a drop of Dawn Divine Power onto the flowing blood-red. He quickly stored it away afterwards.


    Who knows how many more arrays there are? He had to save it!


    The drop of Dawn Divine Power fell onto the blood-red array patterns, and it was like cool water poured into boiling oil. The array, unaffected by the attacks of many, violently fluctuated.


    Gradually, the blood-red in the array patterns began to fade, and vast expanses of silver-white appeared on the surface of the array.


    Zing~ Enjoy new stories from empire


    An exhrating voice arose at everyone''s ears. Under the influence of the God of Dawn''s Divine Power, the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts'' Blood Sacrifice Array hadpletely lost its bloody hue, turning into grey-brown traces.


    Bevis nodded, this time there should be no problem.


    Lis''s system panel also gave a prompt.


    -----------------


    [Sessfully destroyed the Blood Sacrifice Ceremony Array (1/3), progress increased]


    -----------------


    Lis nodded as well and said to Bevis,


    "Lord Bevis, since this ceremony array has been destroyed, the All Beast Church will certainly react soon, we should..."


    Bevis nodded, forcefully pped Lis''s shoulder without a word, and then led his men out.


    They needed to regroup outside, preparing to face the potential crises erupting in other parts of the Lower City District.


    Audis gave Lis aplex look, shook his head, and walked out as well.


    What a fine disciple, what was I thinking at that time, dragging things out?


    Lis rubbed his somewhat sore shoulder, as Bevis, caught up in his fervor just now, had not held back much of his strength. Even though his Strength Attribute had already been doubled, he was still far from this Gold Warrior.


    However, Lis also understood Bevis''s intention, the All Beast Church stronghold here had already been taken down by them. Lis''s mission wasplete.


    The rest was to wait for those from the All Beast Church to fall into disarray. At this point, Lis didn''t need to get involved anymore.


    Bevis was also considering Lis''s safety, the cred he deserved would not be lost, but the remaining tasks might still pose a danger, especially facing the Evil God Avatar, so Bevis allowed Lis to decide whether to participate or not.


    Was there even a need to think about it? Of course, he would participate!


    Lis''s mission wasn''tplete yet!


    When Bevis left, he casually took the severely injured Petar as well, not knowing whether he could extract any valuable information from him.


    But that had nothing to do with Lis now; he didn''t n to directly follow Bevis.


    He was heading straight to Mingzhu Street.


    That was the All Beast Church''s main stronghold in the Lower City District of Bright City, also the location where the Evil God Avatar ultimately descended in his previous life.


    But Lis was well aware, let alone him, a Silver Mage, even Gold-Level Professionals were mere fodder in front of an Evil God Avatar, only the few Legendary Strongmen could withstand the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts'' avatar.


    Yet, Lis still nned to go and watch, even if from a distance.


    Leaving other things aside, just being able to resist a Divine Spirit''s pressure once would earn him a rather rare specialty.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The descent of a deity was a rare opportunity, which is why in his past life in the game, every time a Divine Incarnation descended, there was a bunch of silly yers who went there to die.


    However, enduring the Divine Spirit''s pressure was not an easy task.


    In his past life, among the yers, beside a few Lucky ones who faced special circumstances, only a very few with Special Skills sessfully endured the Divine Spirit''s mental challenge.


    Lis wasn''t sure if he could handle it, but he had to try!


    Even if he couldn''t, Lis had asked Joyce to back him up!

 Chapter 160 Blood Sacrifice!

    Lower City District of Bright City, Mingzhu Street.


    Kaiser was somewhat restless, not knowing why, but he always had a bad premonition. Yet, this morning''smunication had no issues at all; the people left in charge of the three strongholds had all responded normally to the messages.


    Even Petar hadined about being too bored.


    Moreover, due to themotion caused by Marion, Kaiser had specifically reined in the actions of the All Beast Church, temporarily halting the transfer of prepared magic beasts into Bright City.


    It could be said that Kaiser had almostpletely ceased all actions of the All Beast Church, just wanting to get through this sensitive period.


    In his view, he had been so low-profile that there shouldn''t be any more problems.


    But just then, he suddenly received a message from a Divine Envoy.


    "One-third of the Blood Sacrifice Ceremony Array has been destroyed."


    What!


    Kaiser was so shocked he couldn''t speak, and without taking time to verify the authenticity of the Divine Envoy''s information, he hurriedly sent inquiry messages to the people stationed at the three secret rooms.


    Tash and Angelo quickly replied, reporting no abnormalities, but Petar from Golden Lily Lane was nowhere to be heard from, without any response.


    Kaiser knew that something had happened to Petar.


    He did not harbor a sliver of hope because the message hade from the Divine Envoy.


    As the only person in the All Beast Church in Bright City who could receive the oracle of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts, Kaiser naturally did not doubt the source of the Divine Envoy''s message.


    At that moment, the whole room fell into silence; Kaiser sat quietly at a desk filled with intelligence documents, his face gloomy, seemingly weighing something in his mind.


    Bang!


    Kaiser suddenly stood up, kicking the walnut desk in front of him. The flying brownish-yellow papers seemed to dere the arrival of the final battle.


    Taking out amunication device, Kaiser transmitted a message to everyone involved in the n.


    "The base at Golden Lily Lane has been discovered, Petar is missing, the Blood Sacrifice Ceremony Array has been destroyed!"


    "Proceed as originally nned, initiate the n!"


    "Let my Lord''s fear envelop Bright City!"


    Having reached this point, Kaiser no longer wanted to think about why his n, so carefully hidden, had been detected by the kingdom.


    Since it hade to this, let it begin!


    Alwaysposed and wise, Kaiser''s mouth revealed a hint of a crazed smile, which gradually spread across his entire face.


    "Finally...finally no need to endure any longer!"


    "My Lord! Great My Lord, Kaiser offers you blood and death, may your name envelop thisnd!"


    Taking out a pure ck Magic Wand, Kaiser listened to the gradually rising roars of beasts and the terrified screams of people outside the window, his face revealing an extremely delighted smile.


    "How wonderful!"


    "This taste of fear!"


    With a manic smile, Kaiser gripped the Magic Wand in his right hand and forcefully swung it, shattering the entire street-facing wall of the room.


    Slowly floating in mid-air, countless dark auras gathered around Kaiser, spreading the aura of fear, death, and chaos wildly into the surroundings.


    Seventh-tier Divine Skill "Mark of Fear and Death"!


    All the civilians who came into contact with the dark aura emanating from Kaiser seemed to encounter the most terrifying thing in their lives, their mental states copsing instantly. They fell to the ground like dying fish, writhing and screaming until theirst bit of strength disappeared, leaving behind only self-mutted, unbearable corpses.


    Floating directly above Mingzhu Street, Kaiser, who reveled in the fear of the people, was indeed one of the top powerhouses in Bright City.


    Gold Level "Fear Sacrifice"!


    Kaiser looked down at the street below; he knew that Tash and Angelo had already summoned and released all the Magic Beasts into the densely popted streets of the Lower City District as nned, and all members of the All Beast Church were also killing frantically amidst the chaos, staining the Lower City District crimson with blood.


    The more bloodthirsty, the more excited these mobs became.


    Since they are followers of the Evil God, how could they be normal people?


    -----------------


    When arge number of Magic Beasts appeared on Mingzhu Street and Faise Street, the arrangements made by Bevis beforehand came in handy.


    After quickly sending a prominent signal, several soldiers dressed in civilian clothes on Mingzhu Street and Faise Street bravely charged toward the iing Magic Beast Group.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    They weren''t Bevis, nor were they Audis.


    They were just nameless Bronze Rank and Silver Rank warriors!


    At that moment, they were willing to rush towards a Magic Beast Group muchrger than their numbers, even though their figures were dwarfed by the massive bodies of the beasts, and even though they knew they were facing almost certain death, they were willing to sacrifice everything for the sake of buying just a little more time!


    The glory of Feis Kingdom shall never fade!


    Bright City will not tolerate you scum defiling it!


    ...


    The Golden Lion Knights, who were pre-positioned in the Lower City District, also quickly rushed towards Mingzhu Street and Faise Street, knowing that they couldn''t dy even a second.


    Bevis and the others also split into two teams, each heading in the direction of the signals sent out, while Audis did not join them but met with the Royal Mage Corps, who were waiting in the center of the Lower City District, preparing to set up arge Magic Array once the Evil God Avatar descended.


    The Magic Beasts released by the All Beast Church ruthlessly ughtered the panicked civilians before the arrival of the Knight Order, and the in-clothes soldiers at the scene could only stop a very small portion as they fought for their lives.


    The All Beast Church had specifically chosen Mingzhu Street and Faise Street to ce the Blood Sacrifice Array because these areas are the busiest and most crowded in the Lower City District of Bright City.


    It made it convenient for them to conceal the transportation of Magic Beasts and was also the ideal ce for a Blood Sacrifice.


    In just a few short minutes, hundreds had already lost their lives in the attacks by the Magic Beasts and the All Beast Church, thick blood filled the streets, and the incessant screams were maddening.


    Within the sharp ws and fangs of the magic beasts, ordinary civilians had no chance to resist. Various kinds of Magic Beasts began their frenzied ughter like wolves entering a sheep pen, leaving the entire street area colored only in shades of crimson.


    Along with the ongoing ughter, more and more blood was drawn into the Blood Sacrifice Array, countless civilian souls and tangible auras of fear also gathered in mid-air, and thick ck clouds covered the sky, wrapping the entire Bright City in darkness.


    However, before the situation could escte further, the Golden Lion Knights finally arrived at the scenes of the Blood Sacrifice, attacking the Magic Beasts that were mercilessly ughtering civilians.


    A group in white robes also arrived soon after, with priests using Divine Arts and pdins in their Holy armored gear revealing their identities as members of the Dawn Church.


    Shrouds of Divine magic descended upon the Golden Lion Knights, and the pdins, armored with Holy auras, stood shoulder to shoulder with them facing the oing horde, while the Mages specifically assigned by Audist were also unrestrainedly casting devastating group spells on the Magic Beasts.


    And naturally, the Gold Level Magic Beasts were dealt with by Human powerhouses.


    At this time, the advantage of the human army finally became apparent, and as the front lines advanced, the beasts began to be pushed back.

 Chapter 161 Fight with All Ones Might!

    "There should be no problem now."


    Lis stood on the rooftop of a house on Mingzhu Street, his figure hidden by the Invisibility Technique, quietly watching the skirmish not far away.


    There was nothing he could do about the deaths and injuries of the innocent civilians on Mingzhu Street.


    This was the best he could do!


    After the avatar of the Evil God descended in his previous life, the Kingdom had mobilized enough strength to clear out the frenzied Magic Beasts, by which time thousands had perished.


    Now, with the aid of Priests and Pdins, the casualties among the Golden Lion Knights soldiers were still very few.


    The Magic Beasts unleashed by the All Beast Church were indeed powerful, but they were beings without any reason, showing no cooperation among themselves, and would even ughter each other. Naturally, they were no match for the elite forces of the Kingdom and Dawn Church.


    In Lis''s view, the Gold Level powerhouses of the All Beast Church who had been rampaging not long ago had already disappeared without a trace, leaving behind only the riffraff.


    As expected, they were waiting for something!


    Lis''s mind sharpened, quickly noticing that the blood on the ground was pooling into a strange, mist-emitting blood river, flowing in a certain direction on Mingzhu Street.


    Was that direction where the Blood Sacrifice Ceremony Array was located?


    Lis saw that as the fresh blood drained away, the bodies of Magic Beasts and civilians on the ground began to shrivel rapidly, taking on a deathly pallor devoid of life.


    It seemed as if all their Life Essence had left their bodies along with the blood.


    However, Lis was also powerless. He believed that Bevis, not far away, had also noticed this, especially since some parts of the Blood Sacrifice Ceremony Array had been destroyed by his hand not long ago. But now, the group of Magic Beasts in front of him entangled him, preventing his departure.


    Moreover, the elite forces of the All Beast Church were definitely guarding next to the Array, and it would definitely take more than just a few people to break through in a short time.


    But, that didn''t mean there were no options left!


    Lis revealed his shape, holding the Jade Wand, he began to mobilize the Magic Particles of the Fire Element surrounding him.


    Sixth Circle Magic "Fiery me Domain"!


    This Fire Element shaping spell could form an area burning with extremely high-temperature mes at a specific location, based on the amount of Magic Power used. Its greatest feature was the incineration of everything within the domain, reducing it all to ash.


    This was also one of the spells Lis had been delving into recently. He wanted to try extracting that unique azure me from the Blue Ball Skill and apply it to various Fire Magic Spells that could make a big difference in certain situations.


    Just like now!


    Under the coverage of Lis''s "Fiery me Domain," the distinctly orange-red mes that were different from the blood began to burn on the ground, incinerating those Magic Beast corpses that had not yetpletely lost their Life Essence, and even the flowing blood river boiled and ignited within the mes.


    A nauseating stench of blood spread at the scene, but Bevis, who saw Lis''s actions, had his eyes light up. He grabbed an old Priest dressed in a white robe with golden patterns and asked,


    "Nichol, do you have a way to purify all the blood and bodies here like this Fire Spell?"


    "Bevis, you brute, be gentle!"


    The old Priest named Nichol felt his shoulder de cry out in Bevis''s beefy hands and almost wanted to kick to death this brute who didn''t know his own strength.


    I''m a High-level Priest who hasn''t even exerted myself yet, what if I get seriously injured by a teammate?


    After Bevis let go, Nichol rubbed his shoulder with dissatisfaction, then stood up with a solemn expression.


    Raising a log magic wand, a faint, warm white glow flowed from deep within his body, spreading towards the mountain of corpses and sea of blood ahead.


    Seventh-tier Divine Skill "Annihtion"!


    This divine skill was one of the few high-level priest divine skills with powerful destructive capabilities. Its effect involved a specific fortitude judgment on the target, which, if failed by the target, would result in instant death and the destruction of the body.


    After all, a corpse could not possibly pass the judgment, and Nichol also relied on the special effect of "Annihtion" to directly destroy the magic beast''s bodies that were piled like a small mountain before him.


    Under the illumination of the white light, the bodies of the magic beasts turned to grey ash, and then turned to dust in the breeze.


    Lis was also somewhat astonished, This was the power of a Gold Level priest, and if one could not defeat them quickly, there would be many special-effects divine skills waiting for you.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Especially since the divine skills used by priests involve various special judgments, and if you fail to pass these, the negative effects can be extremely troublesome.


    Additionally, the number of skills a priest could learn was second only to the mage profession, and ordinary people would not be able to fathom the depths of what priests could do!


    Seeing the good effect of this Seventh-tier Divine Skill and that the targets were all magic beast corpses, which did not consume much energy, Nichol prepared to destroy all the magic beast bodies on this street in one go.


    Just as Nichol was preparing, several ck-green orbs exuding an evil aura suddenly attacked in the direction of the old priest.


    Bevis, who was ever vignt, naturally spotted this sneak attack and consecutively shattered these assaults with several strikes in mid-air.


    Nichol paid no heed and focused single-mindedly on preparing the divine skill he was about to cast, entrusting his personal safety entirely to Bevis.


    Asrades-in-arms who had cooperated for more than a decade, he naturally trusted the understanding between them.


    Seeing that the effects of the Blood Sacrifice Ceremony were about to be purified by the old priest, several figures that had been hiding in the shadows could no longer restrain themselves and emerged, attacking in Bevis''s direction.


    Although Lis had also made a move just now, in their eyes, he was nowhere near as threatening as the old priest; naturally, no one had yete to trouble him.


    However, Lis had managed to see the revealed powerhouses of the All Beast Church clearly, people like Tash, Angelo, Osama, all of whom were Gold Level strong individuals who emerged in his past life from the All Beast Church.


    But these five or six Gold Level individuals were basically unable to make any waves in front of the elite led by Bevis.


    As the two strongest forces in Bright City, the Kingdom and the Dawn Church naturally had the confidence to overwhelm any enemy head-on.


    Just as Tash and others were struggling to cope and had no way of getting close to Nichol, the old priest''s divine skill was also ready once more.


    Just as the Divine Skill "Annihtion" began to spread forward again, Tash suddenly shed into the path of the divine white light.


    Releasing all his strength to resist the divine skill proved futile. Already wounded, he collided head-on with the powerful divine skill, and his body was consumed by the white light.


    "For my Lord!"


    Apanied by his final roar, the leader of the Eagle Brother Society from the Lower City District, Death Eagle Tash, died!


    However, this divine skill was blocked by the reckless disregard for life shown by Tash.


    Nichol''s expression did not change; he was well aware of the madness of these pagans from countless battles with them! Continue reading stories on empire


    He immediately drew upon the strength within his body to cast the divine skill again.


    But, Lis had already noticed that the remaining blood on the street was also starting to flow rapidly, quickly gathering toward a spot not far away.

 Chapter 162 Crazy!

    Bright City, Lower City District, Mingzhu Street,


    Within the secret chamber of the All Beast Church, Kaiser stood silently, his aura entirely connected to the blood-colored array before him.


    His body was covered in blood-red patterns and bulging veins, as he desperately channeled the life essence, fresh blood, and souls from outside into the Blood Sacrifice Ceremony Array.


    "Soon, it will be soon!"


    Kaiser muttered under his breath, unconcerned that the life essence within his body was slowly being drained and greedily absorbed by the array before him.


    With the continuous influx of fresh blood and souls, the red patterns of the Blood Sacrifice Array grew increasingly vivid.


    Kaiser could feel the power gathering within another Blood Sacrifice Array on Faise Street also filling up gradually.


    Unfortunately, someone had leaked the information, leading the Kingdom and Dawn Church to their doorstep, even managing to destroy the Blood Sacrifice Array at Golden Lily Lane in advance.


    Without that array, the Magic Beast Group released from Mingzhu Street and Faise Street had not killed many civilians before they were intercepted by the Kingdom and Dawn Church, making it quite forced to even attempt summoning the Divine Incarnation, much less filling it with power.


    Although Kaiser was now in an underground secret chamber, the reconnaissance guards he had set up in advance could ry the situation outside to him in real time.


    Seeing the increasingly dire situation outside, where the Magic Beast Group had nearly been wiped out and the Golden Level of the All Beast Church was retreating step by step under the lead of Bevis and his group of formidable warriors, their injuries growing more severe, he knew they were not far from total defeat.


    Grinding his teeth, Kaiser used a Communication Magic Tool to send a message to the Divine Envoy.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Divine Envoy, it hase to this, there is no choice, the future of the Church is in your hands," he said.


    After sending the message, Kaiser crushed the bead in his hand, his face contorting viciously, his eyes filled with fanaticism.


    "Great Master of Ten Thousand Beasts, your servant Kaiser Temu offers everything to you, let all the people of this world endure the pain you bring!" Find more to read on empire


    As soon as he finished speaking, the Gold Level Fear Sacrifice''s entire body suddenly copsed into a pool of blood, merging into the blood-colored array before him, leaving only an empty ck robe and a ck Magic Wand flickering with Magic Light behind.


    -----------------


    Mingzhu Street Battlefield,


    Under Nichol''s pale, desperate spell casting, the corpses of the Magic Beasts had been nearly all cleared away.


    Seeing this, Bevis intensified the force in his hands, forcing the Golden Warriors of the All Beast Church to continuously retreat, unable to withstand Bevis''s sharpness.


    Just as Bevis and the others were about to muster their strength to defeat all these evil pagans, something unexpected urred!


    The faces of these Golden Level practitioners from the All Beast Church revealed a trace of frenzy, their bodies contorting suddenly before also copsing into a mass of blood, flying towards a spot not far off.


    The disappearance of the enemy did not ease the expression on Bevis''s face; rather, it darkened even more.


    This experienced Golden Lion Knight Commander understood that the strength of these Evil God Sect followers was not what he feared most; it was their bizarre tactics and their utter ruthlessness.


    Facing the current situation, he didn''t know what kind of trick these devotees of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts were pulling now!


    Coordinating with the Blood Battle soldiers, they rushed to kill all the Magic Beasts, ordering the troops to clean up the scene and stand by on the spot, and Bevis, along with the Gold Level powerhouses from the Kingdom and Dawn Church, slowly moved towards where the blood was gathering.


    He was unsure of what might still exist at the Blood Sacrifice Array, but Bevis already had a premonition in his heart.


    What was the purpose of the Blood Sacrifice Ceremony Array?


    Bevis couldn''t be sure, but Lis had told him it was to prepare enough life essence and soul for the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts to descend his incarnation.


    Now, it seems that the n of the All Beast Church had reached its final step, onlycking the descent of the incarnation of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts?


    Generally speaking, it''s quite difficult for deities to descend their divine incarnations in the Main World, but this is also one of the few means by which they can appear in the Main World.


    If there''s no other assistance, the effort alone for a deity to condense an incarnation in the Main World would consume an immense amount of Divine Power, a cost many weaker deities cannot bear.


    However, there are many methods to reduce the consumption of condensing an incarnation; True Gods often directly use the power of faith from their believers or some kind of exclusive divine item to descend their incarnation.


    Evil Gods, on the other hand, gather life essence through various evil ceremonies to condense their incarnations.


    The Master of Ten Thousand Beasts naturally chose the second method, preparing to condense his incarnation in the Lower City District of Bright City.


    What a crazy guy!


    Lis, hiding not far away, sighed in his heart; generally, Evil Gods choose remote ces to hold Blood Sacrifice Ceremonies to descend their incarnations.


    This makes it less likely for opposing forces to discover them, minimizing the chance of disrupting the process of a deity descending an incarnation.


    Yet, the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts chose to conduct the Blood Sacrifice Ceremony in Bright City, situated deep within the Human Kingdom and notably an important stronghold of the Dawn Church on the Fanor Continent, a word crazier than "crazy" is needed to describe it.


    Perhaps He chose to do so in order to leave as much fear and pain as possible in the hearts of the people of the Feis Kingdom, sources of His strength.


    However, in a previous life, perhaps due to the long-standing peace in Bright City, both the Kingdom and the Dawn Church had let their guard down significantly, or perhaps the preparations of the All Beast Church were indeed sufficient, the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts actually managed to descend his incarnation in the Lower City District and sessfully left Bright City.


    The urrence of the Blood Sacrifice Chaos undeniably pped Feis Kingdom and the Dawn Church hard.


    Therefore, in the years that followed, both the Feis Kingdom and the Dawn Church were frantically hunting down any member of the All Beast Church, offering a huge bounty for any member involved in the Blood Sacrifice Chaos in Bright City.


    Lis pondered this, his eyes firmly fixed on the actions of Bevis and others, wondering if they could prevent the descent of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts'' incarnation this time.


    "The Master of Ten Thousand Beasts ising!"


    Suddenly, Joyce''s voice rang in Lis''s ear, and the old butler''s figure also emerged on a nearby rooftop.


    "Are you saying the incarnation of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts is about to descend?"


    Lis was not surprised; he knew this powerhouse had already arrived at the scene, waiting for the Divine Incarnation to descend.


    "Mm, speak up if you can''t hold on."


    Joyce nodded, his entire ck assassin attire masking his presence, also closely monitoring the situation at the nearby array.


    ...


    Bevis could already see the copsed ground not far away and the intense blood light emitting from it, but simrly, an extremely terrifying pressure was slowly emanating from beneath the ground.


    Feeling exalted and oppressive to the extreme, Bevis felt like he was a tiny ant standing in front of a Titan Giant at this moment.

 Chapter 163 God Descends!

    The teammates behind Bevis were faring even worse, their bodies seemingly bent under the pressure.


    Those from the Dawn Church were still holding up well. Seeing this, Nichol released a faint white glow from his body, shrouding Bevis and his team.


    Feeling the pressure on him lighten, Bevis gasped for air and asked Nichol,


    "What''s going on?"


    "Has His Incarnation descended?"


    Nichol shook his head, saying solemnly,


    "No."


    Before Bevis''s color could return, he heard Nichol say,


    "But it''s almost the same!"


    Bevis almost passed out from frustration, wishing he could punch the man who was speaking inbored breaths.


    "Is there still a way to stop it?"


    "No way left."


    After a careful sensing, Nichol shook his head and said,


    "I just realized, I don''t know what methods the All Beast Church used, but they have already prematurely brought the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts''s divine consciousness here. Now, only the aggregation of the Divine Incarnation is left."


    Bevis halted in his actions, turned his head and asked seriously,


    "Is there really no way to stop it now?"


    "It''s impossible, toote!"


    Nichol asserted confidently, as a priest of the God of Dawn who could resist the oppression of the Evil God''s aura, he could also clearly perceive the current state of the Blood Sacrifice Ceremony Array.


    The divine consciousness had descended, the Divine Incarnation was forming, and the divine presence was now evident.


    "Hey, what do we do now?"


    "Can the great God of Dawn descend His Incarnation?"


    Understanding that it was unstoppable, Bevis made onest attempt.


    "No way possible."


    Nichol shook his head and looked up at the increasingly dark and stormy clouds overhead, the crimson of blood even visible within them.


    "The descent of a Divine Incarnation requires time, and this is a very significant matter for a deity. To ask My Lord to descend an Incarnation at this time..."


    Seeing Nichol''s silent expression, Bevis gave up persuading and quickly turned back to where the Golden Lion Knights were.


    "All units retreat!"


    "All soldiers move out, evacuate the civilians, everyone leave Mingzhu Street."


    "Audis, quickly set up a Magic Array here, the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts''s Incarnation is about to descend!"


    Bevis''s loud voice echoed through the entire street, and Lis also felt the urgency and anxiety in the voice of the kingdom''s greatest warrior.


    "Uncle Joyce, how long until the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts descends?"


    Lis asked to the side, confident that Fran Stephens of the "Judgement me", Avin Dern of "Broken Mountain", and Lu Morris of the Dawn Church''s "Holy Light" were all nearby, waiting for the noontime arrival of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts.


    Joyce turned his head to Lis with a smile and said,


    "Right now!"


    Boom!


    As the words of Joyce fell, a thunderous noise erupted.


    A massive blood-red column of light shot up suddenly from where the Blood Sacrifice Ceremony Array was located, shooting straight into the clouds above, turning the skypletely dark. The ground shook and the mountains trembled as though the end of the world had arrived, the descent of the divine incarnation bringing a new shock to the world.


    Countless houses in Bright City copsed, and civilians in other districts, unaware of what had happened, gazed at the blood-red light pir in panic and scrambled away from where the light had emanated.


    Meanwhile, the still glowing Dawn Cathedral seemed to be the only refuge for the frantic citizens, with even many worshippers kneeling down to pray to the God of Dawn.


    "It hase."


    King Morton, standing high up in the Royal Pce, watched the blood-red column rising from the Lower City District, his expression very solemn.


    "Fusis?"


    "I am here, Your Majesty."


    At that moment, Duke Hade stood beside King Morton, d in a suit of gray armor.


    "Chaotic times are approaching, and Bright City can no longer afford to becent."


    Fusis was about to say something, but seeing the hidden madness and rage in His Majesty''s eyes, he held his tongue.


    "Yes."


    -----------------


    Mingzhu Street, at the site of the Blood Sacrifice Ceremony Array.


    A blood-red column of light descended from the dark clouds, merging entirely into the pit on the ground.


    "Roar!"


    A massive blood-red beast emerged from the pit, looking like a thirty-meter-tall bear standing upright, but its body''s flesh seemed tock a fixed form, continuously writhing and transforming into various Magic Beasts shapes, as countless white bone spikes protruded from its body and ck Fear Spirit emanated from it, spreading outwards.


    The Divine Incarnation descends here!


    The Master of Ten Thousand Beasts!


    Upon seeing the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts for the first time, Lis waspletely frozen in ce.


    The divine form of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts was so grand and fierce in front of Lis; his mind was wholly captured by the vision of the Divine Incarnation.


    His mind was empty, with the remnants of Lis''s consciousness struggling against the madness and the aura of the Evil God.


    Uncle Joyce simply nced at the Incarnation of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts before turning away.


    "Really ugly!"


    Aftermenting, Joyce turned to assess Lis and nodded,


    "Not bad."


    On the side, priests of the Dawn Church were calming the soldiers who had gone mad at the sight of the Divine Incarnation, as a faint white barrier blocked the encroaching Fear Spirit.


    Bevis and other Gold Level strongmen, after seeing the Divine Incarnation, also managed to maintain their sanity with the help of Dawn Divine Skill, directing everyone to evacuate the area promptly.


    As for those who hadn''t managed to leave Mingzhu Street in time, who had looked directly at the Incarnation of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts or had been affected by the Fear Spirit, were now screaming and running madly, beyond the possibility of rescue.


    Just then, a golden barrier rose, forming a hemispherical shield that enveloped all of Mingzhu Street, hiding the form of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts and also keeping the ck Fear Spirit within the barrier.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    This was the blocking barrier set up by Audis leading the Royal Mage Corps, finally catching up at thest moment before the influence of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts could spread further.


    ...


    "Cough, cough!"


    Lis suddenly coughed violently, his face deathly pale, his forehead sweating as if he had been pulled out of water.


    "Not bad, Little Lis, faster than I expected!"


    Laughing, Joyce spoke, his words filled with rxation and relief.


    Lis knelt on one knee, desperately gasping for air to stabilize his wildly beating heart.


    This is truly...


    Too terrifying!


    Lis murmured, having never experienced such terrifying mental pressure in his previous life as a yer.


    Honestly, as a yer facing divine beings was akin to watching a cut-scene; then the system would enter a consciousness judgment of divine pressure.


    If the judgment failed, the yer-controlled character would die instantly.


    And the yer themself would not feel the extreme oppression brought by the divine being, so this was Lis''s first time experiencing such an ordeal.


    Fortunately!


    It might have been that Lis''s Talent was high enough, or perhaps his many specialties afforded him a sufficiently robust spirit.


    Lis sessfully passed the will judgment of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts'' incarnation!


    From now on, Lis too was a man who could look directly at divine beings!

 Chapter 164 Start the War!

    Lis looked towards the Incarnation of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts not far away, his face still pale, but he no longer nearly fainted like at the beginning.


    Staring at the non-human entity in the distance, Lis took a deep breath and looked at Joyce.


    "How is it, Uncle Joyce?"


    "Lucky."


    Joyce chuckled, appearing to be in a good mood.


    "Is it really an incarnation centered around the Divine Position and Divine Power of ''Hunting''?"


    Lis muttered, his face also showing a trace of a smile.


    However, it made sense, for the ''Ten Thousand Beasts'' Divine Position is the core position of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts and shouldn''t be used lightly; the ''Fear'' Divine Position is deemed highly important by the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts and if it were easily split off, other gods might take the opportunity to usurp this aspect of ''Fear''.


    With that said, ''Hunting'' is indeed the most suitable Divine Position to consolidate into a Divine Incarnation.


    "It is said that the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts was once a Fallen Druid, and the ''Hunting'' Divine Position was probably mastered during that time," Joyce shared this secret with Lis, stroking his chin.


    "Do you wish to pursue the Path to Divinity through the ''Hunting'' Divine Position?"


    Lis asked curiously, as information about the Path to Divinity in his past life was one of the highest secrets in the Gaia World, and even among yers, there were only spections with no real intelligence.


    Joyce shook his head, a look of yearning crossing his face.


    "If possible, all Legendary Assassins and Thieves who wish to ascend would most want to consolidate the ''Shadow'' Divine Position."


    "Unfortunately... no deity is known to have ever possessed this position."


    Lis nodded, agreeing that ''Shadow'' would indeed be most fitting; yet as one of the foundations of the Gaia World, this Divine Position had never been mastered by anyone, at most only a small part of the ''Shadow'' position.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    This situation was simr to that of the four basic elements: fire, water, wind, and earth. No deity had everpletely mastered the Divine Positions consolidated from these Four Pir Laws, at most parts like ''Fiery Fire'' or ''Hurricane''.


    However, if someone really managed to consolidate such a Divine Position, they would undoubtedly be a mighty deity with great divine power!


    After taking a moment to recover, Lis felt his heartbeat finally stabilize, and the muddle in his mind cleared, allowing him to act normally again.


    Lis waved his hand and summoned the system panel,


    ---------------


    [You looked directly at the deity: Master of Ten Thousand Beasts �� Hunting Avatar!]


    [Beginning Divine Conscious Judgment!]


    [Judgment (1/?): Divine Spiritual Shock... Judgment Passed (Special Skill [Silver Moon Protection] activated)]


    [Judgment (2/?): Divine Spiritual Shock... Judgment Passed (Special Skill [Silver Moon Protection] activated)]


    [Judgment (3/?): Divine Spiritual Shock... Judgment Passed (Special Skill [Fearless Challenger] activated)]


    ...


    [Judgment (36/?): Divine Spiritual Shock... Judgment Passed (Your Spirit Resilience reached the standard)]


    [All judgments passed!]


    [You stared directly at the deity [Master of Ten Thousand Beasts]!]


    [Your Spirit Resilience has been greatly enhanced!]


    [You have acquired a Special Skill [Divine??]]


    [You have acquired a new skill [Song of Courage]]


    ...


    [Special Skill [Divine??]: You have sessfully endured the ordeal of the deity, staring directly at the deity brought you a new transformation, your Spirit Resilience increased by 100%, the effect and duration of negative states and over your spirit and soul inflicted by deities and divine entities decreased by 50%; you??]


    [Special Skill [Song of Courage]: Human courage is the greatest praise! All your negative resistances +10%, Spirit Resilience +20%, Willpower judgments +3]


    ...


    [You have touched the mighty power of a deity!]


    [Progress in deciphering Divine Power: 8%]


    ---------------


    Phew~


    I must say, the harvest is rich, and it was well worth risking my life this time!


    Lis let out a long sigh of relief. "Divine??" was a very special specialty, with some information hidden. Some spected it held great secrets, but yers had not yet reached the level to uncover them, and even before Lis was reborn, no one had discovered its secrets.


    Even so, the previous enhancement of 100% Spirit Resilience and reduction of negative divine influence was already quite good.


    As for the second specialty, Lis had not seen it in his past life, and its effect was quite powerful.


    Could it be that it''s only obtainable by truly facing the majesty of a deity?


    But Lis only nced at it briefly and didn''t think more about it.


    Due to the arrival of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts'' avatar, Mingzhu Street was nearlypletely destroyed; the indescribable Divine Incarnation was about to take action.


    "Watch carefully, this is also a rare experience,"


    Uncle Joyce advised, though the Legendary Shadow Dancer did not step forward.


    Lis noticed three figures appearing in front of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts, dwarfed by the enormous body of the Divine Incarnation.


    But those three looked as towering as mountains, staunchly standing in front of the Divine Incarnation.


    Lis recognized the handsome young man floating mid-air; it was his teacher, "Judgement me" Fran Stephens.


    As for the bald strongman who suddenly leaped down, creating a huge pit on the ground��only a warrior like the Kingdom''s Legendary Monk "Broken Mountain", Avin Dern, could be so impetuous.


    And the one in a white, simple robe, slowly approaching the Divine Incarnation, must be the Dawn Church''s "Holy Light", Lu Morris.


    "Is this the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts'' avatar?"


    Avin Dern murmured, as the youngest Legendary Strongman on the scene, this was his first encounter with a Divine Incarnation.


    "Quite interesting, I didn''t expect His avatar to be in beast form, truly fitting for the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts, huh?"


    Fran scrutinized the creature before him carefully; as an Arcanist, he was feeling a bit eager to act.


    "Sigh!"


    As a follower of the God of Dawn, Lu Morris ignored the other two, instead paying respects to the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts'' avatar, then he took out a book seemingly emanating infinite Light power.


    Morris paying respects was a believer''s way of showing reverence to the deity''s position and identity of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts.


    Preparing to battle was a deration of war against the actions that had harmed countless innocent civilians.


    "So, are we done?"


    Fran chuckled lightly, his words devoid of any reverence for the divine.


    Lu Morris nced at the Legendary Mage without saying a word.


    A dense white light spread from the ancient book in his hands, quickly entwining itself around the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts.


    "Divine Word Decree: Sealing!"


    "Divine Word Decree: Stripping!"


    "Divine Word Decree: Suppression!"


    As Lu Morris chanted, the white light transformed into three massive chains that shackled the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts.


    The mighty beast let out a thunderous roar, but the aura it emitted was rapidly weakening.

 Chapter 165 Meteor!

    This Divine Word Decree Technique is really useful!


    Fran nced at the ancient book held in Lu Morris''s hands and eximed in his heart.


    However, he had no intentions of snatching it, after all, it was the exclusive holy object "Saint Hoyler''s Manual" of the Dawn Church, which he, as an Arcanist, wouldn''t be able to use even if he obtained it.


    It was the personal belonging of the legendary Divine Favored, Saint Hoyler, of the Dawn Church and recorded his insights and realizations about the doctrine of the Dawn Church.


    Legend had it that when he ascended to the Divine Country of the God of Dawn, the only thing he left behind was this manual.


    However, the greatest value of this manual was not the content inside but the manual itself.


    Having apanied the Divine Favored Hoyler through the long years, the manual had beenpletely permeated by the Divine Power of the God of Dawn, and together with Hoyler''s own enlightenment, it had fully transformed into a Legendary Equipment.


    Moreover, as the God of Dawn had infused His Divine Power and Divinity into "Saint Hoyler''s Manual," its rank had reached the pinnacle of Legendary Equipment and was infinitely close to a Half-God Artifact.


    "Saint Hoyler''s Manual" barely provided any power buff to the priests of the Dawn Church; its abilities were all focused on enhancing the priests'' "Decree Technique."


    Thanks to the powerful Divine Power and high rank of the God of Dawn, when the priests used "Decree Technique" through "Saint Hoyler''s Manual," it would automatically upgrade to "Divine Word Decree Technique."


    Although the "Divine Word Decree Technique" has quite high usage requirements and its users must be at least Legendary Priests.


    But likewise, its effect is extremely terrifying, with very high requirements for exemption from the decree judgment, and it can even affect incarnations of deities.


    "Divine Word Decree: Sealing" reduced the influence of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts'' Fear Spirit.


    "Divine Word Decree: Stripping" temporarily took away the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts'' terrifying recovery power.


    "Divine Word Decree: Suppression" limited the high exemption effects of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts'' divine rank.


    Although it cost a lot, Lu Morris greatly restricted the power of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts'' Divine Incarnation with these three uses of the "Divine Word Decree Technique."


    As for why he didn''t use "Decree: Death,"pared to other decrees, to directly eradicate the Divine Incarnation of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts would be too costly.


    Perhaps only the God of Dawn himself could annihte the incarnation of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts with a single word.


    However, the Legendary Monk Avin Dern didn''t think so much. After warming up, he stamped on the ground and charged toward the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts.


    Bang!


    The body of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts, squirming like mud, seemed to have been harshly hit, bulging outwards at the chest.


    But Avin rebounded back into the ground even faster, kicking up a great cloud of dust.


    After all, his Main Attribute wasn''t Strength; he was far from being able to confront the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts head-on.


    Fran shook his head, why are these guys all so headstrong?


    Fran never quite understood the thought processes of these hard-headed folks, just as they always found the Mages to be sneaky.


    Sigh��


    The hurricane swept away the dust, revealing Avin''s figure in the deep pit on the ground, but he seemed to have not been hurt.


    After all, as a profession whose main attribute was Endurance, the tough resilience of the Martial Monks was their strength.


    "Hey!"


    Fran smiled and shook his head, waving the Legendary Wand "Gaia''s Anger" in his hand leisurely as immense Magic Power flowed from his body.


    Suddenly, a huge fiery red Magic Array expanded beneath Fran, who was hidden in midair. Just one nce at the intricate and exquisite Magic Runes made Lis feel somewhat dizzy.


    It far surpassed Lis''s current level of Knowledge and understanding.


    The figure of the Judgement me appeared so tiny on the array almost the same size as the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts, but in Lis''s eyes, it was so dazzling.


    It was as if the whole world was focused on him alone!


    "Haha! Come at me, Master of Ten Thousand Beasts!"


    At this moment, Fran finally revealed the demeanor befitting the strongest being on the East Continent, his spirit was not at all inferior to the avatar of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts.


    "Roar!"


    The Master of Ten Thousand Beasts seemed to sense the looming threat, struggling to stand upright, a ck shockwave filled with the ultimate horror and evil energies attacked Fran.


    "If that''s all you have!"


    The smile on Fran''s face remained unchanged, the ck crystal Magic Wand in his hand swished lightly, and a dazzling red radiance gathered on the huge array beneath his feet.


    "Legendary Arcane Fran''s Sr re Meteor Burst!"


    Apanied by Fran''s light cry, a dense cluster of fiery red meteors formed on the array, raining down on the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts below like a violent storm.


    The Master of Ten Thousand Beasts'' ck shockwave didn''tst long against Fran''s Legendary Arcane and disintegrated swiftly.


    The countless fiery red meteors, like divine punishment, fell upon the vast body of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts.


    The sight was so shocking and beautiful, yet any single fire meteor could obliterate a Gold-level Warrior into dust, dangerous and terrifying.


    Rage-filled roars pierced the sky, but the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts was utterly unable to break free from the meteor shower, helplessly suppressed in the deep pit, enduring the horrific assault.


    When the Magic Array under Fran''s feet dissipated, the space below on Mingzhu Street looked as if arge chunk had been gouged out, a pit tens of meters deep appeared before Lis, with deep red mes burning at extreme temperatures within.


    "Oh?"


    "Is this the terrifying life force of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts? Indeed, it''s extraordinary!"


    Fran looked down from his high vantage point into the darkness of the pit, his expression unaffected by surprise.


    "But that''s all there is to it."


    After all, it was an avatar of a deity, and it wouldn''t be so easily annihted.


    "Oh-oh-oh!!!"


    The pitch-ck beast emerged from the deep pit,rge and horrifying wounds on its body, the ck muscle at the wounds writhing madly, yet unable to heal.


    This was the effect of the Divine Word Decree: Stripping, preventing the Master of Ten Thousand Beast''s wounds from healing.


    The Blood Sacrifice Ceremony of the All Beast Church had collected far less Life Essence than needed for the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts to form its avatar due to Lis''s interference.


    With the voluntary sacrifice of Kaiser and other Gold-level powerhouses from the All Beast Church, it was barely enough to allow the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts to form its avatar.


    However, the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts now was far from the state it had been in during its normal descent in the past life.


    The avatar of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts barely reached the threshold of a Divine Incarnation and was ambushed by several prepared Legendaries.


    Not to mention, Saint Hoyler''s Manual wasn''t originally in Bright City''s Dawn Cathedral, it had just been teleported from the Church Headquarters at great cost upon hearing the news of the iing descent of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts'' avatar.


    This severely limited the strength of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Fran was somewhat uninterested; he had seen quite a few Divine Incarnations, but it was the first time he saw one so weak.


    To be honest, even if the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts descended normally, its strength might not be as great as his; at best, it would have had a longer health bar.

 Chapter 166 The Endgame!

    At this moment, the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts seemed to have lost all rationality, rushing madly towards Fran.


    Of all the people present, it was from this Legendary Mage that they felt an intense sense of threat.


    Fran merely arched an eyebrow, seemingly unconcerned as he continued to prepare the spell he was about to release mid-air.


    However, the attack of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts did notnd on Fran.


    More precisely, the attack of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts was intercepted halfway through.


    Martial Arts [Seven Forms Wave Fist]!


    Apanied by pale blue waves of Qi, Avin intercepted the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts, his expression grave as he gently wiped away the ck stains on his right fist.


    Legendary Priest Lu Morris stood in his spot, seemingly nonchnt.


    But in fact, this Legendary Priest was already straining to maintain three [Divine Word Decree Techniques].


    It was necessary, for otherwise it would be like in the previous life, where despite the strength of the three of them being sufficient to defeat the incarnation of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts, due to the colossal size of the divine being and the Life Essence brought by the Blood Sacrifice Ceremony, forcefully eradicating it was extremely difficult.


    In the end, it brought tremendous destruction to Bright City and inflicted grievous losses and casualties, leaving deep scars on the Feis Kingdom.


    Eventually, it even allowed the incarnation of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts to escape, which was akin to a harsh p on the face of the Feis Kingdom.


    But now, with Lis''s early warnings disrupting the arrangements of the Blood Sacrifice Ceremony beforehand, and the significant restrictions imposed on the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts by the [Saint Hoyler''s Manual], it became possible for the few Legendary Strongmen present to forcefully eradicate the incarnation of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts right here.


    Although Avin now stood in front of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts, he was aware that he was not the match of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts; all he could do was to restrict its movements as much as possible, creating an opportunity for [Judgement me].


    In Fran''s hands, the magic wand gathered a silver sphere the size of a fist, which, under Fran''s maniption, instantly appeared above the head of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts.


    Legendary Arcane [Fran''s Ultimate Corrosive Magic Ball]!


    The silver sphere suddenly cracked open above the head of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts, and a massive amount of expanding silver liquid poured down from the sky, drenching the colossal body of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts.


    "Wuuuoooaaa~"


    This special silver liquid seemed to be extremely corrosive; despite having no injuries from the attacks of the Martial Monk, the surface of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts now sizzled and white steam rose, as the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts howled in pain, the piercing agony seemingly unbearable even for a divine being.


    Under the assault of this exclusive Legendary Arcane spell, the body of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts seemed to shrink considerably.


    The three Legends cooperated to firmly suppress this incarnated Evil God, and all situations seemed to be developing in a positive direction.


    ...


    Standing at a far distance, Lis had no intention of stepping forward. What he could do, he had already done, and now he was simply watching the scene unfold.


    Although the head of a divine incarnation was tempting, and if Lis could im it, the Experience gained might directly advance him to Gold Level, he also needed to understand the real situation.


    The current Lis couldn''t even serve as a delivery, let alone resist the Fear Spirit of a Divine Level being.


    "Aren''t you going to go over, Uncle Joyce?"


    Lis was somewhat curious, after all, Joyce wanted to obtain the Divine Power from the incarnation of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts, but he seemedpletely rxed as if he was in no hurry at all.


    Looking at the situation, it won''t be long before the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts couldn''t hold on any longer.


    With a smile, Joyce shook his head and said,


    "This is just the beginning, don''t take divine beings too lightly."


    "They exist on apletely different level. If not for the constraints of the Gaia Main World, beings below divinity wouldn''t stand a chance at all."


    "Just like now, though it looks like the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts is in a dire state, to truly kill this god known for its Life Force is still a distant goal!"


    "Otherwise, why do you think the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts chose this form to descend, rather than a humanoid incarnation."


    "Oh, I see."


    Lis nodded, the secrets the boss had revealed to him offered a glimpse into the pinnacle forces of this world, into its most secretive element.


    "But it''s really rather difficult without Fran here," Joyce said with a sigh, holding the "Judgement me" in high regard.


    "So what do we need to do now?"


    Lis asked the Legendary Shadow Dancer before him, his experience from his past life was rich, but he was only at the Golden Rank, and he did not know much about battles at the Divine Level.


    "Wait."


    Joyce said with a smile, calmly.


    Soon, Lis understood what Joyce meant.


    In the distant battlefield, although it seemed like Fran and the others had an absolute advantage, the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts was like an indestructible cockroach, quickly getting back up no matter how severe the injuries, as if it didn''t care at all.


    ...


    The pinnacle battle had alreadysted for several hours, the faces of Lu Morris and Avin had turned somewhat pale, yet Fran was as if nothing had happened, still effortlessly casting all sorts of arcane spells, either immensely powerful or with bizarre effects.


    Lis even felt that his teacher was experimenting with something.


    However, after such a long battle, the condition of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts had also deteriorated greatly.


    Its body was covered with wounds, both big and small, many of which were prating injuries.


    Around the wounds was a charred ckness; Lis suspected that if Lu Morris were to lift the Decree, the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts would no longer have the strength to heal itself.


    By now, Mingzhu Street had beenpletely levelled, and many parts had turned into orange-red magma due to the spells of "Judgement me".


    Lis noticed Joyce beside him stand up and stretch his limbs.


    "I''m going over there, remember to keep the protective talisman on you."


    Joyce instructed, then his whole body turned into a grey shadow and left from the rooftop.


    Is this... going to pick up the heads?


    Lis felt somewhat envious, but he quickly stopped thinking about it and once again focused his attention on the battlefield.


    The Divine Incarnation of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts was covered in wounds, and its resistance was getting weaker, but Fran and the others did not rx their vignce at all.


    The more critical the moment, the less one can afford to be negligent.


    If they were to be taken out by the dying counterattack of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts, that would be quite inappropriate.


    "Wuu�C"


    At that moment, the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts stopped trying to counterattack and instead stood straight up from the ground.


    Its enormous body no longer bore any distinguishing features of a fierce beast; it was simply a lump of flesh that was still alive, and an ordinary person seeing it would probably have their sanity points drop to negative numbers.


    Even though the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts no longer had eyes, everyone present felt as if they were being stared at by it.


    Even Lis, on the periphery of the battlefield, felt this way; the feeling, filled with extreme hatred and madness, seemed to freeze his bodypletely.


    But this feeling came quickly and disappeared just as fast.


    Before Lis could even catch his breath, he saw the body of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts weirdly inte.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "This is bad, it''s going to self-destruct!"


    The Legendary Monk Avin said with a touch of panic.

 Chapter 167 The Fall of a God!

    Feeling the destructive aura emanating from the body of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts, Avin''s face grew unsightly; he hadn''t expected the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts to be so decisive.


    Once he realized that escape was impossible, he chose to self-destruct without a moment''s hesitation.


    He didn''t give those present a chance to continue whittling him down.


    If the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts had managed to self-destruct sessfully, the protective magic array set by the Royal Mage Corps would have stood no chance against it.


    Although Avin was confident he would survive, at least half of Bright City would be destroyed.


    "Fran!"


    Without regard for anything else, Avin shouted towards the Judgement me above.


    Fran naturally noticed the action of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts, his brow slightly furrowed as he raised his wand as if to do something.


    However, soon Fran seemed to perceive something, a hint of a smile appeared on his face, and he even put away his legendary wand, Gaia''s Fury.


    "You!"


    Avin became infuriated, almost bursting into curse words.


    If he could fly, he''d probably soar up and punch Fran right now. If the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts truly self-destructed, Bright City would be finished.


    Fran didn''t even bother to nce at Avin, being headstrong is one thing, but is your perception really that weak?


    That shouldn''t be the case, shouldn''t the perception of a Martial Monk be excellent?


    Avin didn''t know what Fran was up to, but of those present, only he could stop the self-destruction of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts.


    However, standing to one side, Lu Morris seemed to notice something, his brows furrowing.


    He observed an extremely unfamiliar legendary aura emerging from the body of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts, discreetly revealing an ultimate sharpness.


    Avin, previously overwhelmed by concern, soon also noticed the anomaly.


    Before he could react, the body of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts, swelling up like a balloon punctured from within, suddenly copsed inward and continuously emitted a pitch-ck miasma.


    In a short while, the body of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts turned into a pool of sludge-like ck liquid, unrecognizable as a form once belonging to a divine avatar.


    The Hunting Avatar of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts,


    thus, fell!


    That''s it?


    Feeling a sense of unreality, Avin noticed a dark figure standing in the center of the ck sludge, its faint grey Spirit Light making it difficult for Avin to discern the features of the person.


    This is... the power of the Shadow ne?


    Avin could be sure that this was a Legendary Strongman and a Legendary Assassin as well.


    The shadowy figure''s hand shed, and three unidentified objects swiftly flew towards the three Legendary Strongman present.


    Avin caught one with his hand and, upon opening his palm, saw it was a pure ck orb, seemingly sealing something inside.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    With a slight sensing, Avin understood; sealed within was the Divine Power of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts.


    The dark figure nodded towards Fran and the others, then disappeared in a sh.


    This...


    Avin felt a bit distressed, unsure why.


    The Master of Ten Thousand Beasts had been eliminated...


    Bright City had also been saved...


    And even the final battle spoils had been obtained...


    But this feeling of having the final blow snatched away was truly unpleasant.


    Avin recalled how he''d been battered by the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts like a punching bag, this Legendary Assassin merely watching from the sidelines.


    Only toe forth to end it at thest moment!


    s��


    Avin couldn''t help butugh thinking about it; when had he also be someone covetous of fame.


    It''s good that Bright City stands!


    It''s good that people are alive!


    Hmm?


    When did Bright City have a legendary assassin???


    The somewhat slow Avin had just now noticed this critical point.


    Lu Morris nced at the Divine Power Crystal in his hand, thought for a moment, and then threw it to Fran who had fallen.


    He put away the book he was holding, turned around, and slowly walked away step by step.


    Since the crisis had already been resolved, there was no need for him to solve the remaining problems.


    He needed to return to the Dawn Cathedral as soon as possible, the prolonged use of "Saint Hoyler''s Manual" had severely eroded his body with the God of Dawn''s divine power.


    Even the body of a legendary strongman couldn''t withstand the power of a deity for long.


    If he dyed any longer, he could consider ascending directly to the divine country of the God of Dawn.


    Fran didn''t hesitate at all to take the Divine Power Crystal Morris had thrown him, as Arcanists were very interested in these special powers.


    He wanted to return to the First Magic Workshop immediately to start his research.


    But he couldn''t, the remnants of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts weren''t something the average person could handle, not even Avin, the legendary monk.


    If they were not dealt with, Bright City''s area would bepletely contaminated by the breath of the evil god, making it unfit for civilians to live.


    Sooner orter, the kingdom would have to call him out to resolve it; better to solve it now altogether.


    Fran looked disapprovingly at Avin and shook his head as he began to deal with therge pool of ck sludge and the remaining evil god''s breath.


    ...


    Lis remained honestly on the rooftop, and after seeing the body of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts shatter, his system panel also indicated the death of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts'' avatar, and the task waspleted.


    Before Lis could take a closer look, Joyce''s figure appeared once again beside him, taking Lis away from "Mingzhu Street" through the Shadow Jump.


    Soon after, Joyce brought Lis back to the Kane Mansion.


    In the study on the second floor, Joyce, looking somewhat tired, leaned on the sofa in the study.


    Apparently, the final blow Joyce delivered to the avatar of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts was not easy and had drained much of his energy.


    "Uncle Joyce, did you get it?"


    Lis sat opposite Joyce and asked curiously.


    "Hmm."


    Joyce responded with a sound as a ck crystal appeared in his hand, but he quickly put it away again.


    "This thing is still too dangerous for you at this moment. When you break through to legendary, I will give you a part of it."


    Listening to Joyce, Lis nodded his head. To be honest, touching divine power right now was indeed something he hardly dared.


    In his previous life, there were quite a few yers who were burst or mutated by divine power.


    Moreover, Lis knew of many relics that contained pure divine power; once he was strong enough, he wouldn''t worry aboutcking divine power for research.


    "So the avatar of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts is really dead now?"


    "Yes, I destroyed its divine power core, the avatar is definitely shattered."


    "But this will not affect the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts much. In the main world, no one can directly use an avatar to take over its divine position; at most, it''s just a loss of some divine power."


    "Hmm."


    Now Lis felt relieved; he had noticed the sacrifices made by those strongmen of the All Beast Church.


    This time, the All Beast Church should have no foothold in Bright City anymore, right?


    ---------------


    Bright City, Feis Street.


    An obviously great Noble''s luxurious mansion.


    In the study, a middle-aged man with a gloomy face stood in front of the window looking toward the direction of the Lower City District.


    The tall golden barrier set up by the Mage Group was visible from here, and the vibration from the ground had stopped long ago.


    "Hmph!"


    The man''s right fist struck the windowsill hard, traces of blood emerged, but in his anger, he didn''t notice it.


    On the desk nearby, a message was disyed on themunication magic route.


    "Divine Envoy, the task is already..."

 Chapter 168 Continent Legend Level!

    Bright City, Kane Mansion.


    Joyce didn''t chat much with Lis, both of them felt somewhat exhausted and needed to rest properly.


    However, before leaving, Lis felt that Joyce seemed a bit different, although he was hiding it well, that slightly refined aura was quite unique.


    Could this be the benefit that came from personally killing the Divine Incarnation?


    After all, Joyce didn''t have a system panel to directly perceive the changes in himself.


    But this was all good news; Golden Thigh''s strength might even step up to a new level because of this.


    ...


    Lis returned to his bedroom, looking somewhat weary.


    Even though Lis didn''t get the chance to intervene in the final battle, he bore the Spiritual Shock from the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts and remained highly alert, observing the situation on the battlefield.


    It was only after the Blood Sacrifice Chaos in the Lower City District came to aplete end that Lis finally let out a sigh of relief.


    The consequences of this Blood Sacrifice Chaos were considerably better than they were in his past life.


    Lis estimated that around a thousand civilians died in this turmoil, a significant improvement from the nearly ten thousand casualties in his previous life.


    Despite being tired, Lis still had unfinished business.


    Summoning the system panel, Lis checked the freshly updated mission information.


    ---------------


    [The Master of Ten Thousand Beasts - Hunting Avatar is dead!]N?v(el)B\\jnn


    [Your Gold-level Task "Blood Battle" has beenpleted!]


    [Task tallying in progress... Tallyplete!]


    [Task Completion: 110% (Significant influence on the task)]


    [Reward distribution in progress...]


    [You have been awarded 11,000,000 Experience Points!]


    [You have gained the specialty "Red ughter"!]


    [You have obtained the Special Secret Realm Crystal Stone "Lord of Ten Thousand Beasts'' Expedition"!]


    ...


    [Specialty "Red ughter": Shaped in blood and fire, you draw the nourishment of growth from battle and ughter. Your Endurance Attribute +10%, Strength Attribute +10%, all Melee Skill Levels +1. (This specialty can be enhanced.)]


    ...


    [The gaze of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts has fallen upon you!]


    [You have acquired the status "Anger of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts"!]


    [Status "Anger of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts": You have hindered the descent of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts'' god, and the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts has already remembered your insignificant existence. Meanwhile, your rtionship with the All Beast Church is locked at: Arch-Enemy (-10000).]


    ...


    [You are a participant in the fall of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts - Hunting Avatar!]


    [You have attained the Special Milestone "Blood Sacrifice Chaos"]


    [Special Milestone "Blood Sacrifice Chaos": This event in Bright City is terrifying to hear about, as one of the participants, your name will also be spread across the continent by minstrels. Continent Legend Level +1]


    ---------------


    Lis stroked his chin; the gains from this time were truly substantial!


    The specialties "Red ughter," "Divine...?" "Song of Courage," if their effects are strong, that''s it.


    The specialndmark "Blood Sacrifice Chaos" awarded Lis a point of continent-level Legend Level, which is tantamount to greatly increasing Lis''s daily limit on Experience Points, quite a boon.


    11 million points of Experience are decent, but among all rewards, it''s just average; Lis will soon be able to gain arge amount of Experience.


    This Status "Anger of the Lord of Ten Thousand Beasts" might look frightening, but Lis isn''t worried.


    The influence of the All Beast Church in this world is actually not that significant, after all, the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts is just a deity with Weak Divine Power, and doesn''t even rank within the Evil God Church.


    As for thest item, the Special Secret Realm Crystal Stone "Lord of Ten Thousand Beasts'' Expedition" is somewhat interesting.


    Lis still has two secret realm crystals in hand, a Bronze Level "Nest of Undead Tree Demon" and a Gold Level "McGwire''s Death Tomb."


    After thinking for a while, Lis summoned the "Faction" system module, setting up a new secret realm selection page within the "White Dove Chamber of Commerce," and bound these three crystal stones in Lis''s possession to it.


    yers could directly enter these three secret realms from the "White Dove Chamber of Commerce," at a cost, simr to how yers enter public instance secret realms.


    Lis set the price for the Bronze Level "Nest of Undead Tree Demon" at 1 Gold Coin, and the Gold Level "McGwire''s Death Tomb" at 100 Gold Coins.


    As for the special secret realm "Lord of Ten Thousand Beasts'' Expedition," Lis had just tried to enter it to take a look. It was the official start of the expedition battle after the descent of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts, and the process was simr to the previous battles, but for those yers, it would be of Hell Level difficulty.


    Without being at Gold Level, it would be difficult even to survive the aftermath, let alone clear the instance.


    Lis also set a symbolic price of 10,000 Gold Coins for this secret realm, but Lis granted each yer who officially joined the White Dove Chamber of Commerce one free entry per month to the "Lord of Ten Thousand Beasts'' Expedition," as an entertaining instance to broaden those yers'' horizons.


    "Hmm~"


    Having prepared everything, Lis stretched and was ready to lie down on the bed to rest.


    Having withstood the Spiritual Shock from a deity, Lis''s spirit was quite fatigued.


    ...


    In Bright City, Feis Royal Pce.


    King Morton was sitting on the throne in the main hall, with his subjects reporting something to him.


    Finance Minister ifu Jite stood to one side, speaking respectfully:


    "Your Majesty, the losses in the Lower City District have been roughly estimated."


    "About nine hundred civilians were killed or injured, and the Golden Lion Knights, the Royal Mage Corps, and other elite troops lost more than ny people, mostly casualties that urred when the Magic Beasts first attacked Mingzhu Street and Faise Street."


    "Mingzhu Street waspletely destroyed, and the buildings on Faise Street and Golden Lily Lane suffered little damage."


    "This descent of the Divine Incarnation of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts has caused economic losses to Bright City of about two million Feis Gold Coins, most of which are from the loss of Mingzhu Street."


    Hearing the figure of two million Gold Coins, the expression of Morton Fis didn''t change in the slightest.


    As the wealthiest kingdom on the East Continent, such losses were not enough to cripple the kingdom, but what worried Morton more was the casualties and adverse effects caused by the descent of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts.


    After all, Bright City was a significant trading hub andmercial capital on the Gedo River, and the urrence of an Evil God''s descent in the Lower City District could make some merchants hesitant abouting to Bright City.


    It''s estimated that the reconstruction of Mingzhu Street and the restoration of logistics would take at least a year.


    Morton tapped his throne lightly with his right hand, asking to an adjacent Bevis:


    "How is Mingzhu Street now?"


    "The remains of the Evil God have been dealt with by ''Judgement me,'' who also used Earth Magic to fill in the deep pits created by the battle. Currently, the Golden Lion Knights are working with the Dawn Church to treat the wounded nearby and bury the dead."


    "Hmm. Have those people from the Dawn Church put in more effort, they''ll probably be quite willing to have this opportunity."


    Morton stood from his throne and paced slowly back and forth.


    "I shudder to think of the damage to the kingdom should the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts truly have descended."


    "What do you think we should reward Lis with?"

 Chapter 169 The Soaring Popularity of Lis

    The sudden change in the Lower City District of Bright City naturally didn''t escape the yers'' attention.


    Even when the Divine Incarnation of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts descended, many yers fearlessly rushed towards Mingzhu Street.


    Unfortunately, by that time, the Golden Lion Knights and the Royal Mage Corps had already sealed off Mingzhu Street, strictly forbidding anyone to enter.


    At that crucial moment, a number of yers tried to force their way in, even shing with the soldiers of the Kingdom, but what if members of the All Beast Church had slipped in?


    Under Bevis''s orders, those trouble-making yers were all captured by the Golden Lion Knights, and even the ringleaders were killed on the spot.


    However, there were yers who had followed Lis into the area ahead of time, and that included the group of Mo Yun, Zhao Zhao, Hu Yingjun, and Huo Yanyi.


    They hid to one side and were lucky enough not to be discovered by the first wave of magic beasts, but their luck ended there.


    When the Divine Incarnation of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts arrived, they had no chance of resistance and instantly cked out, falling dead on the spot.


    Respawning at the pre-set resurrection points, Mo Yun blinked her eyes, somewhat unable to grasp the situation.


    Howe as soon as I saw that ck figure, I was directly dered dead?


    Not worrying about the experience loss from resurrection, Mo Yun quickly checked her system messages.


    -----------------


    [You have gazed upon a deity: Master of Ten Thousand Beasts��Hunting Avatar!]


    [Initiating divinity consciousness assessment!]


    [Assessment (1/?): Divine Spiritual Shock... Assessment failure]


    [You have failed the divinity consciousness assessment of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts!]


    [You are dead!]


    -----------------


    What the hell??


    Mo Yun looked at the information on the system panel in surprise.


    So, that big ck, hideous thing is a god?


    This is...


    I just explode from one extra nce?


    That''s outrageous!


    Mo Yun''s mind was a bit chaotic; she didn''t really feel anything, just a sense of unreality.


    A deity or something... shouldn''t that be a big BOSS that appearste in the game? Howe I encountered one just a few days after the server opened.


    Shaking her head, Mo Yun continued to look through the system messages below.


    -----------------


    [Master of Ten Thousand Beasts��Hunting Avatar is dead!]


    [Your [Silver Level Quest: Hidden Crisis in the Lower City District]isplete!]


    [Calcting the quest... Calctionplete!]


    [Questpletion: 20��]


    [Reward distribution...]


    [You have gained 20,000 Experience Points and 10 Gold Coins (to be collected from the White Dove Chamber of Commerce)]


    ...


    [Your [Silver Level Quest: Conspiracy of the All Beast Church]isplete!]


    [Calcting the quest... Calctionplete!]


    [Questpletion: 5��]


    [Reward distribution...]


    [You have gained 15,000 Experience Points and 15 Gold Coins (to be collected from the White Dove Chamber of Commerce)]


    -----------------


    What''s this?


    That deity fell just like that?


    Mo Yun checked the time, and for some reason, this time the Resurrection Flower took longer.


    Several hours have already passed!


    The deity onlysted that short amount of time after its arrival, trulycking presence!


    However, the rewards are still quite sweet!!


    Mo Yun and Zhao Zhao touched base with each other and found they were all equally clueless about what had happened. With no other choice, Mo Yun decided to check the yers'' forum to see what was going on.


    ...


    In the thread titled "Breaking: A Divine Incarnation Descends in the Lower City District of Bright City!", quite a number of yers were discussing the event since it was, after all, the first major event in "Divine Revtion" since the gameunched!


    Game Life: Holy crap, the Silver Level quest I took from Lis just autopleted, saying that the ''Lord of Ten Thousand Beasts'' incarnation died. What on earth happened? Mypletion rate was just a pitiful five percent.


    White-robed Schr: Help! I was arrested by the Bright City Guard and thrown into jail. How do I get out?


    Tumble Garden Assaulter Hu Yingjun: I was on Mingzhu Street just before, and a horde of Magic Beasts came and bit me to death instantly. I had no way to fight back.


    Pump Master: From what I heard from an NPC in the Kingdom, it was a Divine Incarnation called ''Lord of Ten Thousand Beasts'' that descended on Mingzhu Street in the Lower City District. However, it was quickly dealt with by the Kingdom and the Dawn Church. (PS. Isn''t this god kinda weak?)


    ...


    After browsing through, most of it was just uninformative discussion and spection. After thinking it over andmunicating with Zhao Zhao and the others, Mo Yun finished editing the entire recording of her experience and uploaded it to the yers'' forum.


    -----------------


    "The Full ount of Lord Lis Kain and the Lord of Ten Thousand Beasts'' Divine Descent!"


    Mo Yun first attached the full video of the process, then shared her thoughts:


    Based on the broadcaster''s experiences in the past two days and the clues from the Silver Level quest, the sequence of events for this major incident should be:


    The All Beast Church schemed to descend the Divine Incarnation of the Lord of Ten Thousand Beasts in the Lower City District �� Lis Kain noticed something was amiss �� Issued quests to yers while investigating on his own �� Reported findings to the Kingdom �� The Kingdom arranged manpower with Lis to deal with the All Beast Church �� The All Beast Church forcibly descended the Lord of Ten Thousand Beast''s incarnation �� The incarnation was destroyed.


    Since that Divine Incarnation died the moment weid eyes on it, I''m not sure what happened afterward.


    However, I do think that Lis Kain must have yed a very important role!


    Not to mention, anyone that good-looking has to be the main character!


    -----------------


    Mo Yun''s post soared in poprity as soon as it was published, especially since thetter part allowed viewers to see what the Lord of Ten Thousand Beasts'' incarnation looked like.


    "What an ugly god!"


    "I want to see theter content!"


    "Where''s the official statement? With such a high engagement, they should release something soon!"


    "Damn, I''m so jealous of that rich quest reward. I''m going to Bright City to find Lis."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Sticker, I want to stick close to that handsome guy!"


    ...


    The video''s livements kept flowing, and Mo Yun''s follower count was rising steadily. She was pleasantly surprised to find her fans had surpassed a hundred thousand.


    Lord Lis, you are my god!


    Mo Yun was resolute in her idea to stick to someone influential. She nned to continue camping out at the White Dove Chamber of Commerce tomorrow to see if she could run into Lis.


    Just then, someone finally discovered the secret realm "Lord of Ten Thousand Beasts'' Expedition" that Lis had ced on the White Dove Chamber of Commerce interface. After attempting to enter, they posted the information on the forum.


    All yers who had joined the White Dove Guild hurried to use their free opportunity to try out the "Lord of Ten Thousand Beasts'' Expedition" secret realm.


    More and more videos about the Lord of Ten Thousand Beasts appeared on the yers'' forum.


    "Wow, looking at this, the Lord of Ten Thousand Beasts is really powerful!"


    "I didn''t even see iting; died too quickly."


    "If you put it that way, aren''t those three Human Strongmen who appeared even more impressive?"


    "That flying one should be Bright City''s Legendary Mage Fran Stephens, right? That Priest is from the Dawn Church, but who does that bald guy belong to?"


    "Hm? Could that Legendary Mage possibly be Lis''s teacher?"


    "So Legendary Strongmen are that awesome, I''m in love."


    "Damn, the main storyline is also linked to Lis; he really is the main character, isn''t he!"


    Of course, since only a small portion of yers were born in Bright City, the rest were a mix of envy, jealousy, and hatred.


    Why hasn''t the White Dove Guild opened a branch in our area yet!


    yers in Bright City, almost in their entirety, rushed to the White Dove Chamber of Commerce, demanding to join the Guild.


    In this process, Lis''s name became known to more and more yers.


    As the first game NPC familiar to yers, Lis''s poprity soared due to various factors.


    "So, this NPC called Lis seems to be key."


    The president of Hua Xia''s four top gaming clubs, "Kunlun," watched the video Mo Yun had posted on the yers'' forum and said to Han Xing, the captain of the Kunlun professional gaming team,


    "We need to contact this broadcaster called Mo Yun to see if we can get more information."


    Han Xing nodded and replied, since their home base was in Bright City, they needed to make the most of this advantage.

 Chapter 170 Potential Points

    The next day, at Gedo Street''s White Dove Chamber of Commerce.


    Early in the morning, Lis had already arrived to make his presence known. With the conclusion of the "Blood Sacrifice Chaos," his poprity among yers continued to rise.


    The White Dove Guild had almost be the most well-known ce for all yers in Bright City. Offering an integrated living experience, yers could learn a variety of professional skills from Lis. The quest rewards were no less than what the Mercenary Guild offered, prompting a swarm of yers to register with the White Dove Chamber of Commerce to gain membership.


    As yers began to earn their first batch of experience bypleting tasks, Lis''s Skill Store was finally ready for business. In just half a morning, he had already reaped hundreds of thousands of experience points.


    This was just the beginning. As the yers'' levels improved, the experience Lis gained would continue to increase. The future was promising.


    Soon Lis would no longer have to worry about the experience needed for leveling up, significantly elerating his rate of progress.


    Nevertheless, Lis invested almost all of the experience he had recently gained into raising his skill level.


    In the game "Divine Revtion," skill levels range from 1 to 10, and the experience required to level up is 10 to the power of (n-2).


    The higher the level, the more terrifying the amount of experience required.


    For example, if Lis wanted to upgrade Fireball Technique to level 10, he would need 10 to the power of (10-2) experience, which is 1e.


    However, while all skills max out at level 10, it doesn''t mean they can''t be further broken through.


    There are mainly two methods to increase skill levels beyond this limit.


    The first method is through the effects of various skills, talents, and specialties, which can break through the upper limit of skill levels.


    For instance, Lis''s assassin profession specialty "Shadow Crown" has a final effect description that states, "All skill levels rted to the Shadow ne +3 (this effect can break through the level cap)," which means if Lis had already raised a skill like "Shadow Jump" or "Shadow Raid" to level 10, then these skills would be directly elevated to level 13.


    Therefore, any effects that can break through the skill level cap are considered extremely precious and powerful.


    The second method is to use Potential Points to break through the skill cap.


    Potential Points are even rarer than free attribute points, and currently, Lis only has 10, which he received when he broke through to the Silver Rank.


    Once a yer''s skill level reaches 10, they can use Potential Points to exceed the level cap.


    For Mage Skills, depending on the tier of the skill, breaking a One-Circle Magic spell to level 11 requires one Potential Point, and advancing to level 12 requires 10 Potential Points.


    However, to elevate a Nine-Circle Spell to level 11, you need 9 Potential Points, and to break through to level 12, you need 90 Potential Points.


    Moreover, aside from tier breakthroughs, Potential Points can only be obtained from certain world quests, making them quite difficult to acquire.


    Nevertheless, this had little impact on many yers in Lis''s previous life.


    After all, aside from some professional yers, very few could raise a skill to level 10, and many yers found no use for the Potential Points in their possession.


    Keep in mind that raising a skill to level 10 required over a hundred million experience points, an incredibly staggering figure.


    In Lis''s previous life, each level he gained after breaking through to the Gold tier only required just over ten million experience points.


    However, the effect of each skill after breaking through to level 10 was incredibly powerful. It was one of the most effective ways to enhancebat strength, aside from leveling up the game character.


    Yet, for Mages, high-tier spells weren''t necessarily stronger than low-tier spells.


    Aside from certain specific spells, like the Fireball Technique and Multiple Fireball Technique, which have an incremental power rtion, high-tier spells are more about achieving multiple effects and creating incredible miracles.


    Additionally, even renowned spells renowned for their power like the Nine-Circle spells "Meteor Burst" and "Death God''s Finger" required more preparation time and mana consumption.


    In actualbat, without the help of teammates, sessfully casting such spells could be quite difficult.


    Enemies aren''t fools who would wait for you to transform sessfully before they take action!


    Therefore, in his previous life, some practical yers only improved various smaller skills and used seamless connections between them to overpower and control their opponents.


    Lis shook his head; the vast amount of experience he had recently gained seemed like a lot, but it wasn''t even enough to elevate Blue Ball Skill to level 10. He was far from close!


    However, with so many yers working asborers for me, I could just harvest periodically and gain the experience I needed.


    Lis could now devote more time to arcane research.


    Worstes to worst, I just had to teach some of my original arcane skills to the yers.


    As for whether the skills were suitable for the yers or not, Lis stated that if you offered me one hundred million experience points, I might consider customizing them for you.


    The current problem was that Lis himself had to teach the yers the skills, and although he didn''t have to personally guide each one, the yers just needed to talk to Lis and click ''learn'' in the system. But it still required Lis to be there as the conversational node.


    Lis thought about getting some Advanced Memory Balls from Judgement meter on.


    I could store the skill knowledge in the Memory Balls, allowing the yers to learn directly through the "Faction" interface, and Lis just needed to update the skill knowledge inside periodically.


    Well, I''d have to take a trip to the First Magic Workshop.


    After all, Memory Balls, such high-end goods, were quite rare, and Lis guessed that only teachers and the Kingdom''s treasury might have them.


    As Lis was pondering these matters, a voice rang out not far away.


    "Lis!"


    A very familiar voice. Lis turned his head to look.


    Indeed, it was that guy, Arsen!


    "What''s up? How did you know I was here?"


    Lis was curious; why would Arsene looking for him at this time?


    "It''s urgent, hurry back with me!"


    Arsen seemed a bit rushed, speaking hastily.


    This was odd; Arsen was usually quiteposed.


    "Let''s go, we can talk on the way."


    Arsen pulled Lis out the door and onto a carriage, leaving a crowd of yers to watch their ''big shot'' being whisked away.


    However, most of the yers had already learned their skills, and Lis had almost harvested all the yers in Bright City once over; not many were left.


    Mo Yun felt a bit regretful; she had circled around Lis several times that morning but failed to trigger any quest, so she resigned herself toboring the day away.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Of course, Lis saw Mo Yun and the other "acquaintances," but he ignored them��after all, he wasn''t a nanny; just earnestly grind away.


    "Tell me, what''s the matter?"


    Settled in the carriage, and noticing they were heading toward his own house, Lis asked curiously.


    "Hmm..."


    Arsen felt it wasn''t appropriate for him to reveal too much, but still thought he should give a hint.


    "My father hase to see you, there''s something he needs tomunicate with you about."


    "It''s His Majesty the King''s wish, regarding tomorrow''s Sacrificial Festival."


    Listening to Arsen''s veiled words, Lis became even more curious.


    The Sacrificial Festival tomorrow?


    What''s going on?


    Did the King learn about Second Prince Yatean''s plot?

 Chapter 171 Enfeoffment as Marquis?

    Mingzhu Street, Kane Mansion.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Lis and Arsen hurried back in a carriage, only to see Duke Hade sitting in the drawing room of his own house.


    Joyce was not by his side.


    It seemed that as Lis became aware of his identity, he gradually stopped maintaining the demeanor of a butler.


    Another servant stood by.


    Fusis, slowly sipping his tea, smiled at Lis and said,


    "You''re back. I thought you would be home this morning, but to my surprise, you were out."


    "There was a minor matter at the White Dove Chamber of Commerce, Duke Hade."


    Lis politely responded, walking over and sitting on the sofa opposite Fusis.


    "No need to be so formal, you and Arsen are friends, just call me uncle."


    Hmm?


    Why did it feel like Duke Hade''s attitude was even better thanst time?


    Lis was curious, but still nodded and said,


    "Good to see you, Uncle Hade. May I ask what brings you here this time?"


    "Haha, if we are to speak frankly, it indeed is a matter of great importance."


    Fusis set down his teacup, his expression turning a bit more solemn.


    "Lis, you know that tomorrow the Kingdom will be hosting the Sacrificial Festival celebration at Triumph Square, right?"


    "Yes."


    Lis nodded. It was one of the most important festival celebrations in Bright City each year, and everyone living in Bright City would thoroughly enjoy those days.


    "Well, there are two main issues."


    "Firstly, the business with the All Beast Church has greatly angered His Majesty the King."


    Fusis gave Lis a meaningful look, then continued,


    "Quite angry indeed."


    "The Sacrificial Festival is just a few days away, and the All Beast Church dares to attempt to summon the avatar of the Evil God at this time; they all deserve to die."


    "It''s good that you, Lis, noticed the All Beast Church''s scheme in advance. Otherwise, if the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts had sessfully descended his avatar in the Lower City District of Bright City, the destruction would have been much worse."


    Lis nodded; he understood this clearly. In his previous life, the devastation caused by the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts to the Lower City District was extraordinarily severe, even causing the kingdom''s external conflicts to stall for some time.


    "Thus, His Majesty the King has strictly ordered a thorough investigation into the activities of the Evil God Church in Bright City, with a resolute aim to eradicate these scoundrels entirely."


    "His Majesty the King also asked me to tell you that if there is simr intelligence, please be sure to inform the Kingdom in time."


    Fusis''s expression was quite grave, seeming also greatly annoyed by the All Beast Church''s plot this time.


    Lis had no special thoughts, only continuing to nod.


    Saying so much, it would be better to settle his reward first; surely the Kingdom wouldn''t think to merely offer words offort and leave it at that.


    And to have Duke Hade personally make such a solemn visit just for this matter?


    Guessing what Lis might be thinking, Duke Hade smiled and then said,


    "That is but a minor part, the main point is the second issue."


    "Do you still remember the procedure of the Sacrificial Festival?"


    "Hmm?"


    Lis was somewhat unclear on Fusis''s intention.


    Fusis smiled and continued to exin to Lis,


    "Typically, after the initial rites of offering and prayer, His Majesty the King gives a speech, and during it, he bestows new noble titles and promotions."


    Oh?


    Lis was suddenly alert.


    He was aware that His Majesty the King conferred new nobles and conducted some Court Nobles'' title promotion ceremonies during the process of the Sacrificial Festival celebration.


    This was also why the Kingdom requested all nobles of Bright City to be present at the ceremony.


    Previously, there was a segment for the deprivation of guilty nobles'' titles, but to encourage themon people to serve the Kingdom, this part had been abolished by the current His Majesty the King.


    Thus, Duke Hadeing to find him at this time, and Arsen even hinting that it was with the intent of His Majesty the King, what could it mean...


    Fusis smiled and said,


    "Actually, after you were received by His Majesty the Kingst time, His Majesty had already thought about making you a Court Earl,"


    "After all, you did save Princess Taya''s life, but unexpectedly, before the Sacrificial Festival, you had already made such a significant contribution to the kingdom."


    Lis didn''t doubt what Fusis had said.


    These were all just excuses, after all; having merit was only one of the prerequisites. The main thing was the will of those in higher positions.


    Lis''s teacher was none other than "Judgement me," and His Majesty the King couldn''t wait to elevate Lis''s rank to make his ties with the Feis Kingdom even closer.


    It was a matter of when, not if; there was no thought of holding him back at all.


    Lis had indeed overlooked this situation previously.


    "With the matters involving the All Beast Church this time, Lis, you have made great contributions to the kingdom,"


    "Therefore, His Majesty the King has decided that tomorrow at the Sacrificial Festival, you will be officially titled Marquis Kane!"


    A direct leap in rank��His Majesty has quite the boldness!


    Lis thought to himself, feeling somewhat surprised as well.


    Although this Marquis title was likely still among the Court Nobles, with no hereditary estate, it was still quite impressive.


    Not to mention the substantial increase in the annual royal stipend, Lis felt there would likely be a new Legend Level reward; it was quite enticing.


    "Thanks to Lord Morton''s great favor,"


    Lis nodded, speaking respectfully.


    Since he had benefited, maintaining a good attitude didn''t matter.


    "Haha."


    Fusis gentlyughed, seemingly saying inadvertently:


    "Lord Morton also specifically told me to have you take more initiatives!"


    "If you''re thinking about marrying the princess, a Duke''s level would be more suitable."


    Hiss��


    What are you talking about, you old geezer?


    Oh, His Majesty said it? Then, it''s fine.


    Lis scratched his head; he really hadn''t considered this.


    Seeing that Lis had heard, Fusis didn''t say more.


    "Prepare yourself; tomorrow at the Holy Festival celebration, His Majesty will be the first to confer your title; just be psychologically prepared."


    "Dress formally; the kingdom will prepare everything else."


    "I understand."


    Lis nodded; after all, he didn''t need to prepare anything himself, the maid Rossi would take care of everything.


    Seeing that Fusis had no more instructions, Lis thought for a moment and asked:


    "Uncle, there''s something I would like to consult."


    "What is it?"


    "About that area in Mingzhu Street, what does the kingdom n to do with it?"


    Lis asked without changing his expression.


    "That, the kingdom is also troubled; rebuilding it will cost the kingdom a lot of resources!"


    "Can I buy thatnd?"


    "Hm? What would you do with it, since all the houses there are destroyed?"


    Fusis asked, somewhat puzzled.


    Because the world is very vast, the value ofnd here isn''t very high.


    In the city, unless it''s a prime location like Feis Street, the value of thend mostly lies in the buildings on it.


    "It''s for the guild''s preparation, the location is good,"


    Lis said; as long as he could secure it, it would be a huge win. Mingzhu Street''s location in Lower City District was indeed convenient, even though the initial investment might be substantial.


    "Alright, I''ll keep an eye out for you,"


    Fusis said, not really caring much.


    After all, the Great Nobles of Bright City all have their own areas of influence, and Mingzhu Street was just being cleared out.


    Lis was also about to be one of the Great Nobles; it would be suitable for him.

 Chapter 172 The Sixth Circle Arcane [Liss Blue Flame Magic Sword]!

    Feis Royal Magic Academy, First Magic Workshop.


    After receiving the news from Duke Hade that he was about to be ennobled as a Marquis by the Kingdom, Lis was briefly excited, but soon regained hisposure.


    After all, this was more of a reflection of honor; Lis''s goal was to follow in the footsteps of Teacher "Judgement me."


    It was the kingdom that was eager to confer the title of Duke upon him, but Fran declined it.


    For a Legendary Mage, many times, the fiefdom is no longer significant; they rather not bother with such matters.


    "Still a long way off!"


    Therefore, after sending Duke Hade away, Lis went directly to the First Magic Workshop.


    Recently, there were lots of matters to tend to��not only to prepare for the yers'' affairs but also to learn assassin profession skills from Joyce, so Lis''s arcane research progress had also slowed down a bit.


    However, Lis felt that with the deepening of his research, he was about to develop a new specialized arcane.


    Thest time he had this feeling was when he developed the Blue Ball Skill.


    So, this time Lis didn''t dy upon arriving at the First Magic Workshop. After sneaking several Advanced Memory Balls from Teacher Fran''s storeroom, he continued his arcane research in theboratory.


    Lis had recently sessfully extracted part of the magic pattern of the ghostly blue me from the Six-Circle Arcane Blue Ball Skill and was trying tobine it with Warrior Martial Skills to create a skill that would enjoy the benefits of both Intelligence and Strength attributes.


    This skill was developed by Lis by analyzing the core skill of Magic Swordsman, the "Magic Sword."


    As a rather unique profession, unlike Mages and Warriors, Magic Swordsmen enjoy a 1.5 times attribute modifier for both Intelligence and Strength, one of the few professions that develop both attributes simultaneously.


    The "Magic Sword," as the most important and core skill of a Magic Swordsman, is also the means for a Magic Swordsman to take advantage of the dual attribute modifier.


    The principle of the "Magic Sword" is to perform an elemental enchantment on the de used by the Magic Swordsman and attack the enemy with different exclusive Combat Skills of the Magic Swordsman.


    The elemental enchantment benefits from the enhancement of the Intelligence attribute, while the Magic Swordsman''s exclusive Combat Skills benefit from the Strength attribute.


    Thus, Magic Swordsmen can exhibit a rich and varied fighting style and casting ability simr to Mages in battle, while also enjoying the formidable frontal closebat capability of Warriors.


    Although not particrly outstanding in both aspects, this also gives Magic Swordsman exceptionally strong versatility inbat with few weaknesses, making it one of the more popr professions among yers.


    Lis had already managed to achieve the enchantment effect simr to the Magic Swordsman''s "Magic Sword" skill on weapons, but just that was not enough for Lis.


    Without the Magic Swordsman''s professional specialty, elemental enchantment alone cannot fully leverage the advantages of thebat style of Magic Swordsmen, and Lis needed to approach from other areas.


    So, Lis thought of enhancing lethality through special enchantments.


    And now, the special elemental technique Lis was most proficient with was actually the special ghostly blue me from the Blue Ball Skill.


    Lis was quite adept at using that special me; it was still his most proficient offensive technique.


    It wasn''t that Lis didn''t know other, more powerful special techniques. Just by the special elemental techniques taught by the Legendary Mage Fran, there were already plenty, and even the Magic Patternbination used by Fran Stephens to make a name for himself, the "Judgement me," Lis had already memorized it. He just wasn''t able to wield it yet.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    But after careful consideration and advice from Fran, Lis decided to walk a path of his own.


    After all, as a genuine Arcanist, only the arcane that best fits oneself is the most powerful.


    To draw knowledge from other spells and magic patterns, improve oneself, and use it as nourishment to bloom one''s own arcane, that is the correct way.


    "Why not try inserting the ''Blue me'' magic pattern onto the cornerstone magic pattern of the Magic Pattern Array?"


    Lis frowned, muttering to himself, and then quickly shook his head.


    "No, if I do that, the hard-earned bnce of the Magic Rune would be disrupted again. It''s not a one-time Spell, and the poor stability will likely lead to a copse."


    "What if I add a few more [Stabilization] Magic Runes to the keystone rune?"


    "That doesn''t seem to work either. It''s tooplex and has actually weakened the power."


    ...


    Lis felt a headacheing on. He had now strayed far from the path of Arcanists in his previous life. He mainly used his own knowledge to construct specialized arcane Magic Pattern Arrays, rather than relying on random arrays and luck.


    Nheless, the decision to develop new forms of arcane through this method brought numerous and considerable difficulties.


    Even the energy and time spent were no less than those Arcanists who relied on luck.


    However, sometimes sess appeared when least expected.


    After countless experiments and adjustments, the fine steel Longsword in front of Lis suddenly shed with a faint blue light. Blue mes slowly spread from the hilt, eventually enveloping the entire sword in a ghostly blue fire.


    "Did it work?"


    Lis raised an eyebrow, then reached out to touch the de wreathed in faint blue mes.


    Since Lis cast the spell himself, it naturally wouldn''t harm him.


    After closing his eyes and feeling it closely, Lis murmured,


    "No good, the mes are too dispersed. It looks exaggerated, but the power iscking."


    "I need to adjust it, but how do I make the mes more condensed?"


    ...


    After many more experiments, Lis finally seeded in condensing the mes on the de to a thin, deep blue halo clinging to the de''s edge by adding [Compression] runes.


    "Ah, it seems like I''ve added too many runes. It''s a bit cumbersome, but it''s the only way now."


    Lis still felt some regret, but this was the best he could do at the moment. Any further improvement would require acquiring higher-tier knowledge and abilities.


    -----------------


    [You have sessfully created a new spell!]


    [You have mastered the exclusive arcane [Magic Sword (Nameable)]]


    -----------------


    After Lis stabilized the new arcane, the system notification arrived btedly.


    Thinking it over, Lis decided to name the new arcane in the style of [Judgement me], calling it [Lis''s Blue me Demon Sword].


    -----------------


    [Naming sessful!]


    [You have mastered the exclusive Sixth Circle arcane [Lis''s Blue me Demon Sword]!]


    [Lis''s Blue me Demon Sword (Sixth Circle Arcane): An entirely new arcane created by Arcanist Lis. Upon using this arcane, it bestows the wielded weapon with [Blue me] status, in which any damage the weapon inflicts will impose [Undying Blue me] negative effect on the target, dealing (100+50% Intelligence Attribute) damage per second, reducing the target''s Physical Defense and Magic Resistance by 30%. This effect cannot be reced by Dispels, Purifications, Healings, or simr effects of tiers below Seventh Rank.]


    -----------------

 Chapter 173 Celebration of the Sacrificial Festival

    In the year 640 of the Chenxi Calendar, October 10th was the Sacrificial Festival of the Feis Kingdom.


    As the first rays of dawn shone over Bright City, the bustling citizens had already risen from their beds, making preparations for today''s Sacrificial Festival celebrations.


    It seemed that in an effort to dilute the impact of the recent Blood Sacrifice Chaos, the Feis Kingdom had put forth considerable efforts; the main streets of Bright City were filled with an abundance of food and wine, free for the enjoyment of the public.


    Although just ordinary wine and food, it was enough to allow the hard-working citizens to truly savor the moment.


    Of course, on the day of the Sacrificial Festival, the streets were everywhere crowded with acrobats, vendors selling snacks and special wares, and joyful throngs of people streaming through the streets and alleys.


    Above Triumph Square, the white bellflowers that represented the Feis Kingdom nketed the surroundings of the square, and servants dressed in gold and white armor bustled about, making final preparations for the ceremony.


    The yers, too, were the same; having entered this world only a few days ago, they had just begun to get to know Bright City, so everything about the Sacrificial Festival was incredibly novel to them.


    Of course, the main thing was that today they had all received a system quest.


    -----------------


    [Main Quest: A New Beginning��Sacrificial Festival Celebration]


    [Quest Requirement: Head to the Triumph Square in Bright City and witness the Feis Kingdom''s Sacrificial Festival celebration!]


    [Quest Reward: 1000 Experience Points]


    -----------------


    "Wow, it''s a celebration today!"


    Mo Yun, excited, eximed as she looked at the crowded flow of people on both sides of the street.


    "It''s alright, but indeed it feels different from where we''re from."


    Zhao Zhao nodded in agreement, holding a cup of beer with a frothy white head, exuding the aroma of freshly malted barley.


    "Hey, I just heard from those NPCs that all the nobles, including the king, will attend the Sacrificial Festival celebration at Triumph Square!"


    Mo Yun, with her arm around Zhao Zhao, had been teaming up toplete quests these past few days, bing quite good gaming buddies as a result.


    "So what? We can''t get in anyway."


    Zhao Zhao was somewhat puzzled. To be honest, Mo Yun was a nice girl, just a bit scatterbrained, and sometimes he just couldn''t keep up with her train of thought.


    "But what if Lis shows up!"


    Mo Yun got excited, almost starry-eyed.


    "So what if he shows up? Enough already, I''m tired of hearing ''Lis, Lis, Lis'' from you every day."


    Zhao Zhao was somewhat exasperated; this girl must be enchanted by something.


    "But he''s so handsome!"


    Mo Yun nodded firmly, a run-of-the-mill handsome guy wouldn''t catch her eye.


    "Vulgar!"N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Zhao Zhao took a sip of the beer in his hand; the slightly bitter taste spread in his mouth, and the unique experience of eating and resting in the game these past few days intrigued him immensely.


    Mo Yun rolled her eyes and retorted contemptuously,


    "You, the connoisseur, who is the one always volunteering to stake out Lis with me every day?"


    "Cough, cough, that was for the hidden quest!"


    Zhao Zhao choked on his drink and protested with a reddening face,


    "Besides, I''m a professional yer; I was exploring the game''s strategy!"


    "Sure, sure, the former professional yer knows best!"


    "XXXXX"


    ...


    Early in the morning, Lis was woken up by the maid Rossi and began to get dressed after washing up.


    Lis, who had just developed a new arcane spell yesterday, was somewhat excited and had stayedte into the night at the First Magic Workshop. He had only returned home to sleep after midnight.


    Now visibly fatigued, Lis cast an "awakening technique" on himself. After all, Duke Hade hade by yesterday to remind him specifically, it would be best not to bete!


    Dressed in a Court Viscount''s pale golden ceremonial attire, Lis had passed through the guard''s inspection around Triumph Square and was walking toward the center of the square.


    He wasn''t sure whether it was an illusion, but Lis felt as if he could hear someone calling his name.


    Looking at the evidently elite soldiers and the Golden Lion Knights standing upright on tall horses not far away, Lis nodded.


    In this way, it seemed that the Kingdom''s defenses at the Sacrificial Festival celebrations were quite strict, after all, this was one of the few asions a year attended by His Majesty the King, and also one of the rare opportunities for an assassin to strike.


    After all, His Majesty the King usually stayed within the Royal Pce, protected byyers of detection and protective arrays.


    Thinking about it, it really was outrageous how that assassin from his previous life managed to infiltrate the Sacrificial Festival scene!


    It''s not that his teammates weren''t strong, it''s because there was a traitor in the team!


    Lis smiled as he looked at Second Prince Yatean, who seemed to be arranging the celebration details not far away, wondering what surprises His Highness could bring him today.


    Thinking back to a few months ago when he had just been reborn in this world, he was still worried about being assassinated in the future.


    Now, heh heh!


    I stand here, let you make your move!


    In his left hand a Shadow Talisman, in his right a Teleportation Ring.


    Who can kill me?


    It seems a bit arrogant. There are still two people in the city who can take me down, Lis stroked his chin.


    Lis even prepared a "beloved" gift for His Highness Prince Yatean, hoping he would like it.


    Yatean, who wasmunicating with the Guard Commander, felt a sudden chill for no reason and turned his head to see Lis staring at him with a beaming smile.


    Yatean hastily turned away to avoid Lis'' gaze; after all, the n he had forter wagered everything he had, and his biggest worry right now was Lis, this unstable element.


    It should be fine, right?


    After all, he hadn''t made a move against Lis since that time!


    Yateanforted himself in his heart, but an uneasy shadow began to spread from the depths of his heart.


    ...


    A bustle of noise woke Lis; it turned out that the Sacrificial Festival ceremony was about to begin, with His Majesty the King''s appearance imminent.


    To be honest, Lis wasn''t fond of these formal ceremonies when he was in school, thinking them a waste of life.


    Having just found his ce with the guidance of a servant, Lis was somewhat curious.


    It was different from the position where Viscount Kane was assassinated in the game of his previous life; it was closer to the center of the sacrificial ceremony, which is where His Majesty the King would be.


    Was this specially arranged? For the uing ennoblement ceremony, or��


    However, the wait was a bit too long. Lis even closed his eyes and began calcting a new arcane model in his mind.


    After creating his exclusive arcane like "Lis'' Blue me Magic Sword," Lis felt as if he had broken through a bottleneck, with new inspirations and ideas constantly emerging.


    That was just a skill with dual attribute enhancements to intelligence and strength, but Lis'' goal was an arcane with enhancements to all attributes!


    "Silence!"


    A majestic and loud voice rang out, suppressing the whispering voices of the nobles at the center of the Holy Festival.


    Lis recognized it was Duke Hade''s voice, likely amplified by some magic item to achieve this effect.


    All the nobles present returned to their positions and stood obediently.


    On this day, only His Majesty the King was entitled to sit on the throne; all other nobles, regardless of rank, had no seats and had to stand.


    The voice of Duke Hade sounded again.


    "Presenting, His Majesty Morton Fis!"


    The salute of cannons fired, and the soldiers of the Golden Lion Knights surrounding the area drew their longswords and held them upright in front of their chests as a salute.


    Lis also braced himself.


    The Sacrificial Festival celebration, has begun!

 Chapter 174 Power of Faith

    Triumph Square, Sacrificial Festival ceremony of Feis Kingdom.


    With the roar of the ceremonial cannon, Morton Fis, dressed in a luxurious golden robe, slowly made his way to the central tform of the square under the escort of a crowd.


    Stepping on the long red carpet and passing by the Knights who drew their longswords to salute, His Majesty the King ascended the steps one by one, and sat on the throne that symbolized the highest honor of the kingdom.


    Morton Fis''splexion appeared much better than when Lis had seen him the previous two times, his face rosy, his eyes bright, smiling and nodding to the surrounding nobles who were saluting.


    Perhaps it was also a disguise to reassure the subjects of the kingdom, after all, Morton Fis was hailed as the most enlightened king since the founding of the kingdom, the soul behind the rise of Feis Kingdom to be the strongest kingdom in the East Continent.


    It could be said that just the news of his impending demise could stir up a storm.


    However, Lis knew that Morton Fis had dragged out his time for quite a while before passing away,ying the groundwork for Taya to smoothly take over the power of the kingdom.


    After King Morton took his seat on the throne, the Sacrificial Festival ceremony officially began.


    In recent years, the Sacrificial Festival ceremonies have been presided over by Duke Hade.


    Firstly, there were the rituals of worship and blessing to the God of Dawn and the Earth Goddess.


    As the primary faith of Feis Kingdom, the Dawn Church naturally ounted for most of the kingdom''s believers, but that didn''t mean there was no worship of other deities.


    Believers and churches of deities such as the Earth Goddess, the War God, and several others existed within Feis Kingdom, and even a variety of minor deities'' faiths were spread all over, though on a much smaller scalepared to the Dawn Church.


    The Dawn Church did not fully prohibit the spread of other deities'' faiths, at most, it just excluded and suppressed them.


    In Bright City, there were chapels belonging to churches of other deities, much smaller in scale, without strong figures stationed to guard them.


    The other churches of the Gods tacitly epted Feis Kingdom as the main base of the Dawn Church, and vice versa.


    Within the human deities coalition of the True Gods, there was a rtively harmonious status maintained internally under external pressure, after all, arbitrarily targeting other deities'' followers could lead to a war of the gods.


    However, for those Evil God churches, there weren''t so many considerations.


    During the Sacrificial Festival rituals, the deities worshipped in the kingdom celebration were the God of Dawn and the Earth Goddess.


    The God of Dawn was naturally the primary object of worship, with the Feis royal family members, officials, nobles, and majority of subjects all believing in the God of Dawn.


    The Earth Goddess was rather special, given that the Sacrificial Festival celebrated the harvest and prayed for favorable weather in theing year. As the Goddess with the divine positions of "Earth" and "Agriculture," she naturally rted closely to the harvest and thus was included in the worship.


    All the attending nobles and kingdom officials followed the order, offering a plump golden ear of wheat to the statues of the God of Dawn and the Earth Goddess each, with His Majesty the King, apanied by Second Prince Yatean, presenting the most abundant fruits and vegetables of autumn, and freshly baked white bread still releasing the scent of the sun.


    After the priests from the Dawn Church and Earth Church offered the Fn Flower and tricolor violet representative of the God of Dawn on the altar, and sprinkled clove essential oil and benzoin essential oil, all the people present bowed their heads to pray to the two deities.


    The residents around the square did the same, with even devout believers kneeling on the ground, hands sped in silent prayer.


    Giving thanks for this year''s bountiful harvest and peace!


    Praying for peace and good fortune in theing year!


    Although Lis did not devoutly worship these two deities, or rather, was just a light believer, he couldn''t help but be a bit more solemn under the influence of the solemn atmosphere, bowing his head and silently uttering a few words in his heart.


    At that moment, Lis seemed to sense something.


    He could not tell if it was because he had experienced the power of deities multiple times, or perhaps because he had gazed directly at them.


    Lis felt an indescribable power slowly circting around him, converging from all directions towards the Divine Statues.


    This...


    This was the first time Lis had encountered such a situation, and he carefully surveyed his surroundings, a guess forming in his mind.


    Strands of strength continuously wafted from the devoutly praying crowd around the square, while the mysterious power that appeared around the nobles was much less.


    This inexplicable strength gathered within the two divine statues, spreading waves of divine power that soothed the spirit and bolstered the body from within the statues, which also began to emit a faint white light.


    The popce, feeling the miracles above the divine statues, couldn''t help but be more devout in their faith.


    Lis clearly saw two ethereal doors open above the statues, incessantly absorbing the gathered strength within them.


    Could what he felt be the very power of faith?


    The foundation of a deity?


    No wonder they made such a great fuss; faith''s power was indeed very important to the deities!


    Lis took care to note that, although this power of faith was still a distant concept for him, it was, after all, the essential thing that all gods contended for, and it must hold great secrets.


    It was only after the priests of the Dawn Church and the Earth Church announced the end of the sacrificial ceremony that the solemn atmosphere gradually dissipated.


    Some of the people around the square left to enjoy the rare offer of free drinks and food of the day, but many more stayed, waiting for the subsequent title ennoblement ceremony.


    This was also a hot topic of conversation among themoners of Bright City in their leisure time.


    "That family is done for; the new head didn''t inherit the title..."


    "So-and-so is impressive, directly being conferred the title of Court Viscount..."


    Lis, led by a servant, also stood to the side, waiting for His Majesty the King''s summons.


    Looking at the several people behind him, Lis couldn''t help but smile.


    It seemed he was the youngest at this title ennoblement ceremony, and yet he found himself at the very front.


    The others behind him were somewhat confused as well, as many were being ennobled for the first time and naturally didn''t recognize Lis.


    However, they also knew that in ennoblement ceremonies, the higher the title granted, the earlier one appeared.


    And this young man before them, so young��could it be that he was set to inherit an ancestral title? But they had not heard of any great noble''s family head passing away.


    Lis naturally paid no mind to the others'' confusion. To him, this Marquis title wasn''t of great importance, for he had already chosen another path��an even greater and vaster one, which was also more challenging: the Extraordinary Path.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Lis believed that this Marquis title was merely an ornamentation for himself.


    Just like Teacher Fran, as a Legendary Mage, he could easily upy a piece ofnd and proim himself king, but he found it too troublesome and didn''t even ept the title of Duke of the Kingdom.


    While Lis''s thoughts wandered, the voice of Duke Hade rang out.


    "Silence!"


    "The title ennoblement ceremony, begins!"


    "Please..."


    "Court Viscount, Lis Kain!"

 Chapter 175 Assassination!

    Hearing this, Lis slowly emerged from the side.


    The warm sunlight of the morning showered down, casting a faint halo around Lis, whose ck, neatly trimmed hair and handsome face made some of the surrounding nobles look on in surprise, and a special gleam appeared in the eyes of many female nobles.


    Indeed, the disciple of the Legendary Mage spoken of so often among the nobles was a person of remarkable appearance!


    Theypletely forgot how they had previously sneered at Lis, the "homebody" noble, and naturally changed their attitude, which was also a survival technique for most minor nobles.


    Lis did not pay attention to the whispered conversations of the surrounding nobles and walked to the steps in front of the King, sweeping his cloak with his right hand and kneeling on one knee, respectfully saying,


    "I praise your greatness and wisdom, Lord Morton."


    Morton looked at the young man before him, his face revealing a hint of a smile.


    It''s great to be young, as handsome and charming as I was, and so capable, what a pity...


    Duke Hade did not notice His Majesty''s distraction and continued,


    "Court Viscount Lis Kain, for single-handedly clearing the Witch Demon Secret Realm near the Royal Capital, and for assisting the Kingdom in properly dealing with the All Beast Church''s uprising, your merits are significant."


    "Under the witness of the God of Dawn, you are hereby granted the title of Court Marquis!"


    The steady voice of Fusis reached the ears of many nobles present, and everyone was somewhat in disbelief.


    This... A new Marquis?


    The All Beast Church''s uprising? Could it be that they are referring to the divine descent event in the Lower City District a few days ago?


    I guess Lis yed a significant role in it; otherwise, the arrival of an Evil God wouldn''t have ended with just one street destroyed.


    If that''s the case, Lis indeed deserves the title of Marquis!


    But a Court Marquis, no less!


    In the Feis Kingdom, among the five noble titles of Duke, Marquis, Earl, Viscount, and Baron, only Duke and Marquis are considered Great Nobles, which are also goals that most minor nobles consider unattainable.


    Who would have thought that Lis Kain would be a Marquis so young!


    However, remembering the message that had circted in the Royal Capital before, the people present understood, indeed it was iparable.


    Listening to Duke Hade''s promation, Lis, who had been informed of the procedure in advance, also stood up. A servant hurriedly approached, removed the cloak Lis was wearing, and reced it with a red and white robe that signified the rank of Marquis.


    King Morton Fis also rose from his throne and slowly and leisurely descended the steps, standing before Lis.


    He drew a tinum longsword adorned with gold and glittering gemstones, gently touching Lis''s kneeling shoulder.


    "In the presence of the God of Dawn, Lis Kain, by the authority of the King of Feis, I bestow upon you the title of Court Marquis."


    "May the light of the Dawn apany you always, to be forever humble and upright, courageous and just!"


    Upon receiving his title from King Morton, Lis respectfully replied,


    "I am grateful for your justice and generosity, and I offer you my loyalty, Lord Morton."


    The ceremony of bestowal would have usually ended here, but King Morton smiled and gently bent down, helping Lis to rise, which was rather unusual.


    Everyone present could see the great importance and affection King Morton held for Lis Kain.


    After bowing again to His Majesty, Lis stepped back to the side.


    ...


    "Wow, did you see that? Lis is now a Marquis. Was it really him who resolved the incident with the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts?"


    Mo Yun excitedly called out, standing at the edge of the square and pulling along Zhao Zhao with him.


    Although Lis is indeed very handsome now, but...


    "Let go, let go!"


    Feeling the strange nces from the people around, the always thin-skinned Zhao Zhao now wanted to turn around and run.


    I don''t know this person aaaah!


    -----------------


    Watching the King proceed to bestow titles upon the other Nobles, Lis felt somewhat bored.


    Perhaps it had seemed novel at first, but after experiencing it once, he found it unimpressive.


    It wasn''t as satisfying as gaining a Level for himself.


    Perhaps it''s true that what one doesn''t have is always most desirable!


    However.....


    -----------------


    [You have been granted the title of Court Marquis by the Kingdom of Feis]


    [You have achieved a new milestone: [Court Marquis]!]


    [Your milestone [Court Viscount] has been reced]


    [Milestone [Court Marquis]: Realm Legend Level +30, initial goodwill of certain powers increased]


    -----------------


    Not bad, an addition of 30 Realm Legend Points!


    Lis nodded, pleased with the reward; he hadn''t expected the effect of raising the initial goodwill of certain factions either, which was significantly better than that of a Court Viscount.


    However, the Realm Legend Level is the lowest tier of legend status, simr to what can be obtained through numerous quests, and the given numbers are also quite generous. Under simr conditions, one continent Legend Level is equivalent to one hundred Realm Legend Points.


    The rest is.....


    Lis nced at Yatean, who stood beside the King, all smiles. From his expression, one could never tell that he was secretly plotting to assassinate the Nobles present.


    But after so many events, would Prince Yatean''s target still be himself?


    Lis was very curious.


    However, no matter the situation, Lis didn''t care, for he had already deployed his trump card.


    If that Gold-level Assassin dared to make a move, Lis would send him to meet the Death God.


    The ennoblement ceremony proceeded swiftly, and in this ceremony, a Golden Warrior chose to join the Kingdom and was given the title of Court Baron.


    It seemed that many Gold-level Warriors chose to join the Kingdom to receive titles, while Gold-level professionals of other Professions were rare.


    The ennoblement ceremony concluded rapidly, and King Morton returned to his throne and sat down.


    With Lis''s keen eyesight, he clearly noticed the fine beads of sweat on Morton''s forehead.


    As expected, was His Majesty the King''s health failing? No wonder the speeches were all delegated to Yatean.


    Normally, after the ennoblement ceremony, what remained was for Lord Morton to light the sacrificial torch, and then the entire Sacrificial Festival ceremony would be over.


    At that moment, just as Bevis stepped forward, preparing to direct the Golden Lion Knights to guard His Majesty,


    An unexpected change urred!


    A servant, making way for the gathering Knights, stepped closer to the Nobles'' area.


    Under the sunlight, the servant''s shadow nted and fell onto the ground near the Nobles.


    No one noticed when the servant''s shadow twisted slightly, and a mass of Shadow spread from it, slowly creeping towards the direction of the Nobles.


    Standing not far away, Lis seemed to sense something and frowned as he looked over.


    Before Lis could ascertain the source, he saw a slender figure suddenly burst from the ground''s shadow, with a cold, gleaming Dagger in its right hand, and in the blink of an eye, it reached the Nobles near the King''s right side.


    A sh of cold light passed, and four Nobles didn''t feel any pain, but their vision blurred, their bodies grew cold, while a burning sensation spread from their necks downward.


    Why was it getting dark?


    These were thest thoughts in the minds of these Nobles!


    "Stop!"


    Bevis''s angry voice rang in their ears, but sadly, these few had already entered into eternal slumber.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

 Chapter 176 Are you standing on the Golden Assassin?

    "Stop!"


    Bevis''s voice rang out as his body suddenly leaped towards the ck-d assassin.


    However, Bevis had not lost his reason. It seemed as though he wanted to capture the assassin directly, but in actuality, he was pressing toward the space between the assassin and His Majesty the King.


    The death of a few nobles was indeed a major event, but whenpared to the safety of His Majesty the King, Bevis was very clear about the distinction.


    Those around him seemed to be awakened by Bevis''s roar as well, especially the people near the nobles who had their throats cut. The scalding blood had sshed onto them before they realized what was happening and fled in panic.


    Screams erupted, and the scene was instantly thrown into chaos.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Of course, not all the nobles were useless. Several nobles on the scene exploded with Gold Level strength, quickly surrounding the position of the ck-d assassin.


    Lis''s expression remained calm, as this was a situation he had anticipated. However, he noticed that two figures had suddenly appeared in front of King Morton, and from their manner, they appeared to be Gold Level strongmen as well.


    Indeed, there were other protective forces beside His Majesty the King.


    All of this happened in an instant. The ck-d assassin, who had just in four nobles, simply nced at Bevis, the fastest, and with a flick of his sleeve and a stylish spin of his dagger in hand, melded into the shadows on the ground and disappeared from sight.


    The next moment, Bevis appeared where the ck-d assassin had just been, his face grim.


    Someone dared to attempt an assassination of nobles during the Sacrificial Festival celebration!


    This was a tant provocation against the Feis Kingdom, a resounding p to the kingdom''s face!


    And, to make matters worse, they had allowed the assassin to escape.


    Bevis could no longer sense even a trace of the assassin''s presence. He was certain the assassin hadn''t entered Stealth State, but had used Shadow Jump to leave the area.


    An assassin''s "Shadow Jump" is the only skill that canpare to a mage''s "Teleport," and each has its strengths.


    Bevis looked down at the four lesser nobles lying on the ground with darkened faces and shook his head.


    Toote to save them! Not only had their throats been cut, but some special method must have been used as well��Bevis could no longer feel any sign of life.


    "Priests,e quickly!"


    Although he knew the chances were slim, Bevis still called for the priests from the Dawn Church and the Earth Church toe and attempt treatment.


    Regardless of whether they could be saved or not, it was necessary to make the attempt.


    Immediately afterward, Bevis no longer concerned himself with those lesser nobles, and yelled at Audis:


    "Audis, what''s the situation with the array? How could an assassin still use Shadow Jump?"


    Yes, that''s right, since His Majesty the King was present, the Royal Mage Corps had to be there too.


    The protective array at the scene was their responsibility, and the person in charge was the familiar face �� Audis.


    There was no choice, as the Corps Leader''s status was too high to be involved, and another vice leader was not in Bright City. Therefore, all important matters of the Mage Group were recently presided over by Vice Leader Audis.


    Audis Destiny Worker Bloomer was now feeling a headache. The core of both the protective array and Prohibition of Transmission Array at Triumph Square were in his hands, but he had just checked them and found no issues.


    Moreover, even when the assassin used "Shadow Jump" right in front of him to leave, the array did not react at all.


    This meant that the rank of the assassin''s "Shadow Jump" was very high and was not restricted by the kingdom''s arrays.


    How could this be possible?


    This was an array set by the entire Royal Mage Corps. Although Judgement me had not personally taken part, he had reviewed the Magic Array, giving an evaluation of "fair."


    Audis simply could not figure out how the assassin had breached the restrictions and used "Shadow Jump." Could it be that it was a Legendary Assassin?


    The celebration was in chaos, but Morton Fis remained calm seated on his throne, as if he had no worries about the assassin attempting to kill him.


    However, a hint of strangeness shed in his eyes as he nced at the Second Prince standing by his side.


    The Second Prince also appeared calm, but to Morton, this facade seemed somewhat false.


    As one of the organizers of the celebration, why soposed? For whom are you putting on this act?


    Just as Morton was about to say something, a deep gray rift tens of meters long appeared in the sky above. The rift slowly widened, revealing a world behind it filled with dark gray currents and endless darkness.


    Bevis and Audis recognized it at a nce, the space behind this rift was the Shadow ne.


    What? Does that assassin have a backup n?


    Without time to think, Bevis instinctively rushed in front of Morton, joining the other Guardians in a grave stance to protect His Majesty the King''s safety.


    "Golden Lion Knights, on full alert!"


    This anomaly also profoundly agitated the surrounding nobles, and the crowd that had just calmed down began to fall into chaos again.


    Aside from the soldiers standing their ground and drawing their weapons in readiness, the mostposed was the newly appointed Court Marquis Lis Kain.


    He pursed his lips, somewhat embarrassed.


    He hadn''t expected to cause such amotion, putting everyone on edge again.


    As the deep gray rift in the sky slowly opened, it exuded an aura that made even the Gold Level strongmen on-site shiver.


    "Is... is this a Legend?"


    Bevis''s face grew even more solemn. This presence was unfamiliar and not one of the three Legends from Bright City, but it was definitely that of a Legendary Strongman.


    It must be a Legendary Assassin skilled in manipting the power of the Shadow ne!


    Who on earth could be behindmanding a Legendary Assassin?


    While everyone on-site held their breath and tensed, a ck figure appeared within the rift in the sky.


    Bevis recognized at a nce that it was the Gold-level Assassin who had just attempted to murder several nobles and was about tomand everyone to engage.


    Instead, he saw the ck-clothed assassin fall straight from the rift in midair like a puppet.


    Thud!


    The assassinnded stiffly on the ground, stirring up a cloud of dust.


    What is going on???


    All eyes converged on the ck-clothed assassin whoy there like a dead pig, confused by this inexplicable turn of events.


    Soon, everyone''s attention was drawn to Marquis Kane standing in front of the assassin, and by hisposed expression, it seemed like they had guessed something.


    Feeling everyone''s gaze upon him, Lisughed softly, stepped on the assassin, and confidently dered with a smile,


    "I think there should be no danger now!"


    Looking toward King Morton sitting on the throne and Second Prince Yatean by his side, who finally could not hide his panic, Lis had thought he would feel more impassioned, but his mood was unusually calm.


    "Also, we might need to talk in private."


    The spirited young Marquis, stepping on the once insurmountably bold Gold-level Assassin who had brazenly attempted to kill several nobles, presented a striking contrast deeply etched into the minds of everyone present.


    As if heralding the arrival of a new era!

 Chapter 177 There is only one truth!

    Bright City, the Royal Pce.


    In avishly decorated reception room, the maids were busily preparing, cing steaming hot tea and exquisite desserts on the small table in the middle of the sofa. After a respectful curtsy, they exited the room.


    Duke Hade, with a serious look on his face, thought it best to leave early. If he unintentionally overheard any damning secrets, it wouldn''t be a matter that could be settled with a light punishment.


    This was the way of life for a pce maid!


    Lis reclined on the soft sofa, tasting the fragrant tea. He had now grown somewhat ustomed to its unique bitter vor, which paired just right with the somewhat overly sweet pastries.


    However, Duke Hade sitting opposite Lis seemed a bit restless.


    Indeed, the events of today''s Sacrificial Festival were quite unexpected.


    What had been a smoothly proceeding celebration, shockingly saw a Gold-level assassin seed in an assassination attempt.


    A Gold-level assassin, who had initially escaped, was unexpectedly captured by a Legendary Assassin.


    Moreover, this Legendary Assassin seemed to be very closely connected to Lis Kain, who had just be a marquis.


    Such a series of dramatic developments left Fusis somewhat overwhelmed.


    Previously, Fusis had regarded Lis as a rather promising junior, even feeling somewhat protective of him.


    But watching him quickly advance, bing a disciple of "Judgement me," he could quite possibly touch the realm of legends in the future.


    Looking at the rxed expression on Lis''s face, Fusis thought about it and decided not to ask.


    It would be better to wait until His Majesty the King arrived.


    The silence between the twosted for a while, only to be broken by the entrance of His Majesty the King and Second Prince Yatean.


    King Morton Fis''s face had regained its calm. For a monarch who had seen numerous upheavals, nothing could perturb him excessively, not even the sky falling down.


    Not to mention, the oue of today''s Sacrificial Festival assassination wasn''t bad, since the assassin had been captured.


    And Lis...


    King Morton sat in the main seat on the sofa, his face serene, no longer as casual as when he had first met Lis.


    With two Legendary figures standing behind him, Lis had already garnered enough of Morton''s respect, not just viewed as a mere junior and subject.


    "I wonder who that strong figure is?" King Morton asked after a moment of silence, sitting on the main sofa.


    Prince Yatean did not sit down but chose to stand behind Morton.


    Lis, no longer looking around as previously at Triumph Square, replied with a smile,


    "That''s a senior member of our family."


    Upon hearing this, King Morton nodded and a slight smile appeared on his face.


    In fact, when Bevis had informed him about the appearance of a Legendary Assassin, he had already guessed it.


    After all, Lis had hinted at it to him before.


    Morton decided not to inquire further. Since Lis had already hinted before, it meant no malice towards the Kingdom.


    That was good enough, and Morton did not intend to press further, as it was necessary to show a certain respect for a Legendary figure.


    "Lis, by summoning that figure today, did you foresee something going wrong?" King Morton asked, a smile breaking across his aged face.


    To be honest, he had already vaguely guessed who was behind today''s events, but the appearance of that figure confused Morton even more.


    Morton did not believe a Legendary Assassin would always be by Lis''s side; today''s event was certainly not a coincidence.


    "Your Majesty must have guessed as well," Lis said, smiling.


    King Morton certainly knew that Prince Yatean was secretly plotting something. Even if he had not been aware that Yatean would attempt an assassination during the Sacrificial Festival, he must have realized it at the first sign of trouble.


    Do not doubt the political sensitivity of a ruler.


    "Why not let Prince Yatean exin why such an incident urred today?"


    Lis suggested, squinting his eyes toward Yatean, who stood behind Morton.


    Upon hearing this, Yatean felt a sudden heaviness in his heart.


    In fact, when he saw the assassin Blood de captured in the square, he already understood that his n had been exposed and that someone had taken countermeasures in advance.


    And the one who had uncovered his n was none other than Lis Kain, who had always been a source of unease for him.


    And with those words Lis had spoken, it was clear he did not intend to let him go.


    Morton''s face did not show any reaction to Lis''s suggestive words.


    Meanwhile, Duke Hade had been sitting straightced, seemingly uninterested as he watched carefully.


    All present were clever people. His Majesty the King had asked him to stay, but that did not mean he could speak freely now.


    "So... Yatean, tell us, what exactly happened?"


    Morton asked in a calm tone, taking a sip of tea from his teacup.


    Yatean took a deep breath and chose not to defend himself.


    At this point, he was prepared to face failure.


    Yatean walked up to His Majesty the King, knelt on both knees, and said solemnly:


    "The assassin was secretly trained by the Boditch Kingdom, but actually... he was a piece I had ced in the Boditch Kingdom many years ago."


    "The assassination that urred at the festival today was also secretly nned by me!"


    Clenching his teeth, Yatean meticulously confessed his entire n, then sighed deeply.


    It felt as though the clouds that had been looming in his heart for many days were finally being released. No matter the oue, he was ready to face it.


    Wow!


    Lis, listening on the side, clicked his tongue in amazement internally, surprised at how thorough and meticulous Yatean''s n was.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    From the Boditch Kingdom to the frontier dukes and the Court Nobles.


    From buying up strategic resources to nning the assassination at the Sacrificial Festival.


    Yatean''s n was intricate and far-reaching.


    Especially the fact that Blood de, the assassin from the Boditch Kingdom, was actually his man; that move was incredibly bold.


    One must say, being able to coordinate andy out such a grand n, Yatean indeed was a capable and ambitious person.


    Unfortunately, he was up against him, not the bookish Lis Kain of his previous life.


    "I remember, you initially nned to assassinate some of the nobles including me, right?"


    Lis said with a smile, also exposing Yatean''s hidden intentions.


    "Yes, butter I changed the target."


    Seeing how clearly Lis understood, Yatean candidly admitted it, without even considering how Lis knew every detail of his n.


    Morton also felt the implications in Lis''s words.


    Yatean had targeted me, even wanted to kill me, so that''s why I retaliated.


    However, I still cared about the dignity of the Kingdom, so I did not reveal that the mastermind was Yatean right on the spot.


    But the Kingdom could not easily let Yatean off the hook, as a prince of the Kingdom, plotting to assassinate Kingdom nobles, this could cause turmoil in the Kingdom.


    Clever people never need to say much.


    Now, this challenge had been handed over to King Morton.


    Should Yatean be severely punished or not?

 Chapter 178 The Ruthless and Tender Old King

    Morton Feis closed his eyes; making this choice was actually not difficult for him.


    As the revitalizing leader who led the rise of the Feis Kingdom, he might have grown somewhat tender-hearted toward his children as he aged, but when it came to matters concerning the future of the kingdom, Morton did not hesitate much.


    "Yatean, my child."


    Morton, with his eyes closed, spoke gently, his body seeming to copse in on itself as his slight frame waspletely enveloped by the sofa.


    "Father..."


    Yatean lifted his head, remembering his father had never spoken to him in such a gentle tone.


    Always preupied with state affairs, under his leadership, the Feis Kingdom had leaped to be the leading human power on this continent.


    Thus, even though Yatean had few opportunities to be close to Morton since childhood, he always aimed to be a wise and insightful ruler just like his father.


    He studied diligently from a young age��statecraft, military affairs, personal management... and so on. Anything rted to bing king and better managing the country was something Yatean strived to learn.


    His efforts also won the praise of some. Even now, ministers and nobles regarded him as the best sessor to the throne, the next king of the Feis Kingdom.


    Yatean once thought so too!


    But one day, his expectations��or rather, the goal he had always striven for��were shattered.


    Morton Feis, his father, brought a little girl into the Royal Pce.


    She was a rather adorable child.


    Upon first meeting Taya, Yatean thought as much and did not mind that his father brought his illegitimate daughter back to the Royal Pce.


    But everything soon changed!


    Taya began to reveal her terrifying talent, and her astonishing rate of progress amazed everyone.


    Even the Legendary Monk, "Broken Mountain" Avin Dern, praised Taya''s gifts.


    "She will be the kingdom''s first Legendary Warrior!"


    After this, His Majesty the King immediately locked down all news concerning Taya, but such things could not be kept secret from Yatean.


    Yatean, who had studied for many years and matured in thought, knew well that if Taya truly broke through to be a Legendary Warrior, then there would be no other choice for the Feis Kingdom''s throne.


    It wouldn''t matter how exceptional Yatean was.


    Perhaps Yatean could be a respected duke, assisting Taya in governing the nation, but was that really what he wanted?


    So, Yatean chose to rebel without a second thought.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    He had to make everything settled before Taya made her breakthrough as a legend.


    Start a war, seize the glory, and ascend to the throne early!


    This was Yatean''s n, as well as his ambition!


    Lis shook his head. Even with all this clear, he held no sympathy for Yatean.


    He was no Holy Mother, ready to generously forgive someone who had once thought of harming him.


    If one chooses to strike a snake, one must crush itpletely, not allowing it any chance to fight back.


    "My children are not many, now only you and little Taya remain."


    "Actually, I had vaguely sensed it before and roughly knew what you were thinking in your heart."


    "Taya, she is the future of the kingdom!"


    "Perhaps I should have stopped you when I discovered your ns, instead of being soft-hearted and giving you a chance."


    "This might just be fate mocking me."


    Morton spoke with a trace of emotion, and Yatean had no response, just listening quietly to his father''s words.


    King Morton opened his eyes but did not look at Yatean, who was kneeling before him. Instead, he turned his head to speak to Lis:


    "Lis, since you did not have that person act prematurely, you must have realized as well."


    Lis sensed that King Morton, sitting on the sofa, seemed even older now, his vitality drained.


    "Yes, I wanted to push for a war against the Boditch Kingdom. You ultimately chose this path as well, didn''t you?"


    "Indeed, the kingdom has developed to where it is today, and I am old. I no longer have the energy to maintain internal bnce,"


    "So why not throw all these conflicts into a war."


    Morton shook his head and spoke with a tiredness in his voice.


    ```


    Lis understood naturally what King Morton meant.


    The Feis Kingdom had developed to its present state, and almost all of its internal potential had been tapped. Until a new wave of productive forces emerged, domestic tensions would only continue to umte.


    The border Nobles wished to establish new territories to expand their influence.


    The Court Nobles yearned to start wars so they could capture military achievements and be Sealed Nobles.


    The merchants hoped for a broader kingdom, no longer subject to the heavy taxes of the ipetent minor nations.


    Even themoners at the very bottom, under covert incitement, quietly harbored hopes to break through the ss barriers via war.


    With so many driving forces, in truth, all the preconditions for war had already been met.


    After the Church of the Gods gave up mediating conflicts between nations, choosing to stand aside rather than prevent the outbreak of war.


    The arrival of war was unstoppable, which was why King Morton had consented to Yatean''s scheming and why Lis had requested Joyce to capture the assassin only after the Blood de''s sessful murder.


    Regrettably, Morton Fis was unaware that his choice would lead to a war that would engulf the entire Fanor Continent.


    Lis sighed inwardly, but did not speak out to warn him.


    This was the overture to an era''s tidal wave; even the gods had chosen to abandon it, so what could he, a mere Silver Mage, do to prevent the spark of war from igniting.


    Under circumstances that could influence the fate of the Kingdom and even the entire continent, those four dead Nobles seemed so insignificant.


    "War ising, but it cannot be Yatean who drives it," said King Morton, his voice firm. This was the essential point.


    If outsiders were to learn that the nobles were murdered by the Second Prince, it would bring an unimaginable impact on the situation of the Kingdom.


    Lis nodded, obviously agreeing, which was why he had not directly identified Yatean as the culprit on the spot.


    "As for Yatean��"


    Morton Fis looked down at Yatean, who kneeled before him, and his withered right hand still couldn''t help trembling a few times.


    "Lis, I... have a request."


    Hmm?


    Lis frowned. The old king couldn''t be confused, could he? His words had been so clear, yet did he still wish to let Yatean off the hook?


    Morton waved his hand and said gravely:


    "Yatean has made a grave mistake, and I will naturally not forgive him so easily."


    "If I depose or even execute him now, it would be equivalent to letting outsiders know what happened."


    "Since the war has begun, it must continue."


    "When the war is over, I will announce that all this was Yatean''s conspiracy and strip him of his prince''s status."


    "During this time, I will keep him under house arrest in the Royal Pce, to prevent him from causing more trouble."


    "Lis, you need not worry. I will ask Judgement me to take action and ce restrictions on Yatean. If he still harbors ill will against you, he will die instantaneously."


    "Once the war is over, if you still insist on executing Yatean, I will have no objections."


    Having said this, Morton stared intently at Lis.


    Lis couldn''t feel a hint of His Majesty the King''s auraing from the old man; it was merely the request of an elderly father.


    Besides, to be honest, His Majesty the King''s n was quite severe, much more drastic than anything Lis had imagined.


    For Yatean, it would be even more painful than a direct execution.


    No hope for the throne!


    He would bear the full brunt of the me for instigating the war!


    Life-long house arrest!


    And he would be sealed by the Legendary Mage!


    Morton had considered all of Lis''s concerns, and naturally, Lis trusted the methods of his own teacher.


    Yatean was thoroughly finished!


    All he had left was a life clinging desperately to existence!


    "Then... as you wish!"


    ```

 Chapter 179 Shares of Radiant United Commerce

    After Lis agreed to the old king''s request, the old king seemed to finally settle a matter on his mind and leaned wearily on the sofa.


    Silence had waved his hand, and a figure appeared behind Morton.


    Lis immediately recognized him as one of the two guards who had appeared suddenly to protect Morton during the celebration��apparently a member of the Royal Shadow Guards.


    The Shadow Guard understood Morton''s intent, stepped forward, and unceremoniously picked up the kneeling Yatean.


    Yatean remained silent, seemingly lifeless as he was forcefully pulled up, his entire spirit seemed to havepletely copsed.


    But as the Shadow Guard was about to take him out of the room, Yatean lifted his head and looked at Lis, who sat on the sofa.


    Lis naturally noticed Yatean''s action, but oddly enough, there was no resentment or hatred in his eyes, rather a sense of relief.


    After Morton announced his punishment, Yatean didn''t think much of it.


    At this point, there was no need for more words.


    No matter the punishment, Yatean was ready to ept it, merely facing the consequences for the decisions he had previously made.


    "Sorry."


    As Yatean passed by Lis, Lis heard the Second Prince''s soft words.


    Lis was surprised, never having expected Yatean to show this attitude.


    As for Yatean''s expressed apology, Lis didn''t feel much of anything.


    If apologies were useful, then could the nobles who died at the hands of Blood de be resurrected?


    Lis certainly wouldn''t forget that in the previous life''s game, he, Viscount Kane, had his blood spilt on the spot, with his soul utterly extinguished, leaving no possibility for resurrection.


    This was indeed why Lis had worked tirelessly over the past months, so that he could now watch Yatean''s sorry end with a smile.


    After Yatean was taken away by the Shadow Guard, Morton Fis also seemed weary and gestured for his attendant to help him leave for rest.


    However, before leaving, Morton still nced at Fusis, who had been sitting quietly to the side.


    Fusis naturally understood, and it was also the reason why Morton had kept him behind.


    After Morton had left, the atmosphere in the room rxed considerably.


    Fusis picked up his tea and took a sip before saying,


    "This Sacrificial Festival, we really owe you one, Lis!"


    Both of them tacitly avoided mentioning anything about Yatean.


    "Just lucky, that was the matter I mentioned to you before."


    Lis picked up a pastry and replied with a smile.


    Old man, don''t act like you''ve noticed nothing; after all, I had subtly reminded Duke Hade through Arsen.


    "Haha, I''m old, really didn''t catch all these twists and turns."


    Fusis remained unfazed, insinuating that it had nothing to do with him.


    Lisughed and said nothing. To pursue this matter further was meaningless; it was better to wait and see whatpensation Lord Morton would offer.


    Indeed, since Lis had epted King Morton''s request, it was only logical that Morton would offerpensation in some other form.


    This was also why Fusis had stayed, as most matters could be decided by Duke Hade himself.


    "Your contribution as well. That gentleman must be exchanging words with Avin at this moment. You''ve secured a significant achievement today, Lis. What reward would you like?"


    Fusis''s words were very direct. Since Lis had a legendary strongman elder backing him, the presence of the legendary monk in the pce naturally didn''t need to be concealed from Lis.


    Or rather, there was no way to hide it.


    A Legendary Assassin appeared in Bright City, and as a Legendary Strongman of the Royal Family, Avin Dern naturally had toe forward and probe into Joyce''s background.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Lis also knew that just before he hade over, Joyce had already secretlymunicated with him about this matter.


    But then again, this Legendary Monk truly was loyal to the Feis Kingdom, wasn''t he? Wasn''t he a Legendary Strongman cultivated by the Royal Family from a young age?


    However, this might not necessarily be good for Avin.


    The Feis Royal Family kept Avin Dern''s existence hidden, indeed treating him as a trump card, but this also limited him to within the Royal Pce.


    This also meant that Avin Dern had not made much progress after bing a Legendary Strongman, and his strength among Legendary Strongmen was only considered average.


    Joyce, although in a simr situation to Avin''s, having resided in Bright City for a long time, did have a special skill.


    [Shadow Avatar]!


    As a Legendary Shadow Dancer, Joyce''s connection to the Shadow ne was incredibly strong, and he could use the power of the Shadow ne to form an incarnation.


    This incarnation was different from themon clone skills because most of Joyce''s abilities were concentrated on using the power of the Shadow ne. Thus, this Shadow Avatar could do the same things as Joyce himself.


    Therefore, the Shadow Avatar could possess seven to eight tenths of Joyce''s own strength, and the copse of the incarnation had no effect on Joyce himself, who could re-form it at any time.


    Joyce usually could focus his mind on the Shadow Avatar to adventure and train, so his strength improved at a rate that never fell behind. Now his strength was even greater than Avin, who had already be a Legend.


    This special skill was the reason Fran envied him so much.


    When Joyce was instructing Lis before, he had passed on all the details of this skill to Lis.


    But it might have been that the skill required a high tier, or that Lis''s affinity with the Shadow ne was not enough, so he did not learn it. Your next chapter is on empire


    "Of course I can do anything, I wouldn''t dare make any demands."


    Lis smiled and kicked the ball back to Fusis.


    To tell the truth, Lis really hadn''t thought of what he needed.


    Lis had been to the Royal Pce Treasure Vault before, and except for thest [Trial Card], there was nothing else that could attract his interest; gold coins and wealth meant nothing to him.


    It might be better to see what the Kingdom could offer.


    Fusis''s expression didn''t change, he said with a smile:


    "After all, Lis, your title has just been promoted, and it''s still too early to think about advancing it."


    "As for other matters..."


    "Are you interested in the Radiant United Commerce?"


    "Hmm?"


    At the mention of this, Lis perked up, considering that the Radiant United Commerce, as the secondrgest guild in the Feis Kingdom, was quite a substantial foundation.


    Seeing Lis''s interest, Fusis felt somewhat relieved.


    "The Radiant United Commerce is nominally under the control of the Court Nobles, but in reality, it is still under the control of the Royal Family, only that all profits are distributed ording to shares."


    "Lis, since you are now a Court Marquis and have established such great merit, it is natural that you should have a share in the Radiant United Commerce."


    "Of course, Lis, if you work hard, even shares in the Feis Guild are not an impossibility."


    Lis smiled and did not take the hint in Fusis''s words seriously.


    After a friendly negotiation, a 10% stake in the Radiant United Commerce went into Lis''s pocket.

 Chapter 180 "Divine Revelation Weekly

    With the conclusion of the Bright City Sacrificial Festival, "Divine Revtion" officially entered version 1.0, the "Scent of War''s Smoke" period.


    Meanwhile, as "Divine Revtion" gradually progressed, its steadily rising poprity also allowed more people to learn about this revolutionary new game.


    The Divine Revtion Game Company, of course, capitalized on this heat, holding onto this hot topic as tightly as possible to maximize the influence of the "Divine Revtion" game.


    Divine Revtion Weekly!


    As an official publication, its content mainly focused on game information that yers were interested in, such as official announcements, yers'' anecdotes, game guides, and updates on professional events, etc.


    Only officials knew exactly what the yers needed. Each issue of Divine Revtion Weekly was entertaining and slightly goofy, which made it quite popr with yers inter times.


    Lis came across this new section while lying in bed and browsing the forums the day after the Sacrificial Festival had ended.


    He couldn''t help but feel nostalgic��Lis had always paid close attention to gathering information about all aspects of the game in his past life. He never missed an issue of Divine Revtion Weekly, because, as a power-leveling master, Lis had to always be aware of the game''s progress in order to earn money more efficiently.


    Looking at the familiar female host in Divine Revtion Weekly, if it weren''t for the system''s restrictions on messaging, Lis would have loved to flood the screen with "request for updates" and "silly Ying" messages right now.


    The first issue of Divine Revtion Weekly gave a brief overview of the dynamics within the various continents in the "Divine Revtion" game.


    In "Divine Revtion," following the situation in the Gaia World, six continents corresponded to different game servers, with each server''s early mainline quests being independent of each other. It wouldn''t be until version 3.0, "Otherworld Pioneering," that the mainline quests of all servers would unify.


    For example, the 1.0 mainline quest on the Fanor Continent where Hua Xia was located was "Scent of War''s Smoke," and the 2.0 mainline quest was "All-out War." It primarily involved the Feis Kingdom dering war on the Boditch Kingdom first, shattering years of peace. As many Human Kingdoms condemned the Feis Kingdom, they noticed that the Church of the Gods wasn''t taking any substantial action, and their underlying worries gradually subsided.


    Especially when they saw the Feis Kingdom crush and absorb the Boditch Kingdom, significantly boosting its own power��other powerful nations could no longer hold back and began targeting weaker and smaller neighboring countries.


    This was also the start of the mainline quests in version 2.0.


    At the same time, other continents also experienced major events that affected entire regions.


    For instance, the "Beastman Blood Battle" on the Eson Continent, and the "Resurrection of the Sea of the Undead" on the Ketan Continent. These chaotic wars happening concurrently also signaled the arrival of a new era.


    Divine Revtion Weekly naturally focused on the major events happening in the game.


    Particrly in Bright City.


    First, there was the "Blood Sacrifice Chaos" event where an Evil God descended, followed by the festival where a Gold-level Assassin boldly attacked the Nobles, which made for a more intriguing and explosive opening than other ces had.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    So after roughly sorting out the game intelligence, the female host naturally focused on the events in Bright City.


    ...


    "Dear yer friends, those are the two major events that recently transpired in the Feis Kingdom''s Bright City. The might of the divine beings indeed seems quite terrifying. This might be the first time in the game that we''ve seen the divine beings and legends inbat."


    "Little Ying can''t help but wonder, with so many events urring in Bright City, could it mean that in the following mainline quests, the Feis Kingdom and Bright City might be one of the focal points?"


    "Of course, among these, there is also a very mysterious and special character, Lis Kain."


    "Friends who follow the forums know that Lis Kain is a character that appeared to yers early on. As a noble of the Feis Kingdom and founder of the White Dove Chamber of Commerce, which is known as the most yer-friendly faction, he is closely tied to events like the Blood Sacrifice Chaos and the Sacrificial Festival assassination incident. He could even be considered a main character in those stories."


    "So what role will he y in the subsequent storyline? And how will the main plot of Fanor Continent develop?"


    "Let''s wee our special guest for today, Han Xing, the captain of Kunlun Team."


    The face of Han Xing, familiar to all yers, appeared next to the female host. His fame among the yers was, after all, quite significant.


    There was no helping it; he was good at the game, handsome, and most importantly, Han Xing had won a world championship in the game before, naturally attracting a sizable audience.


    "Wee, Han Xing. Say hello to everyone."


    "Hello everyone, I''m a yer for Kunlun Team, Han Xing!"


    "Haha, Han Xing seems to be in great shape today. As far as I know, most of the professional yers from Kunlun Team, including Han Xing, are from Bright City. Did you experience either of the two major events we just mentioned?"


    Shaking his head with a look of regret, Han Xing said:


    "Unfortunately, no. We went straight to the Mercenary Guild to take on tasks as soon as we could, and by the time we heard about the White Dove Chamber of Commerce, it was toote, and we missed out on that Silver Level mission."


    "I was present during the Sacrificial Festival celebration, but after grinding a missionpletion, I left. I didn''t expect an assassination to ur right after I left; missing it is really a pity."


    Feigning disappointment, the female host, Little Ying, continued to ask:


    "That is a shame indeed. What''s your opinion on the character Lis in the game?"


    "Based on the current information, Lis Kain seems poised to y a very important role in the game''s future storyline, even to the point that I think he might be one of the main protagonists."


    "After all, this NPC''s talent appears to be quite terrifying, and so far, he is the first Advanced NPC willing to interact with yers."


    "So, will Kunlun Team try to interact with this character in the future?"


    "Haha, seems like I''ve identally let something slip. I hope Legend, our boss, doesn''t beat me up for this."


    "It seems like you two have a great rtionship! Actually, I''ve always been curious, and I''m sure many of our yer viewers are too. I''ve heard that the skill level of Legend, who is also the leader of Kunlun Team, is quite impressive, and he has taken on the position of coach. How did you two meet?"


    "Actually, I met Legend when I was ying ''Primordial Spirit'' before. He thrashed me pretty badly, but now, I can handle him with one hand!"


    Your next chapter is on empire


    "Later on, when that game started having professionalpetitions, Legend pulled me into forming a team together. That''s when I found out he was actually a big boss, and from there, we''vee all the way to where we are today."


    "So that''s how it is. I didn''t expect that Kunlun Team, one of the four greats of Hua Xia, came about in such a way."


    "Thank you for sharing with us, Han Xing. That''s all for our show today."


    "Everyone, considering how hard Little Ying worked to invite Han Xing, please reward me with a ''like-share-subscribe''!"

 Chapter 181 The Opening of the Prelude to War

    "Unknowingly, it seems I have truly changed many things!"


    Previously, during the assassination at the Sacrificial Festival, there hadn''t been any particr feeling, but as the days passed, Lis truly felt the changes.


    The day after the assassination at the Sacrificial Festival, Duke Rame and Duke Baynum from the border had already led their troops in a raid on the frontier city between Boditch Kingdom and Feis Kingdom.


    This move caused a huge sensation both domestically and internationally, drawing all eyes to the war between Feis Kingdom and Boditch Kingdom.


    When the news reached Bright City, it likewise captured everyone''s attention.


    Because the Kingdom had already dered that the assassin at the Sacrificial Festival was dispatched by Boditch Kingdom, it instantly ignited everyone''s fury.


    Particrly, the deployment of troops by the two border Dukes was seen as the Kingdom''s firm resolve to teach those despicable and cunning people of Boditch Kingdom a lesson.


    The Court Nobles were equally excited, offering advice and hoping that the Kingdom would formallymence the war.


    The merchants were no different, especially as the prices of rted goods such as food and weapons began to fluctuate dramatically.


    All this seemed no different from the previous life.


    But Lis knew that Second Prince Yatean, who was supposed to investigate the "truth" of the assassination and announce the war against Boditch Kingdom in the Royal Pce, was now imprisoned deep within the pce.


    And Lis Kain, whose life should have been beyond saving even by advanced Resurrection Techniques, was standing here just fine, instead bing the Kingdom''s new Marquis.


    How unpredictable life is!


    But from now on, it belongs to my future!


    Lis stood on one side of the ballroom, twirling a tall, slender wine ss in his hand, still filled with a bit of crimson red liquid, and squinted his eyes.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Today was the third day after the end of the Sacrificial Festival celebration, Lis had organized a Noble''s soir��e in the Kane Mansion to celebrate his promotion to Marquis.


    This soir��e is also a tradition every Feis Noble must host after their elevation in titles.


    Duke Hade, considering Lis might never have experienced this, specifically asked Arsen toe over and help Lis manage the soir��e''s preparations.


    After all, the previous two heads of the Kane family had done their best to minimize their presence and rarely engaged in social interactions with other Bright City Nobles.


    And Lis''s predecessor was even more of an extreme, turning into a reclusive child and shuttling between home and the academy for years, showing no interest whatsoever in Noble soir��es.


    But now, there was no longer any need for Lis to remain so low-key.


    Perhaps at the beginning of his rebirth, Lis still had doubts about the future, but now it was different.


    Bing a disciple of the "Judgement me" and receiving Joyce''s mentorship significantly broadened Lis''s horizons.


    If previously, although Lis set breaking through to be a Legend as his goal, it was merely a hope.


    Though in his previous life, Lis was quite experienced in the game, not only did he know various strategies from gamers, but he also knew about adventures and treasures that had not yet appeared in the world.


    But that was merely knowledge, the crucial point being that Lis had no information or methods to break through to be a Legend.


    After all, among the yers from his previous life, none had managed to be a Legend, including Lis himself.


    However, through the teachings of the "Judgement me" and "Concealing Shadow," Joyce had remedied hisst deficiency.


    "Concealing Shadow" was the name left behind by Joyce when he roamed outside because he rarelymunicated with others and was the best at utilizing the power of the Shadow ne as a Legendary Shadow Dancer, earning him this title.


    Thinking of these matters, Lis was multitasking, engaging in conversations with the nobles who had gathered around.


    Previously, when Lis had made his opening speech for the first time, it was only after he had danced the first three rounds with three beautiful youngdies that the evening truly reached its climax.


    Without having had a rest, Lis was quickly surrounded by many invited guests, and Arsen was doing his utmost to introduce him.


    After all, with Lis''s current status, he no longer needed to actively seek out anyone, but rather, it was the nobles who took the initiative to connect with this rising star of Bright City. Discover more stories at empire


    Even the four Court Dukes of Bright City, except for Duke Hade who did not attend so as not to overshadow Lis, were present at tonight''s party.


    "I never imagined that our neer Marquis Kane was such an outstanding young man!"


    Baldwin House, the current Duke House, said with a smile.


    As a founding hero of the Feis Kingdom, the initial House Master had forsaken the fiefdom prepared by the kingdom in favor of advocating that the King continue the system of Court Nobles.


    This very surprising move at that time proved the foresight of the first Duke House. The House family thus became the only descendants of the founding heroes to carry on.


    "Not at all, it is all due to His Majesty the King and my teacher''s guidance and care,"


    Lis raised his ss and said with a smile, that kind of proper etiquette and an implicit confidence made the noble youngdies not far away shift their gaze.


    "Is that Mr. Mora a good friend of Lord Lis?"


    Standing nearby, Nelson Barton, the current Duke Barton, asked Lis while holding a ss of red wine.


    Lis looked over and nodded with a smile, saying,


    "We''ve been ymates since childhood, and recently we''ve been working on a White Dove Guild, nning to bring out some new magic products."


    "You''ll all have to look after us then!"


    Indeed, just yesterday, thetest product of Self-Charging Magic Patterns, the Magic Air Conditioning, had finally been developed.


    With adjustments made by Master Daher, the current Magic Air Conditioning had significantly improved in all aspectspared to the version developed by yers in his previous life: temperature regtion, Magic Power consumption, and durability were all greatly enhanced.


    The only drawback was the difficulty of Magic Rune Engraving, which currently required at least an Intermediate Magic Pattern Master to seed.


    However, Lis wasn''t too concerned, as this difficulty was much less of a problempared to the leakage of Self-Charging Magic Patterns.


    Duke House, Duke Barton��and Duke Russell, who had just now remained silent��exchanged knowing smiles, clearly understanding what Lis meant.


    This was also the reason they, as dukes, had gathered here.


    Facing a rising star among the nobility, they, as established nobles, naturally preferred to actively forge connections rather than excluding and suppressing him.


    All being Court Nobles, they should indeed band together.


    To target the disciple of a Legendary Mage for a share of the Radiant United Commerce would be a real losing deal, and these old foxes definitely wouldn''t do that.


    So, from their perspective, Lis''s seemingly too direct statement was actually extending goodwill towards them.


    A few Feis Gold Coins were nothing; no noble wouldck that much.


    But that''s just how rtionships among nobles are��all connections are established based on these ovepping interests.

 Chapter 182 The Future of the White Dove Chamber of Commerce

    Of course, Lis merely mentioned the White Dove Chamber of Commerce briefly beforeughing and discussing other interesting affairs of Bright City with the three dukes.


    Everyone present was clever, and such matters needed only a mention for mutual understanding to ur.


    This was not about ying charades or keeping people guessing.


    This was also one way the elite nobles of the kingdom curated their circles of friends.


    If one party failed to grasp the meaning, the other might have to reconsider their rtionship and the extent of their cooperation.


    After all, a poor teammate was a disaster in any world.


    Previously, Lis did not enjoy such social gatherings, having chosen to stay aside and quietly observe the nobles mingling in the ballroom at the Carl family''s party.


    Lis did not believe that mere acquaintance and conversation could determine anything.


    More importantly, it was about personal strength and power!


    Unlike before, Lis nowpletely controlled the initiative of the party, bing the focal point of everyone present, even the three dukes, who opted for equal interaction.


    Wasn''t this much better than wasting time trying to curry favor?


    Of course, even so, Lis began to feel somewhat bored once the novelty wore off.


    With this time, he might as well focus on studying the cute little Magic Elements!


    Nevertheless, Lis patiently greeted the other guests.


    The party tonight, aside from heralding the arrival of Marquis Kane, was also to cultivate business connections and market opportunities for the White Dove Chamber of Commerce''s civilian enchanted products.


    Lis clearly saw Mora engaging animatedly among a group of young nobles, seemingly promoting something.


    Mora''s eloquence was quite impressive, and curiosity shone in the eyes of the young people gathered around him.


    This was exactly what Lis had instructed Mora to do beforehand.


    Lis was well aware that it wasn''t easy for a new concept to be epted by the general public.


    The best approach was to start with the upper echelons.


    In other words, to first introduce the nobles of Bright City and even the Feis Kingdom to the new concept of Magic Air Conditioning.


    And gradually, through promotion, introduce it as a new trend to the lower sses.


    After all, even though Lis had slightly inted the costs, increasing the price of Magic Air Conditioning, it was still affordable for the middle strata of Bright City.


    Imagine, if both the greater and lesser nobles began using the air conditioning from the White Dove Chamber of Commerce, would those who esteem themselves as upper-ss or who are eager to join the noble ranks remain indifferent?


    Lis was capturing this mindset.


    Now, he was paving the way for the future of the White Dove Chamber of Commerce under his own name, that of Marquis Kane.


    As for whether the lower-ss people could afford it?


    No, not currently at least.


    Lis had not thought about fully deploying self-charging magic rune products just yet.


    The White Dove Chamber of Commerce was only a fledgling child, thinking of soaring just yet?


    It was too early.


    Lis felt that if Mora didn''t make good use of this opportunity, it would be a waste of his efforts.


    ...


    As the party passed its midpoint, the crowd around Lis finally began to disperse and started mingling.


    Lis could finally breathe a sigh of relief, and taking a ss of golden champagne, he walked up to the balcony on the second floor of the mansion for a brief rest.


    The October night breeze carried a hint of chill, but it was just right for Lis, who loosened his stiff formal cor and enjoyed a moment of leisure.


    "You''ve worked hard today!"


    A familiar voice called out. Today, Mora indeed appeared to have put in some effort; his ck evening suitplemented by simple short hair gave him a capable air.


    Recently immersed in Chamber of Commerce work, hisplexion had improved �� perhaps distancing from female distractions was beneficial?


    "You too,"


    Lis, leaning on the carved balcony railing, replied with a smile,


    "But it seems you rather enjoyed yourself."


    "After all, it''s a rare opportunity, all thanks to our great chairman, Marquis Kane, Lord Lis."


    "Stop it! If you''re really grateful, just put more effort into the Guild,"


    Lis lifted his ss and gently clinked it with Mora''s, and they both drank the rich golden champagne.


    Setting the empty ss on the railing, Lis said with a smile,


    "It seems your older brother is getting anxious too; he even came to discuss a partnership with me earlier."


    "That guy... though he''s clever, his perspective is too narrow."


    Mora nonchntly said, but the inexplicable look in his eyes was crystal clear to Lis.


    "So I''m really curious, your father, Baron Carl is quite an impressive figure, why does he value your older brother so much?"


    Mora leaned next to Lis, raised his head to look at the star-filled night sky, and said:


    "Who knows? Nobody understands the workings of father''s mind."


    "Enough about me, what about you?"


    "Me?"


    Lis asked with some curiosity.


    "It feels like you''ve changed a lot, almost like you''ve be apletely different person."


    If it had been Lis who just arrived in this world, he might have been somewhat panicked, but having already anchored and escaped a death destined in his past life, Lis no longer cared about these things and counterasked:


    "Aren''t you the same?"


    "Haha, indeed, I never thought I''d be so desperate to aplish something before."


    "Should I congratte you for finally growing up? Haha!"


    Lis unapologetically teased.


    "Go to hell!"


    Mora retorted with augh.


    ...


    "Are you nning to leave Bright City?"


    After a moment of silence, Mora suddenly asked.


    "Hmm?"


    Lis turned his head to look at Mora, wondering how he suddenly became so perceptive.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "I do have that n, how did you guess?"


    Lis asked, somewhat curiously.


    Indeed, he was preparing to leave Bright City since after the Sacrificial Festival assassination case and the Blood Sacrifice Chaos, Bright City was unlikely to have any major events.


    Given that it was still just version 1.0, the game''s plot was not progressing rapidly, and yers needed some time to adapt to this world.


    However, Lis could not wait any longer, knowing what kind of troubled times he would face in the future, and he needed to enhance his strength by any means possible.


    Thus, Lis needed to step out of hisfort zone in Bright City to challenge himself, while also seeking out those treasures hidden in his memories.


    "Because you''ve seemed a bit anxious these past few days."


    Mora opened his mouth andughed as he spoke:


    "It''s like you''re nning to leave the future of the White Dove Chamber of Commerce in my hands."


    "Well, I do feel most at ease leaving it in your hands!"


    Lis raised his hand towards the night sky, as if trying to grasp something.


    "Instead of staying in Bright City, I need to train and gain greater strength."


    Mora nodded:


    "I believe you can do it. Leave the White Dove Chamber of Commerce to me; I won''t let you down."


    "Or should I say, you''ve paved the way so well, if I mess it up, wouldn''t it make me look ipetent?"


    "Just do your best."


    Lis shook his head, not minding too much.


    "Speaking of which, it looks like you''ve had quite the catch today!"


    Lis pointed at the pink handkerchief peeking out from Mora''s upper pocket andughed.


    This was a tradition among the noble youngdies of the Feis Kingdom, who would give their handkerchief to a man they had taken a fancy to.


    This gesture had alsoe to signify a willingness to deepen their acquaintance.


    Mora''s face turned somewhat pale, but he shook his head.


    "It''s not for me, how boring."


    "I didn''t expect our charming young bachelor to be so picky," Lis said,ughing, but also sensing Mora''smitment to austerity for the sake of his career.


    Just as Mora turned his head to retort, his eyes suddenly shone with admiration, and he nudged Lis, saying:


    "Look who''s talking, this one''s definitely here for you."

 Chapter 183 The Girls Little Surprise

    Hearing Mora''s words, Lis subconsciously turned his head to look.


    He saw a beautiful young girl slowly walking towards the two of them, her pure white evening gown perfectly outlining her graceful figure. The hem of the gown slightly touched the ground behind her, while the front, edged with whitece, just reached the top of the girl''s knees. White stockings wrapped around her delicate and slender legs, light and elegant.


    A simple red cord adorned the girl''s soft and partially exposed thighs, and several bright roses embellished her chest, setting off her pale skin. Yet the fiery red color of the roses paled inparison to the blush on the girl''s face.


    The girl''s stunning face seemed ill-equipped to handle such a scene, herplexion slightly flushed, but the bright red pupils and her white hair piled up brought a touch of mysterious allure, making one want to discover more.


    It was Risa!


    Lis watched in awe as Risa, who had stopped not far away, captivated him. He had always felt that Risa''s everyday attire was too in, concealing herself too tightly, despite his suggestions for a change.


    He never expected to see Risa in an evening gown tonight.


    This skin, I want to shower it in gold!


    Lis didn''t say much, immediately stepping forward to meet her.


    Mora, who had been nning to tease Lis, couldn''t help but pause when she saw him like this.


    She had never seen Lis look this way at any woman before.


    Oh? Except for that red-haired beauty at the Royal Pce evening partyst time.


    Goodness, I thought you, Lis, like Bernie, had no interest in women, but it turns out you just have no interest in that vulgar powder and rouge.


    That''s what Mora was thinking, but she didn''t interrupt the two, instead leaving quietly with a smile like that of a contented father.


    ...


    Risa sighed with relief when she saw the person with Lis leave, having mustered up the courage to wear this evening gown today, but she still only dared to approach Lis when she knew he was resting.


    Risa recognized the man who had just left; he had been to the house several times before. However, Risa''s shy nature made her hesitate to approach them.


    Seeing Lis walking towards her direction, Risa suddenly felt an urge to run away, her heart pounding wildly, anxious about something.


    Would Lis like me in this?


    Risa couldn''t help but raise her right hand to cover her eyes, unwilling to look at Lis any longer.


    Feeling a broad palm remove her small hand from in front of her, Risa sensed Lis''s warmth seemingly prating her white silk gloves.


    Lis held Risa''s small hand tightly, leading her away from the corridor to the small balcony they were just at.


    It seemed that when Mora left, he had cleared the area, and now the only sounds on the balcony were the night breeze and the faint music from the party.


    And the sound of each other''s breath.


    Being led away like a wooden puppet, Risa snapped out of it and struggled slightly; seeing Lis not letting go, she obediently let him fondle her small hand.


    Her cheeks, however, grew even redder.


    Even through the gloves, Lis could feel the softness and delicacy of Risa''s small hand, as if years of study and exercise had left no trace on her.


    "Risa, why are you dressed so beautifully today?"


    Lis lowered his head to look at the girl leaning against him and asked softly.


    Risa did not answer directly, but instead asked in a low voice:


    "Then... do you like it, Lis?"


    "Of course, I like it."


    Lis squeezed Risa''s small hand and pulled her to lean with him against the balcony railing.


    "Or rather, if you were to wear this outfit for someone else to see, maybe I would get jealous!"


    Risa lifted her head to look at Lis, her blood-red eyes revealing an indescribable expression as she said earnestly:


    "From now on, I will only wear it for Lis to see!"


    Lis was also smiling as he looked down at the earnest Risa, whose petite head fit perfectly on Lis''s shoulder.


    He couldn''t resist stroking her jade-like hair, enjoying the delightful texture of it.


    "You haven''t said, why did you surprise me like this today?"


    "When I took you to the partyst time, you were reluctant, weren''t you?"


    Risa leaned into Lis and whispered:


    "It was... Lord Joyce who told me to get ready, and the clothes too, they seem a bit too revealing."


    Lis looked down and appraised her, then affirmed:


    "Absolutely not, they suit you just right, Risa!"


    But it suddenly dawned on Lis, was Risa''s drastic change today arranged by Joyce?


    What was that big shot thinking?


    Couldn''t figure it out, couldn''t figure it out?


    Actually, Joyce had no ulterior motives. In his view, since Lis had the talent to inherit the Kane family''s legacy, Risa''s presence was bing less important.


    However, Risa had urgently been taken on as an apprentice by that old man Fran, and as for owing someone a favor, that was all nonsense; his attitude was clearly that of snatching up talent.


    Since Risa was talented and Little Lis even more so, frankly, Joyce was no longer too worried about their futures.


    He just had to wait for Lis to reach the Golden Rank, and then he could hand over the Kane family''s legacy to him.


    However, as an elder, Joyce had more to consider.


    Since there was no need to worry about Little Lis''s future, perhaps it was time to address another kind of legacy for the Kane family.


    As for the candidate, Risa was exceptionally talented and beautiful; she was the ideal choice.


    Nheless, Joyce wasn''t set on forcing the issue; after all, matters of the heart should be left to the two young people themselves, and he was merely giving them a little push.


    Lis naturally didn''t know all this, but now he couldn''t focus on anything else.


    The subtle fragrance of the girl gently floated to Lis''s nose, indulging him in a slight intoxication.


    Releasing Risa''s small hand, under the girl''s puzzled gaze, he wrapped his arm around her fair shoulder and drew her into his embrace.


    "So, did you want to dress up like this for me to see?"


    Lis slowly approached the girl''s face, staring at Risa''s rosy cheeks as he spoke.


    "I... Of course, I wanted to."


    Risa clung tightly to Lis''s hold, feeling very warm and dizzy.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    But, this feeling wasn''t bad at all!


    Risa gently rested her head on Lis''s shoulder, no longer wanting to think about anything else at this moment.


    In her heart, she just wished that this moment couldst a little longer, just a little longer.


    Lis lowered his head, slowly moving closer to Risa''s beautiful face.


    Risa noticed Lis''s movement, but her lethargic body was like a small whitemb,pletely unaware of the impending ''danger''.


    Lis couldn''t hold back any longer, tightly embracing the girl in his arms, and gently kissed Risa''s warm, moist red lips.


    Risa seemed to be startled awake, her body stiffening suddenly, hands clenched tight.


    But soon, Risa melted into Lis''s tender advances and rxed her hands, quietly resting them on Lis''s broad shoulders.


    The moonlight tonight was beautiful indeed!

 Chapter 184 Future Plans

    The next day at the Kane Mansion.


    Lis crawled out of the soft bed andzily stretched his limbs.


    The partyst night had gone on until midnight, and Lis had also stayed in the banquet hall until the very end.


    There was no helping it��in Bright City, the longer a guest stayed at the party, the more it demonstrated their regard for the host.


    If it weren''t for Arsen bringing over a group of servants from his own home, Lis wouldn''t have been able to make the evening such a sess.


    However, for Lis, the biggest gain from the previous day wasn''tworking at the party or the promotion of White Dove Chamber of Commerce products.


    Instead, the little surprise brought by Risa made him even happier.


    It was just too bad the girl was still a bit too shy. After kissing for a while, the little white rabbit came to her senses and, as if fleeing, hopped out of Lis''s arms and ttered away in her high heels.


    Well, Lis didn''t really regret it.


    He just wondered how long it would take Risa to get over it this time, and how much he would need to coddle her.


    After all, it might have been a bit too much stimtion for the youngdy.


    Shaking his head to clear these thoughts, Lis freshened up and went downstairs to enjoy today''s breakfast.


    Today''s breakfast consisted of Bright City toast, a vegetable sd, and apple sauce pancakes.


    A lighter diet was just right for Lis''s current appetite since he hadn''t eaten much the night before, although he had drunk quite a bit.


    Fortunate for Lis, his constitution was strong; otherwise, he really might not have been able to withstand the endless rounds of guests.


    After all, the awakening technique could only keep his mind temporarily clear; it couldn''t rid his body of the alcohol.


    After breakfast, Lis took an extra portion with him to the library to give to Risa.


    Upon opening the door, sure enough, Risay in bed, her head covered with the nket pretending to be asleep.


    Lis chuckled, ced the breakfast on the table beside him, and softly said,


    "Remember to eat it before it gets cold."


    After speaking, Lis gently closed the door and left.


    Once the sound of Lis''s footsteps faded away, Risa suddenly threw off the nket and, with a blush tinting her cheeks, walked over to the table to start enjoying the breakfast Lis had brought.


    ...


    "You''re saying you want to leave Bright City to gain experience outside?"


    Uncle Joyce, seated on the sofa, furrowed his brows slightly as he looked at Lis.


    Lis nodded. Leaving Bright City was something he had nned for a long time. After returning from the library, he went directly to his family''s big shot to exin his intentions.


    "Yes, I''ve learned everything I need to from you and Mr. Stephens at my current stage. It''s time to go out and train my abilities."


    "I''ve never been far away from Bright City!"


    Joyce, looking at Lis''s now matured face, felt as if he was seeing his past self and Brandon.


    He couldn''t help but shake his head, smiling as he said,


    "That''s true, you do indeed need some external training. Staying in Bright City all the time is not good for your development."


    "But do you have any ns?"


    Lis answered earnestly,


    "I n to venture out alone, under the identity of a mercenary."


    "The first destination is the Luoxue Mountain Range in the northern part of the Kingdom."


    "The Luoxue Mountain Range?"


    Joyce nodded. He was very familiar with this ce.


    The Luoxue Mountain Range spread across the northern border of the Feis Kingdom and was one of the few ces in the Kingdom where snow was present year-round.


    It was precisely because of this that the Magic Beasts of the Luoxue Mountain Range shared some habits and characteristics with the Magic Beasts from the northern wastnds of the Fanor continent. However, the strongest Magic Beasts in the Luoxue Mountains were at the Gold Level, posing little threat to Lis who carried the Shadow Talisman, making the strength of the Magic Beasts well-suited for his training.


    Without delving into why Lis chose the Luoxue Mountain Range as his training destination, Joyce continued to ask:


    "Are you nning to go alone? I thought you would leave with your adventure team or with Risa."


    Lis understood what Joyce meant, but he had his own ns for this trip and didn''t intend to bring anyone else along.


    "Ya''er and the others can''t be away from Bright City for too long, the Kingdom wouldn''t be at ease."


    Lis shook his head, Joyce should have noticed Taya''s uniqueness by now.


    "As for Risa, Mr. Stephens told me her Talent is sufficient to let her break through to the Legendary Level without any bottlenecks, so it''s best for her to stay in Bright City. It''s safer here."


    "It seems you''ve considered everything quite thoroughly, then. When do you n to leave?"


    Joyce asked with a smile, as if watching a younger person about to embark on a new journey.


    "Within this week, after I''ve arranged everything."


    Lis pondered briefly before responding and then scratched his head, asking:


    "Uncle Joyce, are you going to stay in Bright City?"


    Joyce took a sip of his tea and shook his head:


    "I have the Shadow Avatar out and about, so it doesn''t really matter for my person, but I should still be staying in Bright City."


    "However, Fran has some Magic Items capable of long-distancemunication. You can go to him and get one, and then you''ll be able to contact me directly."


    "Understood."


    Lis nodded, noting that there were still plenty of great things at his teacher''s, and thinking that before he left Bright City, he should see if he could acquire some useful items.


    Knowing that Joyce nned to stay in Bright City reassured Lis.


    In his absence, should Mora and the others encounter any insurmountable trouble, they could seek help from Joyce.


    Joyce nced at Lis, guessing his thoughts.


    It wasn''t a big deal. After the Sacrificial Festival, the Kingdom''s Legendary Monk, Avin, had specifically sought him out for a talk.


    After all, Avin had witnessed Joyce striking the decisive blow against the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts avatar and understood that the strength of this Legendary Assassin might even surpass his own, so he was quite polite.


    Having no particr designs on the Feis Kingdom and seeing that Lis had a close rtionship with the Kingdom, Joyce had agreed to the cooperation proposed by Avin.


    As long as it didn''t affect his own interests, the Kingdom would pay a price for Joyce''s assistance, though they added no coercion; Joyce couldpletely refuse the Kingdom''s requests.


    Joyce could stay in Bright City for the long term.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    At the same time, Joyce had to ensure that he would not unreasonably attack members of the Feis Royal Family. To get Joyce to agree to this, should he need assistance in Bright City, arrangements could be made with Royal Pce officials to handle the matter.


    The sincerity of the Feis Kingdom was quite substantial.


    Indeed, for a Kingdom, the threat of a Legendary Assassin was far greater than that of other Legendary Professionals, so almost no one would choose to oppose a Legendary Assassin.


    "Oh, since you''re going out for training, take this with you."


    Joyce seemed to remember something suddenly, he took a grey glove out of his storage ring and handed it to Lis.

 Chapter 185 Shadow Dragon Skin Gloves

    "What is this?"


    Lis asked as he took the grey gloves passed over by Joyce, his voiceced with confusion.


    The grey gloves seemed to be made from the fur of some creature, with a grey exterior that appeared to be swallowing the surrounding light, and they felt cool and silky to the touch,


    He had realized that this was a piece of magic equipment, but for some reason, when Lis tried to infuse it with magic power, the gloves did not respond.


    But soon, a prompt appeared before Lis''s eyes.


    -----------------


    [You have acquired the equipment "Shadow Dragon Skin Gloves"]


    [Equipment: "Shadow Dragon Skin Gloves"]


    Tier: Gold Level


    Introduction: Gloves made from the extremely precious neck skin of a Shadow Dragon. It seems that due to the maker''s insufficient skills, the full power of the Shadow Dragon has not been utilized, but this still remains a considerably valuable piece of equipment.


    Equipment Effect 1: +100 (50) to agility attribute, +50 (25) to mysterious attribute.


    Equipment Effect 2: Your finger dexterity +30%.


    Equipment Effect 3: When using skills rted to the Shadow ne, you receive a +2 priority in checks.


    Equipment Effect 4: Durability (these gloves are made from special material and are extremely hard to damage).]


    -----------------


    "This was found on the assassin during the Sacrificial Festival,"


    Joyce said indifferently,


    "The material of these gloves is quite special, probably made from the fur of a creature from the Shadow ne, which should aid you in using your shadow abilities."


    Lis, looking at the gloves in his hands, finally understood how that assassin named "Blood de" was able to breach the King''s Defense Array.


    It was due to this equipment''s buff to the "Shadow Jump" skill.


    This effect was somewhat simr to that of Lis''s "Shadow Crown," the assassin profession specialty, which provides a +3 to skills rted to the Shadow ne.


    But it was clear that the effect of the "Shadow Crown" was stronger.


    After trying on the gloves, Lis felt they were quite nice and even felt that his affinity with the Shadow ne had improved.


    However, since this was Gold Level equipment, Lis couldn''t fully unleash its power; the numbers inside the bracket for Equipment Effect 1 were the actual attribute boosts he could obtain now.


    After trying them out, Lis stored the gloves away.


    "Thank you, Uncle Joyce. I really like these gloves."


    "Hmm, be careful out there,"


    Without much ado, Joyce nodded and advised Lis.


    -----------------


    Having decided to leave Bright City to gain experience, Lis no longer dyed and immediately began preparations for his adventure.


    In Gaia World, most regions are sparsely popted, and the distances between towns are quite vast for an ordinary person; furthermore, the journey could involve encounters with various Magic Beasts and Extraordinary Creatures, somoners rarely ever leave the city of their birth.


    This situation has led to a feudal system being the dominant form of government in Human Kingdoms, where a vast array of Lord Nobles assist the Kingdom in governing its expansive territories.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Even in this era, there were people who were constantly on the move, and these were the Guild caravans.


    The cirction of goods in different regions of the Fanor Continent was mainly built upon the efforts of these traveling merchants.


    Of course, it wasn''t that the merchants enjoyed braving various dangers to travel afar; it was all for the sake of the high profits.


    To give an example, even merchant traders from Feis Kingdom''s neighboring Boditch Kingdom could earn several times the profit just by transporting variousmon fish from the coast to Bright City via special preservation methods, not to mention luxury goods like pearls and corals.


    Currently, most merchant caravans were organized byrge Guilds, which hired enough mercenaries to guard the caravans.


    They also epted the addition of individual travelers, who could join for a corresponding fee to share the costs.


    Lis naturally didn''t need to personally look for a caravan to join, as Mora had already taken care of the arrangements with his preliminarywork of contacts and intelligence.


    A merchant group from Feis Guild was soon to set off from Bright City to Viscount Oraya''s territory in the Northern Kingdom. Their final stop was not far from Luoxue Mountain Range, so Lis could travel with the caravan for the initial part of his journey, sparing him from worrying about many trivial matters.


    Although Lis opted to venture out to gain experience, the central core area of the Royal Capital, where the Kingdom''s strength was strongest,cked sufficiently powerful Extraordinary Creatures, therefore offering little in terms of training effectiveness and significance for Lis. It was more practical to sit in a carriage and travel with the caravan.


    On the carriage, he could also free up time to study the arcane, making full use of his time.


    As for supplies, Lis had the White Dove Chamber of Commerce prepare them for him; one had to admit that, as the White Dove Guild gradually matured and began to operate formally, its potential for growth was increasingly unfolding.


    Leveraging Lis''s influence, Mora had progressively built up the White Dove Guild''s businesswork in Bright City, and the yers that Lis had in mind to recruit yed a huge role in this process.


    The Guild''s managers were astonished that these people had such exceptionally high work enthusiasm and could handle all kinds of tough and tiring jobs with impressive efficiency.


    For instance, the yers had cleared all the ruins of Mingzhu Street, which Lis purchased from the Kingdom, in just a few days.


    Aside from sometimes behaving oddly and speaking in iprehensible terms, these individuals were simply the best workforce.


    However, Lis knew that this situation wouldn''tst long. After all, the yers were here to y a game. At the beginning, they would patientlyplete tasks set by the White Dove Chamber of Commerce to umte experience. Butter, those tasks with not enough Experience Points would no longer attract them.


    Lis wasn''t too worried though; by then, it would be the time of version 3.0, with most yers having advanced to Silver Rank.


    By that time, of course, Lis would have many more methods to maintain the yers'' interest.


    Special costumes, exclusive titles, higher-end Magic Items and potions, etc.


    As a professional gamer, Lis knew quite well what could attract yers; after all, in his previous life, there were many yers who paid him to acquire these items, so he clearly understood what would appeal to them.


    The current yers were just budding "leeks," and there was still a long time before they could be truly useful. Lis was not in a hurry; after all, he had plenty of time.


    After White Dove Chamber of Commerce had ced the replenished supplies in the storage ring, Lis made sure to prepare plenty of useful and less useful items for this experience-gaining trip, even bringing an extra storage ring.


    After all, Lis was no ascetic; why not make preparations to make himself morefortable?


    He also updated the Memory Ball he had obtained previously to the White Dove Chamber of Commerce''s power panel, ensuring he wouldn''t have to worry about being unable to harvest experience from yers after leaving Bright City.


    Next...


    Lis was ready to head to the First Magic Workshop.

 Chapter 186 The Ruins of Snow Ridge Town

    Royal Magic Academy of Feis Kingdom, First Magic Workshop.


    "You''re going out for training?"


    Fran Stephens raised an eyebrow, leaning back on the sofa as he looked at Lis standing before him.


    In front of the two, as usual, were various sweets Fran loved, sickeningly sweet, and steaming hot tea.


    "Yes, teacher, I feel like I''ve hit a certain bottleneck in my studies and am nning to leave Bright City for some training."


    Lis spoke with a degree of reverence, though he was very familiar with his teacher, respect and etiquette were still indispensable.


    "Where to?"


    "Luoxue Mountain Range."


    "Oh, that ce?"


    Fran stroked his chin, seeming to remember something.


    "There... there is indeed a rather special ce, are you going to Snow Ridge Town?"


    Lis was somewhat surprised, not expecting that Fran would guess his destination so quickly.


    But then again, it made sense, given that Fran, whose age was unknown, had probably visited all the special locations within the Feis Kingdom, and recently had taken to traveling in the Star Realm.


    "There''s a particrly unique ruin there, but I was in a hurry at the time and didn''t stay long before I left."


    Fran nodded his head and then added with a smile:


    "A very interesting relic, but hidden too deep. The owner of the ruin was probably a Legendary Level Mage."


    Lis felt a bit of surprise, although he had already decided on his first target for the trip, to be honest, he wasn''t very confident.


    It was the birthce of a rise of a Legendary Arcanist in theter generations!


    In version 5.0, in the frontline battling the Abyss Demons, suddenly a very powerful Legendary Arcanist named Dracos Mick appeared.


    His titleter became "Arcane Master"!


    Because he demonstrated an abundance of personal exclusive arcane arts!


    And the types of exclusive arcane arts he used covered almost all kinds of spells.


    Protection system, Curse system, Shape Power series, Undead, Transformation series, Confusion Control system, he even created powerful exclusive arcane arts in the notoriously difficult Illusion and Prophetic series.


    This was something even "Judgement me" Fran Stephens couldn''t achieve.


    Whenter asked how he managed to do it, he said with a smile,


    "I acquired the wisdom of my predecessors in Snow Ridge Town."


    "In a dream, I saw a magnificent pce, ascended to the throne at its end, and received the coronation of the Wise Man."


    When pressed further by others, he simply shook his head with a smile, refraining from speaking further.


    Some spected that he had received the inheritance of his predecessors, others guessed he had acquired some incredibly powerful magic items.


    After learning of this, many immediately set off for Snow Ridge Town, but all returned empty-handed.


    Naturally, Lis thought about acquiring the treasures of Snow Ridge Town.


    After all, that was possibly the most essible secret hoard of an Arcanist for Lis. Besides, Dracos Mick seemed to be just an ordinary person before he received the inheritance, probably not even a professional.


    There was still a long time before Dracos Mick acquired the secret, and Lis could very well get there first.


    Thus, Lis set his first destination as Snow Ridge Town.


    However, how Dracos Mick acquired the secret was unclear to Lis, prompting the need for him to investigate Snow Ridge Town further.


    Lis was already prepared for the possibility of gaining nothing, but he did not expect that Fran would know about the relic, a truly pleasant surprise.


    "Are you going to explore this relic?"


    Fran''s face showed a special smile as he added,


    "Then you might not even find the entrance."


    Lis nodded his head, a conclusion many explorerster reached as well.


    Snow Ridge Town was just an ordinary small town situated under the Luoxue Mountain Range. At the time, many flocked there, not only turning the town upside down but also thoroughly searching the nearby mountains.


    No one has discovered not just the hidden treasures, but also the pce that Dracos Mick mentioned.


    Therefore, some suspect that Dracos Mick was lying and that the real treasures might not be in Snow Ridge Town.


    "Yes, teacher."


    Lis said calmly:


    "I have heard that there is a special ce there, and I would like to explore it."


    "Please teach me, teacher!"


    Fran nodded, quite satisfied with Lis''s challenging spirit.


    After pondering for a moment, Fran slowly said:


    "That relic seems to have no master controlling it, which is why it asionally reveals itself."


    "However, I can be sure that the relic does not exist in reality. It might be located in a fragment of a ne or in a special ne that oveps with the main world."


    "Whenever a light purple fog appears in Snow Ridge Town, the location of this relic vaguely bes visible."


    "However, the ce where the relic is located is still on a different ne, so it cannot be directly essed."


    "I tried to enter it before, but strangely, the ne where the relic is located rejected me."


    "That must be a ce where a Legendary Mage left his legacy. The various arrangements left behind select who can enter, so I did not force my way in."


    "However, for you, Lis, it might be quite suitable."


    Light purple fog? Different ne? Legacy of a Legendary Strongman?


    Lis frowned, having received quite a substantial amount of information from his teacher, yet much was still uncertain.


    For instance, different nes��these are something a Mage only begins to grasp after advancing to the Gold Level, meaning without an existing passage between the different ne and the main world, Lis still cannot travel between them.


    Fran looked at Lis with a smile and took a sip of his tea.


    Suddenly, a fist-sized transparent crystal ball appeared on the table in front of Lis.


    It seemed to be constantly swirling with colorful Magic Light.


    "What is this?"


    Lis looked up, somewhat puzzled, at Fran.


    "This is amunication Magic Item. You can use it to contact me."


    Fran''s smile carried a special meaning as he continued:


    "Since you are my apprentice, just like Risa, I can help you this one time."


    "For example, with this relic, if you can''t manage it, I can help you forcefully enter where the relic is located. Whether you can obtain the legacy will depend on you."


    Upon hearing this, a hint of joy appeared on Lis''s face.


    This was even better than giving Lis a set of Gold Level equipment!


    With the backing of such a significant figure, his goal now seemed even more attainable.


    "Thank you, teacher. I will try my best."


    Lis stored the crystal ball in his storage ring, thoroughly satisfied.


    He did not feel discontent because Fran only promised to help once; Lis was already quite content.


    After all, Fran was only his teacher, and much of the journey ahead depended on himself.


    Fran nodded with a smile, genuinely pleased with Lis and Risa, which is why he had invested so much effort.


    If it were many other Mages with unpleasant personalities, they would just give you a Magic Book and tell you to study it yourself.


    But soon, Fran could no longer smile...


    He watched as Lis ransacked his workshop, even emptying out one of the Magic Laboratories on the second floor, and took plenty of magic potions and Enchantment Tools that Fran had made in his spare time.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Eventually, unable to watch anymore, Fran kicked Lis out.


    Looking at the emptyboratory and somewhat messy storage room, Fran was speechless, then shook his head andughed:


    "Well, it''s time to rece them anyway. I''ll have Dalton get another batch from the Kingdomter."

 Chapter 187 The Girl Took the Initiative and Went Up!

    Before leaving Bright City, Lis had nearly everything well-organized.


    Mora, Bernie, and the White Dove Guild had mostly been arranged, without needing Lis''s further attention.


    The yers were still diligently working to umte experience and money, responsibly thriving and growing.


    After arranging other matters, Lis also took a detour to Gedo Street to visit Ya''er and Arsen''s adventure team vi.


    Lis, after a long absence, cooked, preparing avish dinner.


    White Frost Soup, butter-fried fish, matsutake stuffed meat rolls, Feis cheese balls, honey-zed carrot stewed meat, satiating sd, holiday fruitpote, and so on.


    The table wasden with food.


    While enjoying the meal with his friends, Lis also shared his ns to leave Feis and travel abroad for training with the members of the adventure team.


    Ya''er, initially very happy, became somewhat dejected but soon cheered up again.


    She was not the type to be disheartened easily, knowing the King would not allow her to follow Lis to far-off ces, she refrained from making any requests that would trouble Lis.


    Instead, she stood beside, clenching her fists, quietly muttering about training hard to surprise Lis when he returned.


    Arsen and Ailinaughed and wished Lis a smooth journey, and Ailina even gave Lis a wooden white flower protective talisman.


    Ailina said it was a Yiying Flower from her hometown, Navia Forest, symbolizing safe travels for those venturing far from home.


    As for Lunbos, he gulped down his beer, regretting that there was not enough time to forge a solid suit of armor for Lis beforehand.


    After a boisterous half-day at the adventure team vi, Lis bid farewell to his friends and returned to his home on Feis Street.


    After reflecting, Lis directly headed for the library upstairs.


    Standing at the library door, Lis did not enter as usual but instead knocked gently on the door with a smile.


    Instead of hearing Risa''s response, he heard a scurry of footsteps inside.


    Upon opening the door, Lis saw several un-closed Magic Books on the floor by the rays of lighting through a nearby window.


    It appeared Risa had just been perusing books there but had been startled by Lis''s knock and retreated to her small room.


    Softly walking toward Risa''s small partition, Lis didn''t knock but opened the door this time.


    Therey Risa, wrapped in a nket, lying lifelessly on the bed like a dead fish.


    Barely containing his smirk, Lis sat beside Risa''s bed, seemingly waiting for something.


    As the soft mattress slightly dipped, Risa seemed to feel Lis sitting beside her, her body stiffening slightly.


    A sense of embarrassment surged in her heart as memories of that moonlit night returned to assail Risa.


    Gently, Lis ced a hand on Risa''s shoulder, feeling the warmth and softness of the young girl''s body through the thin nket.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Risa made no movement, seemingly consenting to Lis''s somewhat intimate gesture.


    "Last time you ran away too quickly, and I didn''t have the chance to speak to you," Lis''s voice whispered in Risa''s ear.


    "In a few days, I''m nning to leave Bright City to train abroad, and I might be gone for quite a long time."


    Upon hearing this from Lis, Risa was somewhat stunned.


    Master Lis, will you be gone for a long time?


    Then...


    The young girl''s thoughts suddenly felt tangled.


    This training trip must be very important for him,


    but Risa''s heart inexplicably did not want Lis to be too far from her.


    If it were the same as before, it might not matter so much.


    Being alone in the library, life was carefree; she quietly read books and practiced magic. Although it was somewhat monotonous and boring, time also seemed to pass rtively quickly.


    But it seemed that from that day on, everything was different.


    Lis had somewhat forcefully entered Risa''s world, breaking her mundane life.


    Risa felt that the appearance of Young Master Lis had painted her little world with different colors, bringing a bit of fresh air.


    Since then, even when Risa was reading alone, images of Lis would asionally pop into her mind.


    She wouldn''t always eat alone; Lis often brought many delicious desserts and red tea to share with her.


    She wouldn''t always read alone; Lis would sometimes sit on the wooden floor next to her with a book, the faint scent of ink lingering around them.


    Her world was no longer limited to this small library, because Young Master Lis, Lord Joyce, no longer restricted her outings.


    Youthful Master Lis would take her to practice magic together in the courtyard and asionally pull her streets to wander.


    The girl suddenly realized that perhaps the most vivid and memorable memories of her many years were the days she had spent with Lis over the past month.


    Until that night under the moonlight...


    Feeling Lis''s broad palm caressing her shoulder, Risa quietly wriggled out from under the nket, revealing her small delicate face and looking at Lis with a somewhat pitiful expression:


    "Young Master Lis... may Ie with you?"


    Lis, looking at Risa''s adorable demeanor, could hardly resist anymore.


    He rolled up the nket on Risa, wrapping her into a snug sushi roll, and held her in his arms.


    "I would like to, but unfortunately, I can''t."


    "Mr. Stephens said, although your talent is strong, Risa, and breaking through to legend doesn''t pose too much of a bottleneck, there are still deficiencies."


    "Mr. Stephens ns to guide you earnestly during this period, teaching you to be an Arcanist, which will benefit your future."


    Hearing that Lis and the teacher had thoughtfully nned her future path, the always obedient Risa nodded her head and said no more.


    Although Risa was a bit downhearted, she was quickly distracted by her unusual current situation.


    Feeling somewhat ufortable, she wriggled her body and found that Lis had wrapped her up tightly, so she could only look at him with pitiable eyes.


    Can you say that this look is just too adorable?


    Foul!


    Lis almost couldn''t hold back anymore, bending down and whispering in Risa''s ear:


    "From now on, you don''t have to call me Young Master Lis, just Lis will do."


    The soft and tender earlobe felt Lis''s warm breath and began to slowly turn a shade of crimson.


    Risa felt her brain sizzling, slowing down a bit, and she mumbled:


    "Lis... Lis."


    Lis, looking at the somewhat delirious Risa, couldn''t help but lean closer and said with a smile:


    "I am going to be gone for a long time, Risa, will you miss me?"


    "...I will."


    "Then would you like to keep a souvenir?"


    "...Yes."


    "Then may I have a kiss from you?"


    Risa''s eyes, veiled in mist, gazed at the handsome face so close to hers, feeling like it really made sense.


    The pure and innocent girl bravely tilted her head up and boldly kissed him.

 Chapter 188 Angelas Awakening

    Lis walked out of the Library contentedly, feeling that everything in the world was so beautiful.


    He had to admit, despite some guilt, this sensation was indeed exhrating.


    At the moment, Risa was still lying dazed on the bed, unaware of when she woulde to.


    It could only be said that although Lis had limited experience, being more of a theoretical master, the nk te that was Risa waspletely defenseless, with her defenses squarely in the negatives.


    So... was there anything else he hadn''t considered?


    Lis always felt like he had forgotten something.


    That shouldn''t be the case, though. Kingdom, Guild, mentor, friends... he should have considered everything, what was still missing?


    Just as Lis was tapping his forehead, a sh of blood-light appeared before him.


    A lively white-haired girl appeared before his eyes.


    The girl gave Lis a very familiar feeling, but he couldn''t immediately recall who she was.


    However, Lis didn''t have to worry for long.


    With one sentence, the girl revealed her identity.


    The white-haired girl put her hands on her hips and shouted,


    "Lis, I''m hungry!"


    "I want ten fruit pancakes!"


    Good lord, it turned out to be Ang!


    Lis looked at the white-haired girl before him with astonishment, scrutinizing her closely.


    If Ang''s earlier humanoid form was that of a cute little loli around the age of ten, now she had transformed into a pretty girl of fifteen or sixteen.


    It seemed that Cain''s Divine Power indeed was of great help to Ang.


    Not only had she grown tremendously in form, but her strength also had increased astonishingly.


    Lis sensed that Ang''s aura had deepened a lot, and it seemed to carry a hint of holy charm.


    Was this the aura of a Divine Son?


    Lis quietly calcted in his mind, reminiscing that in his past life when he encountered gods and Divine Sons in the game, it was only through data and description that he could imagine; he never had such a direct sensation as now.


    Seeing Lis unmoving, just staring and sizing her up for quite a while, Ang grew impatient.


    She had just awakened from the Blood Cocoon, feeling very hungry, and hade straight to Lis after sensing his aura. How could Lis be so inconsiderate of her?


    After being irritably patted by Ang, Lis finally came to his senses and cheerfully prepared to take Ang to instruct the chefs to make something to eat.


    Upon seeing this, Ang transformed back into a white Little Bat and perched atop Lis''s head.


    Having just absorbed Cain''s Divine Power, she was a bit tired and didn''t feel like walking; it was perfect to have Lis as a "means of transport."


    The chefs were quick, as they knew the house had a little bat who loved fruit pancakes, so they had prepared many semi-finished ingredients beforehand.


    Soon, numerous fruit pancakes of various vors wereid out on the dining table.


    Ang''s little eyes shone brightly as she dived directly onto the steaming pancakes and started nibbling.


    It wasn''t because the bat form made it easier to feel full; Ang''s appetite was the same in any form. However, ording to her, the Little Bat form made the experience of eating much more enjoyable.


    "Slow down,"


    Lis said with augh, watching Ang devour the pancakes.


    For Lis, Ang was no longer the Gold Level boss from McGwire''s Death Tomb.


    During their time together, he hade to see her more like a little sister.


    It was just that this sister was a bit too strong.


    Not only did she possess Gold Level strength, but now she had also be Cain''s Divine Son.


    In the blink of an eye, Ang had finished five pancakes, and her eating pace slowed down; she was no longer in such a rush.


    Lis looked at the Little Bat''s t tummy, wondering if she had some sort of dimensional stomach. The amount she ate was three or four times the size of her body.


    "Ang, how do you feel, and how was your haul this time?" Lis asked with a smile.


    Ang''s little head popped out from a half-eaten pancake, her little paw scratching herself as she said,


    "I feel like I''ve be stronger than before, and my body is much more robust."


    "It seems like I''ve also gained a special power inside, but I don''t know how to use it yet."


    A special power?


    It must be Divine Power, if she can master it smoothly, she should be able to use Cain''s Divine Arts.


    But looking at Ang like this, who knows how long it will take for her to figure it out on her own!


    Lis thought of Marion''s earlier suggestion and, after a moment of contemtion, he asked:


    "That should be your ancestor''s Divine Power, it''s very difficult to fully master."


    "So, how about you go to Frost Blood Castle with Marion and learn properly from Duke Burns?"


    "But I don''t want to go that far, ah, staying with you is just fine!"


    Ang dered without a second thought.


    "Ang, I''m nning to go on a journey soon and can''t take you with me."


    "After all, with you being so strong, there wouldn''t be much of a challenge for me."


    Lis shook his head and exined to Ang.


    "Then I''ll just secretly follow you!"


    Ang tilted her little head and looked at Lis.


    "That''s no different froming with me."


    Lis couldn''t help butugh, but he still gratefully stroked Ang''s head.


    "Okay, then, alright."


    Ang nodded, suddenly feeling like the fruit pancake in front of her lost its appeal.


    "You don''t have to be like this, if you master the use of Divine Power soon, then you can join me on adventurester on."


    Lis smiled andforted Ang, saying:


    "Going there really is for your benefit, who knows, I might even make a detour to check on you during my journey!"


    "Then it''s a deal!"


    Ang gave it some thought and still agreed to go to Frost Blood Castle with Marion.


    I''m not having an easy time, that guy Marion has to pay up.


    That''s what Lis thought, crushing the Communication Crystal Marion had given him previously.


    ...


    It wasn''t long before Marion appeared at the mansion''s entrance, but he politely waited there without entering uninvited.


    Lis came out with Ang to meet Marion, who seemed to have enjoyed life in Bright City a bit too much and had grown... plump.


    Marion nodded upon seeing Ang who seemed reborn.


    "Truly worthy of being the Divine Son, you have already fully absorbed the ancestor''s Divine Power."


    Lis shared the news with Marion that Ang was willing to go to Frost Blood Castle, which seemed to please him greatly.


    "I''m very grateful for your help, Mr. Lis, you''ll always be a friend of the Blood n."


    Marion turned to Ang and said:


    "Please rest assured, Divine Son, you will certainly achieve adequate growth at Frost Blood Castle."


    "Lis, you''ve got toe and find me."


    Ang looked at Marion with some disapproval, hesitated for a long time, but didn''t fly onto his head. Instead, she transformed into a girl and stood by Marion''s side.


    "Frost Blood Castle also wees you, Mr. Lis,"


    Marion added, nodding his head:n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Please ept this, Mr. Lis."


    "As long as youe to Duke Burns'' Domain in Bolin Kingdom, I will sense it and wee you to Frost Blood Castle, I believe it won''t disappoint you."


    Lis took the blood-colored badge passed to him by Marion, on which was stamped a blood-colored crescent moon.


    "I understand."


    Lis stored the badge in the storage ring, looked at the eager Ang, and couldn''t help but add:


    "I wille, don''t worry."


    Lis felt a little odd, as if he was sending a child to school, but Ang was sensible, not crying or making a fuss.


    "Mm-hm."


    Ang nodded, her mood gradually improving.


    "Well then, we shall take our leave."


    Marion took off his hat, bowed slightly to Lis, and after a moment, he and Ang''s figures vanished from Lis''s sight.

 Chapter 189 - 187 Feis Caravan

    Bright City, Lower City District, near the north-side city gate.


    This was one of the busiest gates of Bright City, where many travelers headed to the north of Bright City would set out. Between the deep gray bricks of the city wall, some green moss had begun to climb, giving a sense of the years to these weathered walls that had stood for so long.


    At this time, arge group of people and horses were getting organized in an open space not far from the city gate.


    This was the gathering ce for all merchant caravans preparing to venture into the Northern Territory.


    The majority of the wagons waiting here bore the same design, with a longsword symbol emzoned on one side of the carriage, marking the insignia of the Kingdom��s premier Feis Guild.


    This also signified that the organizers and leaders of this caravan were from the Feis Guild.


    There was no doubt about the credibility and strength of the Feis Guild, which is why many different carriages had hurried here, queuing up honestly behind the merchant caravan, waiting to depart.


    The leader of this merchant caravan, Feis Guild Manager Roque Lelli, was checking the readiness of the wagons, ensuring that all goods were loaded, the waterproof covers on the carriages were securely tied, and that all the guards were present, among other things.


    He needed to verify and inspect each of these thoroughly.


    This was no trifling matter��after all, the destination was Viscount Oraya��s territory in the Northern Kingdom, where many of the ces along the way were sparsely popted. Anypse in preparation could result in minor losses of goods, but a loss of life would leave one with endless regrets.


    Thus, no matter how ample the preparations, Roque would personally recheck everything before departure.


    This was why he, at just thirty years old, had be the manager of the Feis Guild, leading this merchant caravan.


    "Lord Roque, the Guard Team is all prepared, and both the White Wolf Mercenary Group and other mercenaries that the Guild hired are assembled," said Zorff respectfully as he approached Roque, being themander of the caravan��s guards.


    "Zorff, you��re going to have a tough time on this trip," said Roque satisfactorily, nodding at the stalwart middle-aged warrior in front of him.


    Although the caravan always issuedmissions to hire experienced mercenaries, the most critical force for the caravan��s protection was still the Feis Guild��s own guard power.


    In a critical situation, only their own people could be relied upon, though such scenarios were rare.


    Zorff was among the Feis Guild��s most experienced Silver High Rank guardmanders, and it was probably because of his presence that the guild��s upper echelon had let Zorff take part in this caravan,


    Roque understood that after all, this trip was just to the Northern Territory, still within the Kingdom��s borders.


    Normally, a guardmander of Zorff��s calibre would apany caravans going to other countries.


    Of course, Roque naturally gave Zorff the respect he deserved.


    "Has that person arrived?" asked Zorff in a deep voice. Among the caravan, only the two of them knew the identity of that person, as that person had specifically requested not to publicize it.


    "Let��s wait a bit longer; they should be here soon," replied Roque, equally uncertain and definitely not daring to rush that person.


    Because of that person��s request, Roque��s caravan should have been ready to depart a week ago, but they had been made to wait an additional week, showing the Guild��s emphasis on that person.


    However, while Roque and Zorff were clear on the matter, the small merchants who had joined the caravan at thest minute dared not say anything, but some of the mercenaries hired by the Feis Guild were beginning to grumble.


    Fink looked up at the sky; the sun had already climbed to a high position, yet the Feis caravan seemed to have no intention of departing yet.


    Growing impatient, Finkined to the nearby White Wolf Mercenary Group��s squad leader, Uncle Magat,


    "What��s the situation with the Feis Guild, they clearly agreed to depart a week ago when they epted themission, and now they��re dragging it out this long? They don��t seem to be in a hurry at all."


    Magat didn��t pay attention to Fink and instead sat on the carriage beside them, meticulously wiping a brown cloth over the longsword in his hands.


    He wiped away the nearly non-existent dust as if handling his most intimate lover. Only after Magat sheathed his sword did he nce at Fink.


    Thisd had talent, being a high-level Bronze warrior at such a young age, but he was a bit too restless and impatient.


    They hadn��t gotten that far, had they, and he was already anxious?


    Magat shook his head and pped Fink on the head, scolding him,


    "You rascal, stop your babbling, just wait quietly. Are you in such a hurry to meet the God of Dawn?"


    "Oh, Uncle Magat."


    Fink, having been chastised, replied sullenly as he covered his head.


    In reality, he was just talking to satisfy the urge to speak; he still didn��t dare to oppose Magat.


    After all, the leader of the White Wolf Mercenary Group was a Gold-level warrior, with each of the Silver Level squad leaders below him.


    Magat was among them and was the strongest Silver High Rank warrior in the squad.


    This time, it was Magat��s mercenary squad that had epted themission from the Feis Guild.


    While Fink was idly daydreaming, Magat suddenly jumped down from the carriage, calling his team members to prepare for departure.


    "The person they��ve been waiting for must have arrived."


    Fink lifted his head and saw a fancy brown carriage drawn by two horses slowly approaching their convoy.


    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Managers Roque and Zorff walked out from the group to wee the carriage.


    Fink recognized Roque; after all, this manager from the Feis Guild had been the one tomission themst time, leaving a strong impression on the young Fink with his shrewd yet courteous demeanor.


    The brown carriage stopped before the convoy��s camp, and the door on one side opened. Roque and Zorff stood beside the carriage, greeting someone inside with respect.


    It seemed that after a short while, Roque and Zorff left the carriage and returned to the midst of the convoy.


    Soon after, the whole convoy became noisy as everyone started bustling about, preparing for departure.


    Fink was still a bit confused about the situation when he heard Magatining nearby,


    "It seems like we��ll be traveling with another VIP this time."


    "What a hassle, I hope it��s not some annoying noble."


    Fink cautiously turned to look at his squad leader, and immediately his head suffered another hit.


    "What are you looking at, go and load your baggage onto the carriage!"


    "Oh, right!"


    Soon, the entire convoy was organized. Apparently, because the convoy had waited longer than usual, many traders had decided to join, with carriagesrge and small stretching out for hundreds of meters.


    Guided by the guards of Bright City, the entire convoy slowly passed through the city gates, heading towards the Northern Territory of the Kingdom.

 Chapter 190 - 188: The First Day of the Journey

    Lis felt somewhat helpless.


    Yes, Lis now felt quite regretful.


    If he could make the choice again, he certainly wouldn��t choose to travel with the Feis Guild.


    Previously, when Mora was making arrangements for him, Lis thought it was just a matter of simply following behind a merchant caravan, staying inconspicuous.


    Could it be that the Feis Guild was taking this new Marquis Kane too seriously?


    Without mentioning anything else, the luxurious carriage Lis was currently riding in was an absolutely preposterous matter.


    After all, merchant caravans on long journeys were not ordinary outings, and typical noble carriages weren��t really suitable, most often used within the city.


    Carriages used for long-distance travel tended to be topless carts, prioritizing sturdiness, durability, and convenience.


    However, the carriage Lis was using now had been specially made to order by skilled artisans hired by the Feis Guild at great expense. Ensuringfort and solidity, it even had the "Light Spirit" Advanced Magic Patterns enchanted onto it, greatly reducing the carriage��s weight and also lessening the bumps, making for a morefortable ride.


    The interior furnishings need not even be mentioned; unlike the typical noble carriage��s seating with opposing sofas, this carriage considered travelfort bybining them into a soft sofa bed, with a small table and armchair beside it, making utmost use of the space.


    "Truly damnable hedonism!"


    Lisy on the soft sofa bed, condemning it with some "dissatisfaction."


    "But this bed is quitefortable."


    Just now, the manager and Guard Captain hade to greet him specially, and he had quickly sent them away.


    Lis understood very well that these two did not hope for him to exert any effort; their greatest wish was for him to safely stay put without causing any trouble.


    Lis was also happy to rx, leaving professional tasks to the professionals; he was not someone who liked to show off.


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Before long, Lis felt a slight jolt beneath him as the merchant caravan officially set off.


    Lifting the curtain for a look, he found his carriage right at the center of the convoy, the safest ce.


    Shaking his head, Lis let the curtain fall.


    Since things had already reached this point, Lis didn��t feel the need to switch to an ordinary carriage.


    As long as he could safely reach the Northern Territory, the current situation was fine; the carriage was well soundproofed, and Lis could study arcane inside, making good use of the time.


    ...


    The entire merchant caravan was slowly proceeding northward.


    The guards of the Feis caravan were mainly following in the middle of the caravan, responsible for maintaining order and scouting.


    The hired mercenaries were mainly entrusted with scouting the road ahead, assessing dangers, and tasks at the rear of the caravan.


    The White Wolf Mercenary Group, having taken on the escort mission, naturally excelled at this.


    Magat had arranged for all the mercenaries in his small team to go and scout around, leaving only one person to drive the carriage and follow the convoy.


    As for Fink, Magat kept him close for convenience��s sake, ready to mentor him at any time.


    Although Fink was somewhat boisterous, his talent was indeed not bad, standing out in the White Wolf Mercenary Group, which was why the leader had Magat take him under his wing and impart some experience.


    Having promised, Magat took it to heart.


    Now was a good time to keep him at his side, to familiarize him with the details of an escort mission.


    Fink, who had already been on a few missions with the team, was quite familiar with Magat; both were warriors, and their current position was a short distance ahead of the caravan.


    They upied this position for a reason, so they could quickly support the Hunters and Thieves who were scouting the road ahead.


    Their pace was not fast, in fact, they seemed quite rxed.


    After all, the caravans were loaded with goods, so naturally, they couldn��t go very fast.


    Fink looked around curiously and asked Magat:


    "Uncle, do you say the person on that carriage is a noble?"


    Magat didn��t mind Fink��s distraction since the caravan was in the hearnd of the Feis Kingdom, near the capital, Bright City, where danger was hardly an issue. Being constantly tense would only be an unnecessary drain on energy.


    "Should be, if you observe closely you can see there��s a bloody longsword crest on the carriage."


    "Ah?"


    Magat gave Fink a helpless nce and added:


    "That��s the special emblem of the Feis Guild, not something just anyone can use."


    "Even only the Great Nobles, the Feis Guild would arrange for carriages with such a crest."


    "Is that so?"


    Fink scratched his head with a sudden look of realization.


    Guessing Fink didn��t quite understand, Magat patiently cautioned him:


    "Who knows which Great Noble is following the convoy this time, we haven��t even seen their noble guards, which is odd."


    "Even so, you should still be careful, you got that, Fink!"


    "Got it, got it, I��ll stay far away from that carriage, alright then."


    Magat was a bit resigned; the boy would learn the hard way sooner orter.


    ...


    Today they had set off ratherte, didn��t stop much along the way, and only made camp at a site pre-selected by the mercenaries when evening approached.


    Traveling was always quite tough, even right after leaving Bright City.


    The guards and workers of the caravan hurried to make a fire, heat up water, and cook the evening��s food.


    The daily routine of the caravan was like this, except in special cases, they would only stop to make fire and cook, eating a hot meal in the morning and evening. If hungry during the day, they would just grab some dry food to hold them over. Although they would asionally stop to rest the animals and restore their strength, actually making a fire was too much of a hassle.


    Knock, knock!


    The sound of knocking roused Lis from his arcane research.


    Upon opening the door, he saw Roque, the caravan��s manager.


    "Lord Lis, we n to rest here tonight, do you need anything else?"


    "No need, thank you for your effort."


    Lis nodded, then added:


    "You don��t have to ask me about everything, I don��t concern myself with such matters. If I need anything, I��ll have Anders contact you."


    Anders was Lis��s current coachman, specially arranged along with the carriage by the Feis Guild.


    "Alright, Lord Lis, justmand if you need anything."


    Roque nodded; it had naturally been drilled into him by the higher-ups to take good care of this ��gent�� before they set out.


    Otherwise, on the busiest day of their departure, with many things needing his attention, he��d have barely any time to make social calls.


    However, it seemed the Marquis was not difficult to deal with, and since he had said as much, Roque went off to tend to other matters.


    Lis stretchedzily, his bones crackling.


    Stepping down from the carriage, as Lis was idly watching the merchants and guards tidy up the campsite, he happened to see Fink and Magat returning to the camp.

 Chapter 191 - 189: The Future Leader of the Blood Wolf Knight Order

    This time going to the Northern Kingdom, Lis nned to take the opportunity to practice the techniques of his other professions.


    Recently, he had used spells quite often, and skills like those of the warrior, Hunter, assassin, and Martial Monk also needed to be exercised from time to time, so Lis prepared a set of light leather armor when he left, instead of choosing to wear Nobles�� attire or a Mage Robe.


    It was now mid-October, and the weather had begun to cool down. Lis wore a suit of light grey long-sleeved shirt and trousers, simply donned with a set of leather armor, making him look like a rookie adventurer who had just started out.


    Upon seeing Fink and Magat, Lis��s eyes lit up, and he smiled, nodding to the few people from the Mercenary Group.


    Fink had a baffled expression on his face, but still nodded politely in greeting, while Magat seemedpletely indifferent.


    The camp was already set up properly; the caravaneers had unloaded the animals from the carts, and all the carts were arranged around the perimeter of the camp, where people and horses would rest for the night, encircled by the wagons.


    When a caravan is traveling, losing some goods is not a big deal, but injuries to people or horses would be troublesome.


    The firewood crackled in the camp��s bonfire, and the pot on the orange mes whistled as it cooked, spreading the aroma of food all around.


    Tiny sparks asionally sttered onto the people sitting around the bonfire, but hardly anyone seemed to mind. Most people were chatting with one another, discussing recent interesting events to ease the fatigue of the day.


    The White Wolf Mercenary Group did the same; apart from the few members who took turns keeping watch at night, they didn��t have to worry about anything else.


    Fink was engrossed in stories of thrilling adventures that his teammates recounted, whether facing demons and wild beasts or braving natural disasters and human cmities, he listened with great interest.


    For Fink, who had finally been allowed by the team leader toplete missions with Magat��s squad, the outside world was all the more mysterious and fascinating, far more interesting than the Lower City District of Bright City.


    Even Fink wanted to encounter some fierce beast soon, so he could try out the sword edge he had honed for so long.


    What young man doesn��t dream of bing the hero sung of in the Minstrel��s bads?


    At that moment, Lis also walked over and naturally found a ce to sit down by the bonfire of the White Wolf Mercenary Group.


    The members of the Mercenary Group didn��t mind his presence; the campsite had no strict division, and many solo mercenaries were also sitting by this bonfire. Everyone just made do with what they had since there was still a long journey ahead.


    This time of day was also for the caravan members to get to know each other and develop camaraderie.


    "You are... the person from earlier?"


    Fink perked up when he saw Lise over.


    After all, it was rare to see someone his own age in the caravan, and Fink was quite curious about Lis.


    "Yeah, hello,"


    Lis also waved his hand and nodded his thanks to someone who passed him freshly boiled hot water.


    "Looking at your outfit, are you also a mercenary?"


    Fink scooted over, leaning in with curiosity as he asked,


    "I don��t seem to have seen you when we set off, did I?"


    "Are you from the Feis Guild or a solo mercenary from the Mercenary Guild?"


    To be honest, Fink��s forwardness might be hard for some to handle, but Lis didn��t find it bothersome.


    Or rather, he hade for Fink.


    When they stopped for a rest, Lis happened to see Fink standing among the White Wolf Mercenary Group.


    At the time, Lis felt a sense of familiarity, and it took him a while to recall that wasn��t that the leader of the Blood Wolf Knight Order, Fink?


    Lis had heard that the Feis Kingdom��s army leader was once a mercenary, but he hadn��t expected to encounter the young Fink here.


    He only wondered what experiences would transform the current outwardly bright and forthright Fink into the silent, valiant Knight Order leader.


    Lis was curious and, since he had nothing else to do at the moment, decided to interact with this younger version of Fink.


    He was also interested in the future secret technique of the Blood Wolf Knight Order, "Blood Wolf Entanglement", but it seemed the Fink before him likely hadn��t created it yet.


    "Not exactly, I am traveling with my lord, who is now resting in the wagon."


    Lis pointed to his own carriage not far away, smiling as he spoke.


    "Hmm... that carriage?"


    Fink nced in the direction Lis was pointing, and couldn��t help but be surprised.


    Wasn��t that the luxurious carriage that had only arrivedte this morning?


    Magat, standing nearby, also noticed Lis conversing with Fink, but he remained silent, observing Lis covertly from the corner of his eye.


    Fink also looked up at Magat, and seeing that the boss had no reaction, he continued to speak:


    "I really had no idea you were on that carriage, I��ve been curious for a long time."


    "Let��s get acquainted, my name is Fink."


    Lis smiled as he shook the hand Fink offered.


    "My name is Moriarty."


    Lis did not use his real name, but rather the one he had registered with at the Mercenary Guild.


    "Nice to meet you, Moriarty."


    Fink pped Lis��s shoulder with a palm, smiling as he spoke.


    Then, leaning closer to Lis, he asked slyly:


    "Who is your master, some important person? I see the convoy takes it very seriously, Roque the overseer has been over several times."


    Lis nodded and said in a low voice:


    "I��ll tell you secretly, the person in the carriage is Marquis Kane, and I am his personal servant."


    "Oh? The Marquis, eh? I��ve never seen such great nobles before?"


    Fink��s eyes filled with curiosity, he tilted his head and continued to ask Lis:


    "What does Marquis Kane look like, is he an old man?"


    Lis turned his head and nced at Fink.


    Such clear ignorance... innocence!


    It seemed that Fink was still quite naive, Lis hadn��t said much, but there were many loopholes in his story that someone more experienced would have noticed something amiss.


    "Not too bad, the lord is still fairly young."


    "I see."


    Fink nodded, altering his mental image of Marquis Kane from a white-bearded old gentleman to a middle-aged man in his thirties or forties.


    He sighed heavily, seemingly full of longing for the aristocracy.


    Indeed, bing a noble of the Kingdom is the lifetime aspiration of manymoners and mercenaries.


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Lis noticed the anticipation in Fink��s eyes; young people always enjoy fantasizing about the future.


    Unlike Magat, who seemed to have discovered something, Lis could feel the asional nces thrown his way.


    However, Lis soon ceased to pay attention to Magat.


    The pot in front of him had begun to bubble, and the aroma of food started to waft through the air.


    Although it was only the simplest vegetable soup, the convoy��s cooks had thrown in chunks of potatoes and carrots, which were easy to carry, and added some salted meat for seasoning.


    When traveling with a convoy, one couldn��t be too particr, but even so, this hot vegetable soup paired with dark bread made for a decent meal on a somewhat chilly evening.

 Chapter 192 - 190 Forest Python

    Early the next day, the merchant caravan had already begun packing up the camp, ready to depart.


    After extinguishingst night��s bonfire, Fink saw Lising over.


    Last night, Lis had proposed to Fink that he was curious about the daily work of the Mercenary Group and asked if he could join Fink��s team for a few days.


    Fink, who already considered Lis a friend, was naturally willing but worried that Captain Magat wouldn��t agree.


    However, when he made the request to Magat, the captain just silently sized him up, nodded, and agreed outright.


    When Fink excitedly went back to tell Lis the good news, Magat shook his head helplessly and said to a nearby teammate,


    "Is this kid about to strike it lucky?"


    The teammate gave him a knowing look and went to get himself another bowl of vegetable and salted meat soup with a smile.


    ...


    "Good morning, Moriarty."


    Fink greeted Lis, feeling that meeting a peer and friend on his first securitymission with the caravan would make the journey less boring.


    "Morning, Fink."


    "When do we set off?"


    "In a little while, we need to get moving ahead of the caravan to scout the path and ensure it��s safe before they depart."


    Fink patiently exined the points Magat had taught him to Lis.


    Feeling like a teacher gave Fink an unexpectedly good feeling.


    Sometimeter, Lis was walking with Fink��s team towards the journey ahead.


    Everyone dispersed ording to their assigned tasks to investigate the surroundings, while Lis and Fink followed beside Magat.


    Initially thinking Lis might not keep up, Magat slightly slowed his pace, but seeing that Lis was quite at ease and even joking with Fink, he resumed his normal speed.


    Scouting was boring, but Lis was in no hurry.


    He had nned to experience most things on this training expedition.


    After all, Lis needed to try things out bit by bit to see how much of his past gaming experience would apply in this real world.


    At the same time, Lis had another n in mind.


    It was Fink.


    He wanted to assess Fink��s current strength andbat techniques.


    Lis wondered if Fink showed any signs or the beginnings of the specialbat skill "Blood Wolf Entanglement."


    Lis was so fond of "Blood Wolf Entanglement" because it had a very special effect.


    "Blood Wolf Entanglement" was a statusbat skill that could create ayer of blood-colored airflow around the warrior��s body, increasing physical strength and enhancing the Strength Attribute to a certain degree.


    What made this skill unique was the degree to which it enhanced the Strength Attribute, which was determined by the levels of the user��s other auxiliary attributes.


    Lis remembered that when the "Blood Wolf Entanglement" skill level was at its highest, it could add ten percent of all attribute points, except Strength, to the user��s Strength.


    Lis, in his past life, wasn��t a warrior, so he only had a rudimentary understanding of the skill, but he clearly knew that it was a very powerful ability for warriors, and many opted to join the Blood Wolf Knight Order just to obtain it.


    But Lis didn��t rush to test Fink.


    If there was no chance for Fink to show his skills during the exploration, they could spar when they returned to the camp in the evening.


    However, soon Lis��s expression changed,


    It seemed... things wouldn��t need to be thatplicated after all.


    Soon, Magat seemed to notice something too, his expression shifting.


    Damn it, what��s the situation with the scout ahead? How did a Magic Beast slip through!


    Muttering curses inwardly, Magat��s actions were nheless unaffected.


    ng~


    Magat drew his Longsword, signaling to Lis and Fink to get ready.


    As instructed, Lis did pull out his Longsword and ced it in front of him, nning to disguise himself as a Warrior who used a Longsword for this journey.


    Fink also held a Long Spear, looking eager as if he was preparing to get some practice in.


    Magat picked a pebble off the ground and fiercely threw it towards the trees to the right front.


    In the blink of an eye, the whistling pebble vanished into the foliage.


    A streak of verdant green shadow then fell from the tree.


    Thud!


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The shadow crashed to the ground, and Lis recognized at a nce what kind of Demon it was.


    Bronze Demon Beast[Forest Python]!


    This was a rtivelymon serpentine Magic Beast that could only grow to possess the strength of a High-level Bronze at most.


    The Forest Python moved slowly but had immense strength, known for lurking in the jungle to ambush its prey. It killed by coiling its strong body around the prey and had no venom.


    The excellent hiding abilities of the Forest Python seemed to have gone unnoticed by Magat��s teammate, lying in wait to ambush the trio.


    However, this Forest Python, though apparently an adult Magic Beast, posed no threat to the three present.


    Upon seeing the Forest Python, Magat too rxed and sheathed his Longsword.


    "Fink, go take care of that big snake."


    Magat himself could have easily handled it, but this was also a good opportunity to let Fink get some practice with him watching over.


    Fink nodded excitedly and, with his Long Spear in hand, approached the Forest Python.


    Lis stood aside, ready to see what level the future leader of the Blood Wolf Knight Order was at.


    The Forest Python was nearly ten meters long. Dazed by the impact from Magat��s stone, it soon recovered, coiling its body tightly, lifting its upper half, and flicking its bright red tongue at the approaching Fink.


    Though Fink was somewhat excited, he did not rush to strike. Instead, he cautiously circled the Forest Python, observing it from a safe distance.


    The Forest Python kept its eyes on Fink too, the threat from Magat preventing it from fleeing, leaving it no choice but to confront Fink squarely.


    Fink was serious, his focus intensely on his opponent.


    After a brief wait, Fink suddenly lunged, thrusting towards the head of the Forest Python as if to test its reaction.


    However, the Forest Python was quick to move its head and evade Fink��s strike.


    The Forest Python might be slow in speed, but that referred to its ability to move from ce to ce; its upper half could dodge quite swiftly in ce.


    Fink, well-prepared, promptly withdrew his strength.


    Seizing the opportunity, the Forest Python��s body tensed up and, like a coiled spring, it leaped towards Fink.


    That move was somewhat unexpected for Fink. Since he had closed in on the Forest Python, there was only about a meter between them, a distance the Python could easily leap across with its body��s strength.


    Standing not too far away, Magat and Lis remained calm, seemingly unfazed by Fink��s perilous situation.


    Magat looked at Lis, asking respectfully,


    "May I ask what you think of young Fink?"


    "He��s very capable, and it seems his physical condition is much stronger than that of an average Bronze Warrior?"


    Lis watched Fink maneuver his Long Spear, striking the upper half of the Forest Python in an instant and leaping back, nodding as he asked.

 Chapter 193 - 191: Recruitment?

    "Indeed, it is so."


    Magat nodded and said:


    "Fink, this child, has had great talent since childhood, and his body is trained to be exceptionally tough, standing a cut above his warrior peers of the same level."


    Upon hearing this, Lis smiled, seemingly a bit interested.


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    While Lis and Magat were having a light-hearted exchange, Fink found himself in a tough battle.


    From the brief engagement, Fink had already realized one thing.


    It was that the strength of this Forest Python��s body was much more powerful than his, so when Fink swung his Long Spear to leap away using its momentum, it seemed the Forest Python hardly felt the impact.


    There was no helping it, as most human warriors of the same rank could not match the physical fitness of a Magic Beast, thus they had to rely on refining theirbat skills and coordination to make up for it.


    Although the Forest Python was not a particrly clever Magic Beast, its lengthy growth process had endowed it with some battle wisdom.


    For example, right now, the Forest Python was facing Fink head-on, coiling its lower body as much as possible, trying to protect its softer parts.


    Fink took a deep breath to adjust his status, his hands gripping the spear, knees slightly bent, poised to strike.


    The spear tip radiating a cold light was aimed tightly at the Forest Python, as Fink continued to search for the beast��s vulnerabilities.


    Soon, Fink discovered that the Forest Python was protecting its weak points quite well, not readily giving him any opportunity.


    If there was no opportunity, then he would create one.


    Remembering the teachings of his seniors in the White Wolf Mercenary Group, Fink��s body shed, and he rapidly thrust his Long Spear at the Forest Python��s head.


    The Forest Python noticed Fink��s action and, already prepared, reacted on time. Its coiled body suddenly shot towards Fink, seemingly intending to entangle him.


    But its n fell through, as Fink promptly halted his spear thrust and dodged to the side.


    The Long Spear thrust Fink had just performed seemed fast, but it didn��t carry much strength, making it easy for him to retract it.


    However, the Forest Python��s attack was not so easily stopped.


    With its body lunging forward in a sudden thrust, this action exposed the soft underbelly it had carefully protected.


    This was the opportunity Fink was waiting for. He shifted to the side of the Forest Python and violently thrust his spear.


    Hiss!


    The Forest Python��s low hissing could be heard clearly even by Lis and Magat standing at a distance.


    They saw the slightly lighter-colored green scales on the Forest Python��s belly scattered with red blood into the air, the pain stimting the beast��s nerves and driving it into a frenzy.


    Fink did not continue his assault but, like a patient Hunter, stepped aside, avoiding the Forest Python��s fierce charge and quietly waiting for the next opportunity.


    A fist-sized wound appeared on the Forest Python��s belly, the pale muscles twitching ceaselessly.


    Though the wound appeared terrifying, it was not too serious for the colossal body of the Forest Python.


    However, the pain of the wound appeared to have consumed thest of the Forest Python��s rationality, and without any hesitation, it charged crazily in Fink��s direction.


    At this juncture, Fink was unnaturally calm, not directly confronting the Forest Python��s ferocity but instead started to outmaneuver it slowly.


    Relying on his superior movement Speed, Fink carefully evaded the Forest Python��s attacks, seizing moments to leave one wound after another on the beast��s body with his Long Spear,


    This was an awkward point for the Forest Python. As a Bronze Level Magic Beast, it had superior physical strength and stealth abilities, but its one w was theck of ranged attack magic or spell-like skills.


    So, when facing Fink��s method of attack, it was extremely powerless.


    However, the Forest Python��s formidable life force drew the battle out for a prolonged duration.


    About half an hourter, with Fink coated in sweat, the Forest Python finally could no longer hold on. Its body riddled with wounds copsed onto the ground, devoid of any resistance.


    Fink carefully advanced and, upon confirming there was no threat, thrust his Long Spear into the seven-inch area of the Forest Python that was best protected in battle, killing itpletely.


    By that time, Lis and Magat had also walked over.


    Magat looked at the corpse of the Forest Python on the ground, and even his serious face revealed a hint of a smile:


    "Well done."


    Lis, however, sized up Fink, who was standing by the Forest Python, leaning on his Long Spear with his skin slightly flushed, a sign of his exhaustion.


    Despite his fatigue, there was a rather smug expression on his face.


    After all, being able to decisively win against a Magic Beast of the same level was no small feat.


    It was something Fink could boast about to his friends for a long time thereafter.


    Somehow annoyed by Fink��scency, Magat pped him on the head and scolded:


    "Don��t get carried away with a little praise. Weren��t you inefficient in your attacks during the battle? Otherwise, why would it have dragged on so long?"


    After speaking, Magat red at Fink:


    "What are you looking at? Go find the people from the caravan to take care of this snake, or do you want to do it all by yourself?"


    Seemingly used to Magat��s reprimands, Fink didn��t dare to contradict him and could only hang his head and mutter something as he hurried off towards the caravan not far away.


    "You��re quite strict with Fink, Mr. Magat."


    Lis said with a smile, observing the dynamic between the two, which seemed to have always been their way of interaction.


    And Fink, for his part, didn��t seem to have anyints; despite his murmurs, Lis could see that he was quite obedient to Magat��s discipline.


    "When we were young, we were all like that, so someone needs to give him a nudge."


    Magat said with a smile, a stark contrast to his earlier stern demeanor.


    In fact, he was very satisfied with Fink��s performance.


    "Fink is a fine young man, Mr. Moriarty."


    "I think so too."


    Lis shrugged, feigning ack of understanding of the implications in Magat��s words.


    The eager rmendation of Fink clearly aimed to secure him a brighter future.


    For an ordinary mercenary, aside from relying on one��s own strength, it was indeed easier to advance with the favor of those higher up.


    However, Lis wasn��t nning to uproot Fink, who was still a young sprout, just yet.


    After all, Lis was not sure about the opportunities that might lie in Fink��s future, and interfering rashly might not be in Fink��s best interest.


    Seeing that he hadn��t persuaded Lis, Magat sighed silently within.


    Although Fink was a promising young fellow in the Mercenary Group, talented and hardworking, highly valued by their leader,


    no matter what, there were so many talented mercenaries each year, yet how many of them managed to grow sessfully?


    Being able to join the household of Nobles, possibly even the Great Nobles of the Kingdom, even the leader of the White Wolf Mercenary Group wouldn��t stop Fink��s opportunity.


    But now, it seemed the time was not ripe.


    Magat did not consider telling Fink the truth, to encourage him to strive for it.


    Sometimes, who can predict the moods of great figures?


    Better to let things take their course and leave it to Fink��s luck.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 194 The Movements of Neighboring Countries

    On the walls of Beelu City, the passing warrior radiated a solemn and murderous aura, as if they had just experienced a battle.


    A dignified middle-aged man in ck armor stood at the top of the city wall, gently touching the slightly mottled wall in front of him, lost in thought.


    "Duke Baird!"


    A warrior rushed over from not far away and knelt on one knee behind the middle-aged man, respectfully speaking.


    "What is it?"


    Baird asked indifferently.


    This dignified middle-aged man was none other than Duke Milk Baird of the Feis Kingdom border, but he now stood atop the walls of Beelu City in the Boditch Kingdom.


    Despite being puzzled as to why the Second Prince of Yatean hadn''t sent him any new intelligence after receiving the kingdom''s deration, it no longer mattered.


    Duke Baird himself had led an elite force, which had been prepared for a long time. After several days of covert marching, they bypassed the Boditch Kingdom''s border outposts and directly attacked and captured Beelu City.


    Although Baird was very confident in his own capabilities and in his subordinates, and had made thorough preparations, he hadn''t anticipated it would be so easy.


    It was as if there were no defenses at all, the lord and the troops of Beelu City seemed to have had no inkling that Baird wouldunch a surprise attack on the city.


    The heavy troops the Boditch Kingdom had stationed here hadn''t even reacted before all were disarmed by Baird''s subordinates.


    The entire process of capturing the citysted only about fifteen minutes. Baird had already gainedplete control over the city, and not a single one of his warriors had died��only one had identally broken his leg by stepping on a brick during the charge.


    How ridiculous was Beelu City''s defense?


    The only guards were a few collecting gate tax at the city gate;


    Neither the rm magic array nor the protection magic array had been activated, and when Baird sent people to check, he found that they had long been in disrepair and could no longer be activated;


    The soldiers of the Boditch Kingdom were still asleep in the barracks, apparently having had a long drill the night before and were still catching up on sleep; they were all easily rounded up by Baird''s subordinates.


    Even arranging for panicking residents was more troublesome for Baird.


    "Sir, Duke McKay of Beelu City has been brought here, would you like to see him now?"


    "Bring him in."


    Baird waved his hand, instructing his subordinates to hurry.


    He couldn''t afford to waste much time in Beelu City. Given the situation, if he could continue the attack before the Boditch Kingdom responded, he might still gain considerable advantages.


    Soon, a rotund, pale-fat man was pushed forward by a group of warriors to stand behind Baird.


    Two warriors kicked fiercely on the insides of the fat man''s knees, making him fall t behind Baird.


    "Sir, Duke McKay has been brought here."


    A warrior bowed and said to Baird.


    Baird turned around, looking at this man whose skin was as tender as a girl''s��the fattened pig, his eyes betraying a hint of disgust.


    While both were border dukes, although Baird also lived in luxury, he would always share meals and clothing with his soldiers, setting an example.


    As for Duke McKay...


    Baird was not like these useless nobles; he bore many scars from battling demons.


    He had initially thought that this battle with the Boditch Kingdom might add several more "merits" to his achievements, but he hadn''t expected the Boditch Kingdom to be so rottenly unprepared.


    "Baird, you dare to actually provoke a war!"


    The previously timid Duke McKay, upon seeing Baird''s figure, seemed to gather some courage.


    "Release me at once, or His Majesty the King and the Church of the Gods will not let you go."@@novelbin@@


    Baird sighed, looking at Duke McKay as one might look at a fattened pig waiting for ughter.


    Suddenly, a kicknded on Duke McKay''s body, mming him into the city wall next to them, as if struck by a siege hammer.


    "Ah... ow...."


    Duke McKay hadn''t expected Baird to actually strike him, and had it not been for his usually treasured possessions, that kick might have ended his life.


    Baird took a Long Spear from a nearby soldier and thrust it fiercely into the bricks beside Duke McKay''s face, speaking in a t tone:


    "Long time no see, McKay, let''s have a chat."


    Pale-faced and staring at the Long Spear next to his face, feeling the intense murderous aura from Baird, McKay screamed:


    "You can''t do this, I''m a Duke of the Bodich Kingdom, I demand the proper treatment, I demand ransom!"


    Baird patted McKay''s face with his right hand,ughing as he said:


    "Hmm, a Duke of the Bodich Kingdom, you say?"


    "Unfortunately, you won''t be for much longer."


    "After all, with no Kingdom left, what use is a noble like you?"


    "You... how could you!"


    McKay seemed to realize something and stared incredulously at Baird.


    "So, cooperate nicely, and you might just spare your life."


    Baird made no attempt to hide the harsh reality of his words, after all, only the truth could bend others to submission the fastest.


    "...I understand."


    Duke McKay copsed into a heap, devoid of any further thoughts of resistance.


    At the same time, Duke Rame of the Feis Kingdom also invaded the Bodich Kingdom from another direction.


    After a century, the mes of war reignited in the east of the Fanor Continent.


    -----------------


    Northern part of the Feis Kingdom, Dillon Kingdom.


    This is a Human Kingdom between the Feis Kingdom and the northern ice ins of the Fanor Continent, marked by its vast area and sparse poption due to its northern location.


    Simrly, the people of Dillon Kingdom are known for their robust and hearty nature, with Berserkers and Martial Monks being the mostmon here.


    The current King of Dillon Kingdom, Lukar Dilon is also a wise leader.


    He deeply understood the predicaments of Dillon Kingdom, as most of the kingdom belonged to a harsh, cold territory with few suitable ces for cultivation, necessitating annual food imports through trade from the southern regions like the Feis Kingdom.


    However, unlike the Bodich Kingdom, Dillon Kingdom''s rich mineral resources and the abundance of northern Magic Beasts, along with trades in precious materials, minerals, and Equipment, were enough to meet the needs of Dillon Kingdom.


    But Lukar Dilon was not satisfied, having traveled to the southern countries in his youth, he longed for Dillon Kingdom to also possessnds bathed in warm sunlight all year round.


    "Are you saying that there was an assassination at the Sacrificial Festival in Bright City of Feis Kingdom and that Feis Kingdom has dered it was the doing of Bodich Kingdom, and they have already dered war?"


    Shocked, Lukar stood up from his throne and paced back and forth as he asked:


    "What exactly is the situation, has Feis Kingdom really deployed troops?"


    "Has the Church of the Gods made any move?"


    The young minister was not surprised; he knew that His Majesty the King had been waiting for such a development for a long time.


    "Whether they have deployed troops is still unclear; I have already arranged for someone to investigate."


    "The Church of the Gods is maintaining Silence, and so far, no high-ranking official from the Church has made any statement regarding the deration of war by Feis Kingdom."

 Chapter 195 Kuka City

    Lukar, upon hearing this, did not calm down; instead, he grew even more agitated.@@novelbin@@


    This is an opportunity!


    It is a chance for the rise of the Dillon Kingdom!


    There indeed seems to be a problem with the Church of the Gods!


    They must have decided to abandon mediation between the countries and are now just watching as the war unfolds.


    Realizing this, Lukar could hardly contain himself and turned to his newly appointed minister, Anna, and said:


    "First, continue to observe the attitudes of the Church of the Gods, especially those of our domestics. Find a time to test them."


    "Second, hurry to investigate whether the Feis Kingdom really has dered war on the Boditch Kingdom and what thetest war situation is."


    "Third, send someone to investigate the situation in the northern part of the Feis Kingdom, including the movements of the nobles and the status of the armies, and gather as much detailed information as possible; this is very important."


    "Fourth, start collecting all sorts of supplies for warfare preparation now, regardless of the cost."


    "Fifth, find an excuse to stop the export of ores and weapons equipment. Make it quick."


    ...


    King Lukar spoke quickly; his mind was very active. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and he would regret it for the rest of his life if he did not seize it.


    However, since Anna was appointed as a close minister, he naturally had his exceptional qualities, and he took all of Lukar''smands to heart.


    "Hurry and arrange these matters, then gather all the ministers here. I need to hear their opinions."


    "Yes, Your Majesty."


    Anna nodded in agreement and then hurried off to implement His Majesty the King''s orders.


    Lukar walked in front of the window, looking out at the October scenery. Although it was still autumn, a bleak cold wind had already begun to blow, and most of the leaves had fallen from the trees.


    Bits of white began to drift down from the sky, and Lukar caught a few pieces in his palm.


    Watching the white snowkes melt into transparency in his palm, Lukar clenched his fist tightly, as if trying to grasp something.


    "Father, watch over me!"


    Lukar looked toward the gray sky and murmured softly:


    "I will fulfill yourst wish!"


    ...


    Meanwhile, many human kingdoms on the Fanor Continent had received the news that the Feis Kingdom had dered war on the Boditch Kingdom, yet the frictions among many nations had alle to a halt.


    It seemed that everyone was watching the progression of the war between the Feis Kingdom and the Boditch Kingdom, waiting for this overture to conclude.


    It was as eerily quiet as the sea before a storm.


    -----------------


    The war involving the Feis Kingdom was currently unrted to Lis, whose merchant caravan remained in the tranquil daily order of the Northern Territory as the news of the war had not yet spread there.


    Today, the Feis merchant caravan arrived at Kuka City in the Northern Kingdom, the territory of Viscount Kuka, marking the official departure of the caravan from the hearnds of the kingdom into the northernnds of the kingdom.


    After settling into their usual lodging at the inn, Lis waved goodbye to Fink and the others, quickly got ready, and then left.


    Today, his destination was the Mercenary Tavern of Kuka City.


    This was also Lis''s first time entering a city since he started his travels.


    After all, the caravan had been dyed for a while and needed to hurry, especially since the winter in the Northern Territory could be quite troublesome.


    Moreover, the goods carried by the caravan wouldn''t fetch much of a price in the hearnd of the kingdom, so it was better not to waste time there and head directly to the Northern Territory.


    Now, the caravan was making a brief stop in Kuka City, resting for two days and resupplying before they would continue their journey northward.


    However, Lis didn''t need to bother himself with these mundane tasks of the caravan, as he had some matters he wanted to attend to.


    He was going to recruit yers!


    After entering the "Divine Revtion" game, yers couldn''t choose their birthce; they were randomly born within a human kingdom on the Fanor continent, with other regions not yet open for exploration.


    The more prosperous the area, the more yers were born there, but that didn''t mean other areas had no yers.


    Being born in a human city was still manageable, but being born in a small vige was rather unlucky. Stay updated through empire


    For yers born in remote ces, any opportunity to gather in the central cities of their regions was weed.


    It was rtively easy for them, but crossing regions to reach the capital, Bright City, was quite difficult.


    Kuka City was one of such gathering ces for the yers in this region, and Lis went to check out the Mercenary Tavern at the yers'' quarters to see if there was any unexpected gain.


    The Mercenary Tavern in Kuka City was simr to the one in Bright City, housed in the same building as the Mercenary Guild.


    But after all, it was just an ordinary city outpost in the Northern Territory, and here the Mercenary Guild was only a small two-story building.


    The ck walls and the notably smaller windows already bore some marks of Northern architecture. Here, the mercenaries preferred spending their idle time drinking in the tavern, especially since the winters were colder and strong liquor was a necessity for them.


    Lis pushed open the sturdy wooden door and entered the Mercenary Tavern.


    The warm air and the noisy voices hit him as he entered, and arge firece along the wall was already lit with orange-red firewood.


    Lis had visited the Mercenary Guild in Kuka City once in his past life and had some recollection of it.


    Unlike the Mercenary Guild in Bright City, the entire first floor here was a tavern, with many mercenaries sitting around small round tables, enjoying beer and food, while the second floor was where they eptedmissions.


    Squeezing through the mercenaries, Lis made his way to the tavern''s bar.


    Just now, Lis had already noticed yers among the patrons in the tavern.


    It had to be said, if it weren''t for their disyed names and noticeably younger faces, Lis couldn''t tell them apart from the old mercenaries, as they were dressed like old mercenaries and rowdily challenging each other in drinkingpetitions.


    Apart from a few yers with unique tastes, most yers were rtively young and handsome.


    Oh?


    Except for the one who got drunk, climbed onto the stage, and started a striptease act��that was simply eye-watering.


    Even Lis, with his battle-hardened eyes, nearly couldn''t bear it; this scene would have been quite explosive even in his previous life.


    However, the mercenaries around seemed to be drunk too, gathered around that yer and loudly cheering on, a case of like attracts like?


    "A beer for me, please,"


    Lis said to the servant standing behind the bar.


    "Right away, please wait a moment."


    The middle-aged man dressed as a servant said with a smile, and soon he handed Lis a wooden cup filled with deep yellow liquor.


    Lis took the beer, sipped it lightly, and asked the servant while sitting at the bar:


    "Has anything novel happened in the city recently?"


    With the start of the 1.0 plot, the Feis Kingdom had also gradually begun to destabilize.


    During his travels, Lis was keeping an eye on gathering intelligence; although he knew about major future events, he wasn''t clear about the side plots of various regions.


    It would be good to gather any useful intelligence.

 Chapter 196 Copy [Cresces Revenge]

    "Lately, the only thing different is that more people have joined the guild," the servant reminisced while wiping a ss.


    Many people came to the Mercenary Guild to gather information, including passing mercenaries and caravans.


    "But there was indeed something unusual..."


    The servant continued to wipe the ss, but his speech paused for a moment.


    Lis flicked his right index finger, and a silver coinnded precisely in the pocket of the servant''s ck vest.


    Hearing the clear sound of the silver coin, a smile appeared on the servant''s face.


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    "Viscount Kuka has been quite irritabletely, seemingly rted to his daughter."


    Lis looked up at the middle-aged servant and asked,


    "What happened?"


    The servant clicked his tongue, seemingly regretful that Lis hadn''t given more silver coins but continued anyway,


    "Miss Liz Kuka was supposed to get engaged to the eldest son of Count Solo''s family from the north recently, just the day before yesterday, but there seems to have been some mishap."


    "Mishap?"


    Lis frowned, the name Liz Kuka sounding vaguely familiar��could she be an important character in the plot?


    "That day, Viscount Kuka''s castle was quite lively, though I didn''t go see for myself."


    "But I heard that the engagement ceremony was abruptly halted, and Viscount Kuka even sent out guards to lock down the city gates, which weren''t lifted until the next day."


    At this point, the servant lowered his voice and leaned slightly forward to Lis,


    "Rumor has it they were looking for someone, so many guess that Miss Liz Kuka might have run away from the wedding."


    "Run away from the wedding?"


    This specific phrase rang a bell, and Lis suddenly recalled where he had heard the name Liz Kuka before.


    Liz Kuka wasn''t a character''s name.


    Or rather, Liz Kuka was remembered by yers as the background of an instance.


    The name of that instance was "Cresce''s Revenge"!


    Yes, it wasn''t Liz Kuka''s revenge, because she had already passed away before the yers could interact with her.


    This story wasplicated, sad, and melodramatic��best left unsaid.


    You just had to know that Liz Kuka was a noble youngdy who refused to follow her family''s arrangements and held beautiful expectations for love, so with the help of her friend Cresce, she escaped from Viscount Kuka''s castle on the night of her engagement.


    But Viscount Kuka was unwilling to let his daughter go that easily and sent people to capture Liz back.


    Ultimately, Liz was identally wounded during the escape and died from her injuries, while Cresce disappeared without a trace after evading the guards.


    This event should have ended there, but many yearster, Cresce returned to Kuka City, determined to kill Viscount Kuka and avenge her lover.


    Yes, Cresce was a woman, but for some reason unknown to others, she and Liz were deeply in love.


    Lis made no evaluation of their rtionship, but the Silver Level instance "Cresce''s Revenge" was quite an interesting one.


    This instance had a unique mechanismpared to ordinary ones.


    In the instance, yers needed to help Cresce infiltrate Viscount Kuka''s castle and find an opportunity to kill Viscount Kuka.


    Given the special nature of the instance''s setting, unless a yer were Gold Level and could power through, it would be impossible to seed in the instance amid the numerous guards and Silver Level fighters.


    From this perspective, it seemed the instance''s plot was just beginning, with Liz only having run away from her wedding, not yet fatally injured.


    Cresce was still around, not yet having sold her soul to the devils of Hell.


    This was getting interesting��was Cresce currently in possession of that ring?


    Lis smiled and flicked another silver coin to the servant as a token of appreciation.


    ...


    Yixiao Xier sat at a small table in the corner, slowly sipping on a mug of ale.


    He furrowed his brow, carefully sensing how the ale stimted his tongue.


    "This brewing method is really crude, and there are too many impurities."


    "But the malty vor is rich, could it be because the brewing materials are good?"


    "Ah, could it be the influence of ''Extraordinary Power'' that makes the wheat quality different from mine?"


    At this moment, Yixiao Xier, just like a professional brewer, was tasting the ale before him. In reality, he was also in this profession and had a passionate love for brewing.


    After entering the "Divine Revtion" game, he had discovered that the game could indeed simte taste and smell, allowing him to savor the delicacies of this world, which made him exceedingly happy.


    So, whenever he had savings, after fulfilling the requirements for promotion, he would spend them at taverns tasting all kinds of fine wines.


    Besides ying the game, he had another goal in this world, which was to taste the wines of this world and brew the perfect wine of his dreams.


    As for his friend throwing a fit beside him, he didn''t mind at all.


    It had be a daily routine for a few hours every day.


    At that moment, his friend Wutian Wusheng came over and nudged his arm.


    "What''s up, had enough of your wine mania?"


    Yixiao Xier, who was tasting the ale, nced at him, somewhat unwilling to deal with him.


    Yes, you don''t need real names to y the game, but this was a bit too much.


    Sometimes, Yixiao Xier really admired this newly acquainted friend who, to avoid game restrictions, put on five or sixyers of clothes and performed a striptease.


    The key movements were extremely ugly, wriggling like an earthworm, which was just painful to watch.


    "I was conducting an experiment, gathering information, understand?"


    "Ah, let''s not talk about that now, there''s serious business!"


    Wutian Wusheng pulled Yixiao Xier and pointed towards the direction of the bar.


    "What''s up?"


    Yixiao Xier looked at the person sitting by the bar, somewhat unclear about the situation.


    Is there something strange? Isn''t this person much more normal than the one beside me?


    "See that guy? Doesn''t he look a lot like Lis from Bright City that people talk about on the forums?"


    Wutian Wusheng was quite serious as he added.


    "A bit, but isn''t that Lis a Mage? Why is he dressed like this? And why would hee to a ce so far from Bright City?"


    Yixiao Xier was uncertain.


    He did indeed know Lis, who had been very popr on the forums a few days ago.


    Yixiao Xier, looking at the video screenshots uploaded to the yer forums, felt his blood boiling, wishing he could fly straight to Bright City.


    "Let''s go and check it out, we''re not going to miss out on a bit of time."


    Wutian Wusheng suggested. As a former intelligence dealer active in other games, he paid close attention to information about important characters like this.


    Yixiao Xier hesitated for a moment, then decided to go ask.@@novelbin@@


    After all, it wouldn''t cost him anything, and if he could manage to get a membership at the White Dove Chamber of Commerce, that would be amazing.


    Having made up their minds, they no longer hesitated and went straight to Lis and gently asked:


    "Excuse me, are you Marquis Kane?"


    The handsome man sitting at the bar turned around, curiously asking:


    "Yes, it''s me."


    "But how did you recognize me?"

 Chapter 198 The Unexpected Youth

    Kuka City, in an alleyway to the east of the city.


    It was an ordinary gray brick house, but what was strange was that even during the day, the curtains were tightly drawn.


    In the room, a girl wearing a in brown dress was sitting bored in a chair, flipping through a book.


    Before long, the door was pushed open from the outside, and a slightly thin figure entered, carrying a tray of food.


    "Ah, Cress, I''ve been waiting for so long!"


    The girl said cheerily as she jumped off the chair to take the tray and set it on a nearby table, chattering away.


    "Sorry, Liz, you''ll have to make do with this ordinary fare,"


    Cress said somewhat apologetically.


    The food on the table consisted only of in ck bread and stewed vegetable soup, with traces of smoked meat among the potatoes and carrots.


    "Ah, being away from that castle makes me feel like I can breathe easier."


    "And I owe it all to you, Cress. I definitely didn''t want to marry someone so much older than me."


    Liz didn''t mind as she suddenly hugged Cress, rubbing her face against the smaller girl''s delicate cheek.


    "I''d rather live with you, Cress, than go through with that."


    "Hmm, if that''s what you wish, Liz..."


    Cress murmured softly, her cheeks flushing with a hint of red.


    Cress was an ordinary Bronze Mage in Kuka City, and the inheritance she received from her deceased parents was enough for her to lead a tranquil, conflict-free life.


    But that calm was shattered one day, a day Cress remembered clearly.


    It was a bright, sunny spring day, and she was preparing to go out to buy food for the next few days when a figure suddenly burst through the door and quickly locked it behind her.


    It was a beautiful girl in a fancy warm yellow dress, who looked at her pleadingly and said,


    "There are people chasing me, can I stay here for a while, miss?"


    Cress didn''t know why she agreed to the girl''s request without hesitation, her memory only holding onto the girl''s radiant face and her smile.


    It was like a beam of sunlight breaking into her monotonous, nd life.


    Later, Cress found out that the girl''s name was Liz, the daughter of the local Lord, Viscount Kuka.


    That day was supposed to be a leisurely outing for her, but Liz, finding the guard''s presence restrictive, had slipped away from them.


    Bursting into Cress''s home was an ident, merely an attempt to avoid the guards who were following her.


    Liz had no other intentions; she just wanted to rx for a while. After a short stay at Cress''s house, shefortably wandered around Cress''s modest home, chatted for a while, and then honestly returned.


    However, since that day, Liz started visiting Cress''s home from time to time to rx and ease the tension of living at the Viscount Castle.


    Cress didn''t know why, but she did not reject the youngdy''s visits.


    Gradually, it seemed like Cress''s life had gained an extra person, and her once gray and monotonous memories seemed to gain some unusual colors.


    Until a week ago, when Liz suddenly came to her, looking quite dejected, she said,


    "Father is marrying me off; I might never be able toe here again."


    At that moment, Cress felt her mind go nk and blurted out,


    "Then Liz, why don''t youe here?"


    She knew it was dangerous, that it could anger Lord Viscount Kuka and disrupt her peaceful life forever, but all those worries were cast aside in Liz''s sweet smile.


    So, a few days ago, with Cress''s help, Liz quietly arrived here, and Cress even fabricated some tracks to make it look as if Liz had escaped from Kuka City.


    Viscount Kuka was frantic, so in the past few days, whenever Cress went out, she noticed many guards checking the people on the streets, so the two of them mostly stayed home.


    However, staying here indefinitely wasn''t possible; sooner orter, Viscount Kuka woulde knocking. Cress had already prepared to leave with Liz once the checks at the city gate rxed.


    Where to, then? Royal Capital Bright City, perhaps?


    Cress sipped her vegetable soup slowly, continuously making ns in her mind.


    During this process, Cress, who had always been indifferent to other matters, gradually matured.


    Liz no longer thought as much, feeling that escaping from that oppressive home was the luckiest thing ever.


    Carefully soaking the ck bread in vegetable soup, even a small surprise could keep her happy for a long time.


    As for the future, Liz didn''t want to worry about it.


    As long as she was with Cress, that was enough!


    Knock knock!


    While the two were quietly enjoying their meal, a sudden knock at the door rang out.


    Cress''s body tensed up instantly, and Liz also looked scared, but obediently remained silent, just quietly waiting there for Cress''s decision.


    Cress clenched her teeth and whispered to Liz,


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    "I''ll go see what''s going on, you stay here and don''t make a sound."


    Liz nodded, very aware of Cress''s concerns.


    Cress didn''t ask Liz to hide.


    If the visitor was truly there for Liz, hiding would be meaningless.


    If the target wasn''t Liz, Cress wouldn''t easily let anyone into the house.


    Standing in front of the door, Cress took a deep breath to calm her emotions and then looked outside through a small hole in the door.


    Cress let out a small sigh of relief, there were no guards, it wasn''t the worst scenario she had imagined.


    The person standing outside was a handsome young man, his smiling demeanor seemed to indicate he had noticed someone peeking through the hole.


    "Who are you, and what do you want?"


    Cress didn''t open the door but asked cautiously.


    "My name is Lis, I''vee from Bright City."


    "As for my purpose..."


    The young man smiled, uttering words that almost stopped Cress''s heart.


    "It''s to help you and Miss Liz."


    Cress''s heart seemed to stop for a moment, she hadn''t expected that the young man would casually mention Liz''s name.


    His confident tone seemed to imply he knew everything.


    What to do? What to do?


    Should she run away with Liz now?


    No, it''s toote, they would surely be caught by the guards,@@novelbin@@


    As Cress''s mind was a mess, the young man''s voice rose in her ears again.


    "Don''t worry, I''m here to help you."


    "Otherwise, I would have gone directly to Viscount Kuka."


    Cress slightly calmed her emotions, this person iming to be Lis made sense.


    "I think it''s better for me toe in and talk, it''s too conspicuous out here."


    "And..."


    A quiet, eerie blue fireball suddenly appeared in the young man''s hand, casting a somewhat sinister and mysterious glow on his face.


    "I don''t think this door can stop me."


    Crack!


    Pale-faced, Cress didn''t hesitate and abruptly opened the door.

 Chapter 199 Prophet?

    Lis sat quietly at the table in the living room with his arms folded, not saying much.


    Opposite him were Liz, who looked at him curiously, and Cress who was covertly on guard.


    After revealing just a hint of his power, Cress immediately opened the door and invited Lis in.


    What Lis said made sense; if he coulde to find Cress and Liz directly, he must havee with good intentions. Otherwise, the news of Liz alone could fetch him a handsome reward from Viscount Kuka.


    Moreover, as a Bronze Mage, Cress was well aware of the considerable terror she felt from the pale blue me that had appeared in Lis''s hand.


    This indicated that Lis''s strength far surpassed hers, and he could easily defeat her and take Liz away.


    So she had no choice but to politely open the door and let Lis in, though Cress was also preparing herself mentally.


    If Lis truly intended to harm Liz, she was ready to fight with her life to not let Lis get away with it.


    Lis looked with interest at the two youthful girls, each with their own characteristics.


    Liz carried with her an air of freshness, like a pure girl yet to be tainted by the filth of this world, as pristine as a pure white flower.


    Cress, on the other hand, was like a quietly blooming night-blooming cereus, seemingly years of study had imparted her with a profound academic aura, refreshing to the heart.


    However, Lis could see a strong wariness in Cress''s eyes at this moment.


    Lis was able to find this ce also by relying on the memory from his previous life''s gaming experience.


    In the instance called "Cresce''s Revenge," when yers first entered, they found themselves in Cresce''s house, proceeding towards Viscount Kuka''s Castle under Cress''s lead.


    But back then, Cresce''s house was not as clean and tidy as it was now; it was filled with dust and spiderwebs, having been abandoned for a long time.


    And in the instance''s CG "Cress''s Memories," yers learned that Liz started her flight from marriage by staying at Cresce''s ce.


    So, Lis followed his memories straight to Cress''s house.


    "So, what exactly do you want to do?"


    Unable to bear the strange atmosphere, Cress spoke up to break the silence.


    "Didn''t I say it? I''m here to help you," Lis spread his hands and said with an easygoing expression.


    "So how do you intend to help us?"


    Cress didn''t trust Lis and pressed on with the question.


    It was just too preposterous.


    Both Cress and Liz were sure they had never seen Lis before.


    They would definitely have remembered such a distinctively charismatic young man.


    "Miss Liz is fleeing a marriage, right?" Lis said with a smile, looking at Liz.


    "Continuing to stay here will surely lead to discovery. I''m here to help you both escape."


    "You''re really so kind-hearted?" Cress retorted, her social experience might not have been plentiful, but she wasn''t na?ve enough to trust a stranger so easily.


    "Of course, I have my own purpose," Lis nodded, shifting his gaze towards Cress.


    More specifically, towards the ck metal ring on Cress''s right hand.


    The ring seemed somewhat old, with traces of gray amidst the ck, and the intricate decoration on it suggested that it was no mere trinket.


    "As a reward for leading you out, I would like to have that ring in your hand," he said.


    Cress, noticing Lis''s gaze, looked at her hand.


    It was an heirloom ring from Cresce''s House, kept with the family''s collection of magic books.


    Cress wore the ring as it helped her focus, never considering it particrly precious.


    She did not expect that ring to bring this mysterious man to her doorstep.


    The most pressing question was how this man, iming to be Lis, knew about these things.


    He not only knew about Liz''s elopement but also that she had such a ring in her possession.


    If the ring was the requested reward, Cress didn''t really mind; the ring wasn''t of much use in her hands, even if it were valuable.


    However, Cress didn''t want to agree to Lis''s terms just yet.


    At the very least, she wanted to clear things up first.


    "If you want the ring, that''s no problem,"@@novelbin@@


    "But how do you know so much?"


    Cress stared intently at Lis, seeking an answer from his lips.


    "Ha..."


    Lis leaned back in his chair and said with a smile to Cress:


    "Youngdy, do you believe in prophecies?"


    "Ah?"


    Cress was a bit slow to react and stared nkly at Lis.


    "Simply put, you know about Prophets and Seers, right?"


    Lis continued.


    Liz listened curiously from the side while Cress nodded; she had read about them in the magic books passed down through her family, but there wasn''t much information on the subject.


    "Actually, the profession of a Prophet is quite special, known for using Prophetic magic like ''Detect Magic'' and ''Modify Destiny''."


    "But when ites to predicting the future, Seers are even better at it."


    "I am a Seer, who learned about your situations through prophecy and sensed that I need the ring in your possession."


    "I help you escape danger, and you give me the ring; it''s fair,"


    Lis said with augh.


    Posing as a Seer was something he had nned beforehand; if he encountered simr situations while traveling, he could disguise his true prophetic talents as those of a Seer.


    Moreover, it was hard to expose a true Seer.


    Compared to Prophets, Seers are more like chatans, sometimes urate, sometimes not, with abilities that cannot be trained but rely on innate talent.


    Outsiders never know which of their words are true.


    This situation actually afforded better cover for Lis''s abilities.


    Cress was somewhat skeptical but this could at least provide a passable exnation for her doubts.


    "What do you n to do?"


    Cress asked, thinking that if it meant taking a great risk, it might be better to continue hiding at home.


    Liz remained silent, leaving all the decisions to Cress, trusting that Cress wouldn''t harm her.


    "Trust me, I have already foreseen the best way to leave this ce,"


    Lis spoke mysteriously, continuing to bamboozle Cress and Liz.


    He hadn''t realized how addictive pretending to be a chatan could be!


    -----------------


    Viscount Kuka''s Castle.


    "Useless!"


    The middle-aged man cursed, smashing his wine ss onto the ground.


    The Guard Captain standing before him couldn''t even lift his head, silently enduring the reprimand.


    The man venting his anger was Viscount Kuka; Liz''s elopement two days ago had made him lose facepletely.


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    At the wedding, the invited nobles looked on with mocking smiles, while Count Solo''s expression was even more awkward, only just stopping short of making threats.


    But Viscount Kuka knew that if he didn''t find Liz soon, Count Solo wouldn''t let him off easily.


    After all, Solo was a noble whose family influence was far greater than his own!


    "My lord, please be assured."


    The butler standing by spoke respectfully:


    "We have sent for the Mage who masters the ''Seeking Person Skill''; news should arrive soon."


    The ''Seeking Person Skill'', as one of the Low-level Prophecy Magic, is quite reliable for finding ordinary people way below the user''s own power level; however, not many mages possess this skill.


    After all, it is a rare form of Prediction Magic, and only a Silver Mage in Count Solo''s Territory has mastered it.


    "Make it quick,"


    Viscount Kuka said impatiently, his expression grim.


    Now his only hope was that Liz hadn''t run off with another man; that would truly spell disaster.

 Chapter 200 Goodbye, Cage!

    Kuka City, within Cresce''s House.


    "If it''s just this ring, there''s no problem."


    Cress lowered her head to nce at the ck ring on her hand; she did not hesitate for long.


    Although it was an heirloom passed down within the family, it was of no help to Cress''s current predicament.


    Perhaps it harbored some secret, but what was more crucial now was to ensure Liz''s safe departure from Kuka City.


    "I still want to ask, how do you n to take the two of us away?"


    Cress stared into Lis''s eyes and asked, given that Liz was an ordinary person unable to defend herself should they encounter danger during their escape.


    "I came with the Feis merchant group, I can take you both into the group."


    "After all, it''s the Feis merchant group, not even Viscount Kuka could block us at will."


    Lis said with a smile, taking two people with him wasn''t a big deal, and what could Viscount Kuka do even if he pursued them?


    "A convoy from the Feis Guild?"


    Cress naturally knew the name of the kingdom''s number one guild, backed by none other than the Feis Royal Family.


    Liz sat aside quietly watching the two negotiate, not speaking, just curiously gazing at Lis with wide eyes.


    "If it''s urgent, we can head to the convoy now."


    Lis nodded with a smile and added:


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    "I have a box-type carriage in the convoy, you two can stay in the carriage the whole time."


    "The convoy''s destination is Viscount Oraya''s territory in the Northern Kingdom, and you can either follow the convoy there or leave midway."


    "Heading north?"


    Cress hesitated somewhat, as her initial n was actually to go to Bright City.


    "Since it''s the Feis convoy, did you start from Bright City?"


    "Yes, that''s correct."


    Lis nodded his head in affirmation.


    "Will the convoy return to Bright City, and could Liz and I apany the convoy there?"


    Cress promptly inquired:


    "I can offerpensation!"


    "That shouldn''t be a problem."


    Lis stroked his chin. After all, they could just avoid entering Kuka City on the way back, it was merely a matter of giving an instruction to the convoy manager, Roque, to look after the two women.


    Lis wouldn''t be apanying the convoy all the way; he had many more things to do.


    "Then that''s settled."


    Cress made the decision immediately, knowing full well that she couldn''t ensure Liz''s safety relying solely on her own strength.


    Moreover, she harbored an ominous premonition; lingering in Kuka City any longer might spell trouble.


    She had seen for herself Lis''s capabilities just a short while ago, not to mention his potential special status as a Prophet.


    Even though Cress didn''t interact with many people, she could still sense that Lis''s identity was extraordinary.


    Just by bringing up Viscount Kuka, he didn''t disy any reverence or worry; it seemed the local lord was of little concern to him.


    "Then please wait a moment."


    Lis watched as Cress pulled Liz into the room to pack, but he wasn''t in a hurry, leisurely sipping his tea as he waited for the two.


    When the two finished packing and came out, they had changed into different attire.


    ck cloaks with hoods wrapped tightly around the two of them, presumably to avoid being recognized on the way to the convoy.


    They didn''t have any luggage with them, likely because each had a storage ring to hold everything they needed.


    Lis didn''t mind this, and said to them:


    "If you''re ready, then we should set out."


    Cress took one final look around the small cottage she''d lived in since childhood, locked the door without much hesitation, and said:


    "Let''s go."


    As Cress spoke, Liz reached out her delicate little hand from under the cloak, grasping Cress''s hand and giving it a small squeeze forfort.


    Lis pretended not to notice the intimate gesture between the girls, though he was already aware of their rtionship.


    He took out his magic wand and gathered the Magic Power.


    Four Rings Magic [Advanced Invisibility]!


    This spell was a higher-tier version of the Three-Circle Magic [Invisibility Technique], providing better concealment and making it harder for others to detect.


    Lis cast the spell twice, cloaking both Liz and Cress with [Advanced Invisibility].


    He had no choice; [Group Invisibility Technique] was a Seven-Circle Magic, and Lis wasn''t currently capable of handling it.


    "Just follow me, you''ll be fine. We''ll head straight to the carriage without anyone noticing."


    Lis assured the two behind him. As the spellcaster, he was still able to sense their positions.


    Entering invisibility for the first time, Liz was initially panicky, but Cress''s firm grip on her hand soon calmed her.


    "Okay."


    This was the first time Lis heard Liz speak, her voice charming with a hint of yfulness.


    Lis nodded and started walking towards the hotel where the convoy was stationed.


    As they traversed the streets of Kuka City, Cress and Liz, initially tense, began to rx upon realizing that indeed no one around them seemed to notice their presence.@@novelbin@@


    The novelty of the experience was actually quite pleasant.


    Lis paid it no mind, ensuring they were closely behind him before heading straight for their destination.


    Lis''s luxurious carriage was parked in the hotel''s backyard.


    Many from the convoy were drinking and chatting on the first floor of the hotel, greeting Lis upon his return.


    Lis smiled back in response but didn''t linger, heading directly to the hotel''s backyard.


    Opening the carriage door, and after making sure Liz and Cress were both inside, Lis boarded and shut the door behind them.

 Chapter 201 The Nether River Memory Stealing Demon Appears!

    ```


    In the caravan, atop the small wagon of the White Wolf Mercenary Group.


    Lisy on top of the luggage, while the guards left behind by the mercenary group carefully drove the horses, trying to reduce the bumps as much as possible.


    Since Liz and Cress were on his wagon, he could only rest here.


    When they set off in the morning, he took the opportunity to check on the carriage, and both Liz and Cress were fine.


    He instructed the coachman to put two portions of food in front of the carriage at a set time each day, and the coachman arranged by the caravan nodded repeatedly, sensibly not asking for any exnation.


    They had left Kuka City for half a day, and if nothing out of the ordinary happened, Viscount Kuka was not likely toe looking for them again.


    Lis raised his hand and observed the ck ring in the sunlight.


    The ck luster flowed, and it seemed that indiscernible gray streams would sh by from time to time.


    Lis''s system panel had already disyed the information for this ring.


    -----------------


    [You have obtained the [Sealing Magic Ring]]


    [essory: [Sealing Magic Ring]


    Description: An ordinary-looking ring at first nce, which seems to hide some special secret.


    Equipment Effect 1: Charm Attribute +20


    Equipment Effect 2: Abnormal Mental State Resistance +10%]


    -----------------


    As a Silver Level piece of equipment, the effects of this [Sealing Magic Ring] were quite ordinary.


    However, being an essory, it could stille in handy for the average yer.


    But, Lis knew this was a disguise.


    The real secret of this ring was the Nether River Memory Stealing Demon sealed within it.


    In the past life game dungeon, if a yer helped Cressplete her vengeance, in the settlement CG, the yer could learn how Cress made a contract with the Nether River Memory Stealing Demon and step by step reached this situation.


    In the end, yers would receive a [Damaged Demon Sealing Ring] from Cress as a gift, but this piece of equipment was already damaged due to the Memory Stealer''s breach and had lost all effectiveness, serving merely as amon keepsake.@@novelbin@@


    Lis fiddled with the ring in his hand, who could imagine that a devil from Hell was hiding within this ordinary ring?


    And who could have crafted it, it surely couldn''t have been an elder from the Cresce family?


    Lis nced at the sky; half a day had passed since they left Kuka City in the morning, and it should be about time.


    Lis stood up, jumped down from the wagon, greeted the mercenaries, and ran toward the left side of the caravan.


    He found a quiet ce, ready to further investigate this ring.


    Having moved away from the range of the caravan''s guards and the mercenary scouts, Lis stood at the foot of a small hill, surrounded by disordered rocks and overgrown weeds, proof that few people passed through here.


    After arranging his surroundings, Lis threw the [Sealing Magic Ring] onto the ground in front of him, prepared to unlock its seal.


    In the past life, it was when Cress fell into extreme grief and anger after Liz''s death.


    It was these copsing emotions that awakened the sealed Nether River Memory Stealing Demon, who then appeared and made a deal with Cress.


    Cress received strength from the Nether River Memory Stealing Demon and advanced to the Silver Rank.


    The Memory Stealer also broke the seal of the [Sealing Magic Ring] with Cress''s help and acquired Cress''s soul.


    ```


    That said, the "Memory Stealer" sealed within this "Demon Sealing Ring" was also very special.


    Memory Stealers are almost solely found in the Nether River, which is in the firstyer of Hell. It''s not clear whether it''s the influence of the Nether River Essence or just their nature, but they are wildly insane, more like demons than devils.


    However, this one in the "Sealing Magic Ring" was an exception, as sly and cunning as a regr devil.


    Lis didn''t have any extreme emotions to awaken the Nether River Memory Stealing Demon, so he could only try other methods.


    For instance, directly destroying the ring!


    That way, the Memory Stealer sealed within it would naturally manifest.


    Unfortunately, Lis didn''t know how to cast the "Great Fragmentation Skill" yet, or it would have been quite convenient.


    Lis had already tested it, and the ring''s magic resistance was pretty high, presumably to limit the devil inside.


    If I can''t use magic, I still have my sword!


    Physical attacks never be obsolete!


    Lis took out a longsword from his storage ring and casually used his specialized arcane, "Lis''s Blue me Demon Sword."


    This Sixth Circle arcane came with Blue me that could reduce 30% of Physical Defense and Magic Resistance, which should also prove useful.


    The fine steel longsword in Lis''s hands was no ordinary item. It was a Gold Level Alchemy Longsword obtained from the First Magic Workshop. It had no special buffs, but its distinction was in its sharpness and solidity, capable of withstanding the buffs of Lis''s arcane.


    Lis slightly lifted the longsword, which zed with blue mes, and violently shed it down on the ck ring on the ground.


    ng~


    Contrary to Lis''s expectations, it was unclear whether the ring had been in existence for too long. Although the magic effect was still active, the material had be somewhat brittle.


    With almost no resistance, Lis easily chopped the ring into two pieces.


    A faint grey mist rose from the ring on the ground, spreading before Lis''s eyes.


    Lis noticed a rich, dark grey shadow emerging from within the ring. Once the shadow appeared, the ring on the ground turned entirely into dust.


    Without any hesitation, the shadow dashed toward a distance, trying to get as far away from Lis as possible.


    That must be the Nether River Memory Stealer that was sealed inside the "Sealing Magic Ring."


    But this fellow seemed very cunning; it didn''t hesitate at all to flee the scene as soon as it was released from the seal.


    But Lis wasn''t in any hurry.


    The shadow seemed to hit an invisible ss wall and stopped right there in mid-air.


    "Don''t even think about escaping. I have already set up a magic array to contain you here," Lis stood still and calmly spoke to the shadow.


    The shadow in mid-air shuddered, and all the grey mist in the space began to condense above it.


    As the grey mist continued to pour in and get absorbed, the shadow gradually revealed its true form.


    A nearly three-meter-tall figure stood before Lis, with nearly transparent blue skin. Through the skin, the blood-red blood could be seen coursing through therge veins. With a strong body and thick arms, a wide mouth filled with sharp teeth, and two thick horns stretching from the forehead, his devilish identity was evident.


    Its palms featured hook-like talons, and a pair of giant bat-like wings sprouted from its muscr back. Its lower body resembled that of a slug. Stay updated via empire


    A genuine Nether River Memory Stealer!


    Lis was not unfamiliar with it, as in his past life during the 5.0 main storyline "Abyssal Assault," yers received missions to delve into Hell and the Abyss, and these creatures in the Nether River of the firstyer of Hell were the first major challenge.


    Even so, it... it''s still really ugly!

 Chapter 202 - Its alright, I have plenty of swords!

    Nether River Memory Stealing Demon!


    Lis looked at the devil that revealed its original form before him, feeling somewhat emotional.


    Truth be told, encountering a living devil in the Gaia Main World was quite rare.


    As evil creatures from the Abyss Hell, the restrictions ced by the Gaia Main World on demons and devils were quite significant.


    For them to descend into the Main World, they could only do so through various special summoning rituals or magic arrays, relying on their own strength was extremely difficult.


    In the 5.0 Abyss Invasion main storyline, massive spatial passages connected to the firstyer of the Abyss appeared on each continent, which allowed those demons to enter the Gaia World with rtive ease.


    pping its fleshy wings, the Nether River Memory Stealing Demon cautiously watched Lis who stood not far away.


    As a rare and not-crazed Nether River Memory Stealing Demon, it didn''t have time to relish the joy of escaping its binds before sensing the solemn atmosphere around him.


    The magic arrays set up around them in advance were clearly from the humans who actively helped him escape...


    He simply didn''t believe anyone would be kind enough to help a devil free itself.


    Moreover, this human seemed to have a clear understanding of his situation.


    All of this made him feel very uneasy.


    After a moment of silence, the Nether River Memory Stealing Demon said in a hoarse voice:


    "Human, since you''ve helped me break the seal, what do you want from me?"


    Having obtained wisdom and escaped the deadly silence of its seal, Samus cherished its life greatly and attempted to leave the trap that had been set up in advance.


    Lis wasn''t surprised, after all, that''s just how devils are; even if this Nether River Memory Stealing Demon had Gold Level strength before being sealed, as long as Lis was stronger than it now, the devil would never attack first.


    For a demon, that might not be the case.


    "What can you offer me?"


    Lis asked, somewhat curiously.


    "The great Devil Sasum can grant you the opportunity to break through to the Gold Level and can also bestow upon you eternal life," said the Nether River Memory Stealing Demon Sasum, naturally starting his spiel.


    "Ha, I''m not interested in those."


    Lis shook his head,ughing as he spoke.


    "Besides, I really can''t be bothered to figure out what tricks you''d pull in a contract."


    "There''s no need for a contract, Sasum can directly grant you power," said the devil hastily, sensing something was amiss in the atmosphere.


    Sasum had a bad premonition; while this young man only had the aura of Silver Level, why was he able to exert such a great pressure on him?


    It shouldn''t be like this!


    Although his strength had fallen from Gold Level due to the extended seal, it shouldn''t be a big problem to deal with someone at the Silver Early Stage.


    "There''s no need to continue speaking."


    Lis figured there probably wasn''t anything useful on this self-proimed Sasum, the Nether River Memory Stealing Demon, and he couldn''t be bothered to waste more words.


    "I just want that drop of Nether River Essence inside you, how about it?"


    Sasum''splexion changed; this human even knew such hidden secrets.


    But the Nether River Essence was the source of his power, this human was asking for his death!


    "That, I can give to you, but��"


    Before he could finish speaking, Sasum''s body crashed directly into the restrictions of the magic array, trying to break through what appeared to be flimsy defense.


    Lis''s attention naturally remained on the demon, yet he didn''t strike immediately.


    "Are you kidding me?" Although it was just a casual creation of Judgement me, it wasn''t something the demon could break through, not even if his strength were at its peak.


    The impact of Sasum''s body against the barrier seemed to shake the translucent but seemingly fragile walls, which held fast, refusing to let the demon pass. The immense force of the collision even left wounds on Sasum''s pale blue skin, from which droplets of blood fell to ground.


    What left him in despair was that the barrier didn''t seem to be affected at all by his collision, there was not even a tremble.


    Turning around, no longer pretending, Sasum bared his tusks and said fiercely to Lis,


    "Damn reptile, you are offending the great Lord Sasum, prepare to face my wrath."


    Lis ignored the demon''s feeble attempt at intimidation and lifted his longsword. Find your next read at empire


    With a gentle swipe of his left hand over the de, a ghastly blue me ignited along the sword.


    After cricking his neck, Lis, holding his sword, charged towards Sasum.


    Not bothering to use magic, Lis decided to beat the demon with his own hands, which also served as a good warm-up.


    The Nether River Memory Stealer Sasum was somewhat caught off guard. He had sensed a strong presence of Magic Elementsing off Lis, which should indicate a Spellcaster''s profession.


    What, a closebat fight?


    Sasum was somewhat gleeful, this was his area of expertise.


    Unlike other demons, the Nether River Memory Stealer preferred not to use ssical magical abilities, but to kill his enemies through physicalbat.


    Especially his lower half, which resembled the enormous foot of a snail or slug, couldtch onto an opponent''s body, its tentacles biting into and drawing their blood and memories.


    That was, after all, the origin of their name.


    The only pity was that he wasn''t by the Nether River at the moment, otherwise it would have been even easier to drag his enemy into its depths.


    Sasum didn''t dodge as Lis thrust his longsword straight at him; he even seemed to meet the attack deliberately.


    The sharp point of the sword pierced Sasum''s skin without resistance, plunging deeply into his muscr flesh.


    Blood Energy sttered everywhere, and the ghastly blue me began to spread onto Sasum''s wounds.


    With a grunt of pain, Sasum hadn''t expected Lis''s attack to prate his flesh so easily, especially not the ghastly blue mes, which scorched his flesh and brought him immense pain.


    But Sasum''s n had seeded, he''d allowed Lis''s sword to hit him so he could get close.


    Flexing his muscles, he firmly trapped Lis''s longsword and the lower half of his body suddenly coiled around Lis.


    He had killed countless demons and devils this way.


    Once entangled by his foot''s suction, even those stronger than he couldn''t do much.


    Lis wasn''t surprised by this sudden attack.


    This was his first time facing a Nether River Memory Stealer in this life, but he had plenty of experience in his past life.


    Dealing with you, I''m an old hand!


    Without hesitation, he let go of his longsword and leapt backward, evading Sasum''s onught.


    After obtaining the assassin profession specialty, his speed also improved, barely falling short of a Hunter or assassin of the same level.


    Sasum was surprised but not too dismayed, so what if he avoided@@novelbin@@

 Chapter 203 【Nether Rivers Blessing】

    The battle unfolded swiftly, as Lis was quite experienced in dealing with the Nether River Memory Stealing Demon.


    He just needed to be wary of the creature''s feet and tail.


    Its feet could entangle an enemy and drain their blood and memories.


    When its tail made contact with an opponent, it would force them to make a special willpower check.


    If the willpower check failed, a "Memory Maniption" spell would take effect immediately.


    Of course, at the level of the Nether River Memory Stealing Demon, it was not yet capable of finely altering or recing someone else''s memories, but it would cram a bunch of useless memories into the victim''s mind.


    The enemy would then feel disoriented, wondering "who am I, where am I, what am I doing," which could be particrly deadly in fiercebat.@@novelbin@@


    Of course, Lis was aware of these factors and, though confident he could withstand the willpower check, why would anyone willingly test that?


    Thus, Lis effortlessly engaged the Nether River Memory Stealing Demon inbat. Stay updated through empire


    This self-proimed Samus, the Nether River Memory Stealing Demon, waspletely helpless against Lis.


    Neither able to run nor fight back.


    The key was that Lis was simply too cunning, giving Samus no chance to fight back.


    His best skill, closebat, waspletely countered by Lis, and whenever he tried to use his ssical magical abilities, Lis would instantly interrupt his casting with a sword strike.


    Realbat is not a game, and Lis certainly wouldn''t give Samus a chance to cast.


    Samus tried many tactics, but none were effective.


    Soon, his body was as pierced with longswords as an old general on the stage.


    Seeing Lis pull out yet another new longsword, Samus couldn''t bear it any longer.


    With eyes full of resentful rage, Samus screamed:


    "Damn you, die!"


    Samus knew that if he didn''t fight with all he had, he might miss hisst chance to strike.


    His lower body exploded violently, with red flesh flying everywhere, and the special flesh tube hidden beneath his tail gathered his remaining strength and shot toward Lis at an incredible speed.


    This was Samus''s final strike!


    The speed of the flesh tube had reached the Gold Level, and Lis, not far away, seemed to have no reaction.


    Lis''s body was instantly pierced and he fell to the ground.


    Seeing that hisst desperate strike had killed Lis, Samus breathed a sigh of relief.


    Heh, prepare all you want, but in the end, you''re still killed by the great Samus.


    Dragging his torn lower body, Samus nned to find a ce to hide and recover.


    After all, with his current injuries, even a Bronze Level novice could take him down.


    Wait!


    A nce out of the corner of his eye at Lis''s body made Samus''s heart race with rm.


    He saw Lis''s "corpse" gradually turn transparent and then disappear from the spot like shattered ss.


    "So you know this trick too!"


    Hearing Lis''s mocking voice, Samus knew he was in trouble and quicklyy down on the ground, ready to beg for mercy.


    Without hesitation, Lis, standing behind Samus, swung his sword and decapitated Samus''s ugly head.


    Nether River Memory Stealing Demon, dead!


    Lis shook the longsword in his hand and pursed his lips.


    Did you think I wouldn''t be wary of your desperate move?


    Special Skill "Mirror Body"!


    This was a skill Lis had acquired from the "Trial Card - Mirror Image."


    This Skill allowed Lis to create a Mirror Image possessing part of his own strength, and when Lis invested Experience to upgrade the Skill Level and actively controlled it, the power it could exert was not much less than his own.


    Just now, Lis had covertly used "Mirror Body" and then concealed his own tracks through the "Advanced Invisibility Technique," thereby deceiving Samus.


    However, one couldn''t me him, as under the fierce and rapid attacks of Lis, simply resisting was difficult enough, let alone noticing Lis''s subtle movements.


    "Mirror Body" was indeed very effective, seemingly very authentic, as even Samus, who once was of the Golden Rank, could not differentiate it.


    The only drawback was that it could only withstand a certain amount of damage before it would disappear.


    Regathering his thoughts, Lis pulled out the numerous longswords stuck in Samus''s body, wiped off the blood, and retrieved them into his storage ring.


    The blood of the Nether River Memory Stealing Demon still had some corrosive properties, so it needed to be cleaned immediately; otherwise, even if the longsword was solid, it wouldn''tst long like that.


    With a single strike, Lis split open the head of the Nether River Memory Stealing Demon and, suppressing his disgust, reached inside to fumble around.


    Soon, Lis felt a hard object amidst the sticky brain pulp.


    Holding it in his hand and wiping off the viscous fluid, a deep gray sphere appeared in Lis''s hand.


    ---------------


    [You have killed the Nether River Memory Stealing Demon Samus (lv.60)!]


    [You have obtained 300,000 Experience Points]


    ...


    [You have activated the milestone quest "Devil Hunter"!]


    ["Devil Hunter" Activation: (1/100)]


    ...


    [You have obtained the treasure "Mutated Nether River Essence"]


    ["Mutated Nether River Essence": Essence of a special power from the Nether River, condensed within the body of the Nether River Memory Stealing Demon, which is also the source of their power. However, this Nether River Essence seems to have undergone a change, and it may bring you stronger power]


    ---------------


    Lis frowned as he looked at the system panel before him.


    Killing this Nether River Memory Stealing Demon had only yielded 300,000 experience, and Lis had a premonition about this.


    After all, this fellow was indeed somewhat weak, and the long period of sealing had caused his level to drop to 60.


    Lis was quite familiar with the "Devil Hunter" milestone; yers who had participated in the Hell Blood Battle scenario in his previous life almost all had one, which could enhance damage against devil creatures.


    This "Mutated Nether River Essence" was a bit special, though. Lis remembered that the "Nether River Essence" obtained in his previous life was always in the form of a droplet-like gray fluid, but the one inside this Nether River Memory Stealing Demon had solidified into a crystal.


    Perhaps this was what made this Samus special��the Memory Stealing Demons from the Nether River with wisdom and self-control capabilities were indeed quite rare.


    The system introduction to "Mutated Nether River Essence" also indicated positive effects, so it likely shouldn''t be problematic.


    Lis thought for a moment and carefully wiped the gray sphere in his hand.


    Closing his eyes, he swallowed the gray sphere.


    After swallowing, Lis felt a wave of coolness, followed by a chilling sensation that seemed to freeze the soul spreading from his chest to his brain.


    As this sensation emerged, the system panel also shed with new information.


    ---------------


    [You have used "Mutated Nether River Essence"!]


    [Initiating hidden checks!]


    [Check (1/3): Wisdom, Strength, Endurance, Mysterious Attribute Points exceeding 100 Points...Check passed!]


    [Check (2/3): Nether River''s influence prating...Check passed!]


    [Check (3/3): Will of the Nether River Memory Stealing Demon...Check passed!]


    [All checks passed!]


    [You have acquired the specialty "Nether River''s Blessing"!]

 Chapter 204 Samuss Big Gift Package!

    Lis took a deep breath, as if trying to expel the non-existent chill from his bodypletely.


    He shook his head to alleviate the difort and then looked at the information disyed on the system panel.


    "Nether River''s Blessing"?


    It really is different!


    Lis silently thought to himself that in his previous life, he had also obtained the "Nether River Essence" from inside a Memory Stealer.


    But that time, the specialty he acquired was not "Nether River''s Blessing," but "Nether River''s Protection"!


    This must be a new effect brought about by this "Mutated Nether River Essence."


    Lis nodded, then clicked on the system panel to check the detailed information about "Nether River''s Blessing."


    -----------------


    [Specialty "Nether River''s Blessing": You have received the blessing of the eternal Nether River that flows through the Abyss and Hell, granting you immunity to the negative effects of Nether River water; your Confusion Control magic priority +2; every natural day, you gain "Solid Soul" status (automatically seed on a Will save once)]


    -----------------


    Ss~


    Seeing the specialty effect on the panel in front of him, Lis thought, "Powerful!"


    The immunity to the effects of Nether River water doesn''t usuallye into y, but if Lis needs to infiltrate the Abyss, this effect essentially grants him an escape route.


    After all, even within the Abyss and Hell, only a few types of creatures are immune to the effects of Nether River water, and the Memory Stealer is among the strongest.


    The second effect is the increase of +2 to the priority of Confusion Control spells.


    Lis remembered clearly that the "Nether River''s Protection" specialty only provided a +1 increase to the priority of Confusion Control spells.


    Don''t underestimate this effect because Confusion Control spells fundamentally differ from other types of magic.


    For instance, Shape Changing Magic and Protection Magic are more rted to the attributes of the spell caster and corresponding power enhancements.@@novelbin@@


    However, Confusion Control spells are different, involving spells such as "Confusion Control Technique," "Demoralize," "Charming Humans," and "Combat Hymn," where the effects depend more on various judgments between the spell and the targeted entity.


    Take "Charming Humans," for example; if the caster''s level is not high enough and the priority is insufficient, there is even a possibility of failing to control ordinary people.


    Or "Combat Hymn," which works by boosting morale through invigorating tunes, motivating all friendly creatures within the range of the spell.


    Under the effect of "Combat Hymn," the user''srades can re-attempt the Will save for any adverse effects they''re under, gaining a bonus based on the caster''s Will save.


    To put it simply, if a teammate fails the Will save against "Fear Technique" and bes frightened, under the effect of "Combat Hymn," the teammate can make another Will save against "Fear Technique." If they seed on this save with the bonuses from "Combat Hymn," then they shake off the effects.


    In the "Combat Hymn" spell, the priority of the skill is extremely important��if "Combat Hymn" has a significantly higher priority than the opponent''s "Fear Technique," it can almost certainly negate the effects.


    Vice versa, the effects of "Combat Hymn" would be directly overridden by "Fear Technique."


    Thus, the priority of Confusion Control spells is very important, and for Lis, the more, the merrier.


    As for thest effect, it wasn''t present in the "Nether River''s Protection" specialty; perhaps that''s the difference between a protector and a blessing.


    "Solid Soul" status, updated every 24 hours, can automatically seed on any Will save once.


    It''s a very powerful effect!


    The most important aspect is the phrase "unconditionally," which means the skill has a very high ceiling!


    Of course, the greater significance of "Solid Soul" status isn''t inbat.


    While immunity to Will saves is strong, Lis also possesses numerous rted specialties and skills, and naturally, duringbat, he would enhance himself with various Beneficial Magic to greatly improve the effect of his Will saves.


    This effect mostly provides Lis with an extrayer of protection.


    Capable of unconditionally guaranteeing exemption from one willpower determination, passive effect that requires no active use by Lis.


    This means that Lis can preemptively block the attacks targeting his will and soul when faced with a sneak attack or sudden incident.


    Lis was destined not to always hide in safe ces; therefore, this effect could provide an extrayer of protection for his adventures.


    Oh!


    Samus, I would call you Camus Number Two!


    This specialty from Nether River''s Blessing is worth two or three regr specialties.


    Lis, feeling grateful, thanked Samus for the generous gift and casually began to dissect Samus''s battered body with his sword.


    The dual horns of Nether River Memory Stealing Demon, full of spiritual essence, are magic materials. Take them!


    The flesh wings of the Nether River Memory Stealing Demon, precious materials for refining, take them!


    The blood of the Nether River Memory Stealing Demon, average, but corrosive. Keep a bit to see!


    As a former leveling master, Lis naturally knew which parts of a demon were valuable, and he quickly and clearly handled Samus''s body.


    A burst of Blue me sends Samus off to meet Asmodiel.


    Samus has been away from home for too long; time to send him to Hell for a visit.


    I am really too considerate! Stay connected with empire


    Lis nodded in satisfaction; he had gained a new specialty and magic materials. Cress avoided being harvested by the devil, and Samus got his chance to return home.


    We all have a bright future!


    After quickly cleaning the battlefield and erasing the traces of his fight with Nether River Memory Stealing Demon, Lis packed up the Magic Array.


    Fair enough, with Samus''s strength, he hadn''t affected the Magic Array at all; it could still be used.


    Lis packed everything into the storage ring and was ready to return to the caravan.


    Just as he was about to leave, Lis frowned.


    He felt that the restriction he''d set on the caravan''s designated carriage had been triggered.


    What''s going on?


    Cress and Liz wouldn''t be so reckless, would they?


    Without further dy, Lis quickly leaped up and dashed towards the direction of the caravan.


    -----------------


    Feis Guild nearby.


    The Feis Guild was supposed to continue north, but they had stopped.


    The guild''s guards and mercenaries stood around the carriages, their serious expressions adding tension to the atmosphere.


    Guild manager Roque and guard captain Zorff were standing at the back of the guild, negotiating with a special group of knights.


    Lis noticed that the knights'' uniforms bore the emblem of Viscount Kuka.


    "Even if you are Viscount Kuka''s subordinates, you still have no right to search the caravan arbitrarily,"


    Roque said calmly to the captain of the knight squad, his faceposed.


    "This is the privilege of the Feis Guild. Unless you give us a reason, please leave!"

 Chapter 205 Rashid, Stop!

    The people in front of Roque had just chased from Kuka City at the guidance of the mage who mastered the "Seeking Person Skill," confirming that Lady Liz had left Kuka City, though not by far.


    ording to the City Guards'' ount, aside from a few ordinary travelers, the only other departure from the city gate was the Feis Guild convoy.


    "Don''t be in such a hurry, Roque,"


    Before the knight squad captain, ke, could speak, a middle-aged man standing behind him chimed in with a flippant tone,


    "I, too, am here under the orders of Lord Viscount Kuka and Count Solo to capture a fugitive."


    "This fugitive is mixed in with your convoy. We need to capture her and bring her before the two lords. I suppose such a small matter shouldn''t warrant your refusal, Roque!"


    Roque looked at the man who was speaking, frowning.


    He knew this man, named Rashid Kali, who indeed was a steward close to Viscount Kuka. Previously, when passing through Kuka City, Roque hadmunicated with this steward on some matters.


    But Roque did not like this man, who appeared to be a minor noble of some side branch; his somewhat frivolous demeanor was not endearing.


    However, Viscount Kuka and Count Solo...


    That seemed tricky. If there indeed was a legitimate reason, Roque couldn''t really stop them from inspecting the convoy.


    Although the Feis Guild was a part of the Royal Family''s enterprise, Roque was merely in charge of a guild convoy, and the guild''s privileges did not include ignoring demands from two Sealed Nobles.


    "You can''t just say she''s here without proof. What evidence do you have?"


    "And by what authority do you represent Count Solo?"


    Roque looked at the group before him and asked calmly.


    Seeing the specks of dust on the knight squad and their horses breathing heavily, it seemed they had just made a hurried march from Kuka City.


    What could be so urgent?


    Could it be?


    Suddenly, Roque thought of some intelligence information he had gathered in the city over thest few days, and his heart skipped a beat.


    Could it be thatdy?


    "Of course, there''s evidence,"


    Rashidughed, stepped aside, and a pale-faced man in a brown Spell robe stepped forward.


    "This is Mage Sirry from Count Solo''smand; we found our way here following him,"


    Sirry coughed, suppressing the urge to vomit.


    Honestly, the operation akin to riding horses in a forced march was too intense for him, a mage of frail constitution; he felt somewhat nauseous.


    After adjusting his status, Sirry nodded to Roque, regained his aristocratic mage demeanor, and spoke,


    "Count Kuka''s daughter, Lady Liz, was abducted from the castle by a criminal. Through the ''Seeking Person Skill,'' I verified that Lady Liz is indeed within this convoy."


    Having spoken, Sirry disyed a Magic Disk, its faint white Spirit Light indeed pointing towards the convoy.


    Roque remained silent; as an ordinary person, he had never seen the effect of the "Seeking Person Skill," but surely the other party wouldn''t deceive him about this.


    Seeing that Roque epted this, Rashid invited someone else from behind, smiling as he spoke:


    "This gentleman is surely familiar to you, Mr. Roque, Mr. Ignos."


    Roque was indeed familiar with the slightly gray-haired man, Ignos Zorg, who was the head steward beside Count Solo.


    He was highly trusted by the Count, even considered to be the second most influential figure in Count Solo''s Territory.


    "Mr. Ignos, good day!"


    "Mr. Roque, this might inconvenience you a bit."


    Ignos''s attitude, however, was quite calm, far more polished than the steward Rashid beside him.


    "So, Mr. Roque, in charge, you probably won''t refuse now, will you?"


    Rashid spoke with a smile on his face, somewhat triumphant, apparently imagining being praised by Lord Viscount Kuka for finding Lady Liz.


    Even so, he did not forcefully search.


    After all, it was the Feis Guild convoy, and he was being very careful, patiently exining and providing sufficient reasons, even involving Ignos in the matter.


    If it had been an ordinary convoy, he wouldn''t have prepared at all; not cooperative?


    "Directly ordering the knights to search forcefully, who in Lord Kuka''s territory would dare to defy his will!"


    Roque''s face darkened somewhat, but he still instructed Zorff to clear a path for the guard and the mercenaries.


    Rashid walked at the forefront with an air of arrogance and said to Sirry:


    "Can you determine which carriage Miss Liz is in?"@@novelbin@@


    "I cannot, I can only roughly confirm she''s within this merchant caravan, I cannot pinpoint it further."


    Sirry shook his head as he spoke.


    Rashid turned to the captain of the knight squad behind him and ordered:


    "Then search all the carriages, we must find Lady Liz."


    Noticing Roque''s displeased expression, Rashid quickly added:


    "Be careful not to damage the merchandise."


    "Yes."


    Captain ke paid no mind to Rashid''smanding tone, although his status in Kuka City was nearly equivalent to Rashid''s. However, having not found Liz for many days now, he had been severely scolded by Lord Viscount numerous times.


    Now, the most important thing was to find Miss Liz!


    Find adventures on empire


    ke instructed his knights to search carriage by carriage, inspecting any possible hiding ce meticulously, including beneath the carriages.


    Although there were many merchant carriages, they were essentially filled with goods, leaving no space to hide a person.


    Therefore, the speed of ke and his men''s inspection was quite rapid.


    When passing a particrlyvish coach in the middle of the caravan that seemed out of ce, ke hesitated for a moment.


    He recognized the longsword insignia on the carriage but could not remember which family it belonged to.


    It was definitely not ordinary. After hesitating, he decided not to approach and simply skipped that carriage.


    After all the carriages in the caravan had been checked, ke found not a trace of Liz.


    ke silently walked over to Rashid and quietly informed him of the results.


    "What, how can she not be there?"


    Rashid''s voice of surprise rang out, even causing Roque and Ignos, who had been chatting nearby, to turn their heads and look at him.


    "Have you checked all the carriages?"


    Rashid looked at ke with a dark expression, his tone unfriendly as he asked.


    "We''ve checked almost all of them, except for that one..."


    ke hesitated, thevish carriage had given him a bad feeling.


    "Which one, let me see!"


    Rashid pushed ke aside angrily. Seeking out Lady Liz had been his own request to Viscount Kuka.


    He had thought it was a sure thing, how could he ept not finding her?


    He had already imagined himself finding Miss Liz and being heavily relied upon by Viscount Kuka upon returning to the castle.


    Returning empty-handed and being scolded by Viscount Kuka, even possibly being driven out of the castle, how could he ept that!


    In his anger tinged with a hint of fear, Rashid followed ke to the coach of Lis, not even noticing the special insignia on the coach, and prepared to pull open the door.


    The calmer Roque, following behind, saw Rashid attempting to open Lis''s carriage, felt dizzy with anger, and shouted:


    "Rashid, stop!"


    Is this guy an idiot? Can''t he see such arge insignia!


    Ignos, who also raised his voice, had spotted the insignia on the carriage at first nce. His eyes narrowed, no longer able to maintain hisposure.


    But it was already toote, the carriage door was pulled open by Rashid.


    What Rashid saw was not Lady Liz...


    But a fiercely zing, bright red fireball!

 Chapter 206 Is this Mr. Liss arrangement?

    Feis caravan, inside Lis''s carriage.


    Cress and Liz had obediently stayed inside the carriage ever since Lis took them aboard yesterday.


    In order not to attract any attention, they were extremely cautious, even when peeking outside through the curtain.


    They knew that Liz''s elopement must have driven Viscount Kuka mad, with guards all over the city searching for them.


    To avoid being captured, they remained vignt even while on the carriage, and although Liz jokingly suggested sleeping together, they eventually decided to take turns keeping watch, lest someone sneak onto the carriage while they rested at night.


    In the morning, as the carriage left Kuka City with the caravan, they finally exhaled a small sigh of relief. Having not slept well all night, they soon drifted into a groggy sleep.


    The cabin''s geshan wood furniture emitted a slightly sweet and elegant scent, and it seemed as if only the soft breathing of two slumbering girls remained in the quiet carriage.


    "Cress, Cress, wake up!"


    The sweetly sleeping Cress was shaken awake, her eyes still clouded with confusion.


    "What''s wrong, Liz?"


    Cress yawned and shook her head before finallying to her senses.


    "The caravan has stopped, and it seems like someone is pursuing us from behind."


    Liz, dressed in light yellow pajamas, stood by the carriage door, carefully lifting a corner of the curtain to look out.


    The soundproofing of Lis''s carriage was very good, so Liz and Cress could hardly hear any noise from outside.


    Liz, who sensed the carriage stopping in her sleep, woke up immediately due to her sensitivity and peered out the window, only to see a crowd of people gathering behind the caravan.


    Upon hearing this, Cress also climbed down from the bed, her bare white feet standing on the floor of the carriage, looking in the direction Liz pointed out.


    As an Extraordinary Professional, her vision was naturally much better than Liz''s.


    Although those people were standing at the tail end of the caravan, which was quite distant, Cress could still clearly make out their features and attire.


    The caravan''s people were dressed in gray clothing, as for the knights in shining silver armor who were approaching.


    Although Cress could clearly see the coat of arms on the knights, it was indeed the Viscount Kuka''s moon grass crest.


    Letting the curtain fall back, Cress''s expression became somewhat grim.


    She hadn''t expected that just after leaving Kuka City with the caravan, it wouldn''t be long before Viscount Kuka''s men caught up.@@novelbin@@


    How did they know she and Liz were among the caravan?


    There had been no checks when they left the city.


    After all, Cress was a self-taught mage and was unaware of the existence of "Seeking Person Skill," a Prophetic Spell.


    Lis did know, so after the caravan set off, he waited for half a day to make sure that no one was following before he left to handle the Nether River Memory Stealing Demon matter.


    Little did he know, the mage who mastered "Seeking Person Skill," hired by Viscount Kuka, didn''t arrive until half a day after Lis and the others had left.


    In a previous life, the reason Cress and Liz could hide at home for a week before being discovered when fleeing Kuka City was because Cress''s home had been protected and concealed by simple spells cast by her parents, which disrupted Mage Xirui''s investigations.


    After all, he was just a Silver Level Mage who barely mastered "Seeking Person Skill," and any interference made it impossible for him to pinpoint Liz''s location.


    When Cress and Liz left their home and fled outward, Xirui was able to detect their location normally, and under his lead, they caught up with the fleeing Cress and Liz, leading to the tragedy that followed.


    Now, Cress and Liz were facing the pursuit of Viscount Kuka''s forces once again.


    Your next chapter is on empire


    "Liz, don''t make a sound, and be careful," Cress urged, her face serious after confirming that the people behind the caravan were Viscount Kuka''s men.


    He retrieved a ck magic wand from the storage ring and instructed Liz to hide behind him.


    Liz didn''t say much and obediently climbed onto the bed, sitting with her legs hugged at the corner.


    Although Cress hadn''t exined the reason, Liz had guessed why she suddenly became nervous, biting her lip and silently praying in her heart.


    Cress didn''t have time to care for Liz, her eyes locked through the window on the movements of that group of people.


    Mr. Lis seemed to be absent, and if it came to it, Liz''s safety would depend solely on her.


    Cress watched nervously as the caravan''s people seemed to bemunicating with Viscount Kuka''s pursuers.


    After a while, Cress suddenly saw the caravan make way, the knights checking the goods on the caravan''s wagons one by one, also sizing up among the caravan''s men as if they were looking for someone.


    Were they really looking for Liz?


    Cress gripped the magic wand tightly, monitoring the knights'' actions.


    When the knights reached the wagon where Cress was before moving on hesitantly and continuing the search, Cress finally let out the breath she had been holding in.


    The wagon seemed unusual; was this why Mr. Lis had felt confident in leaving?


    Before Cress could rx, she saw the knight return with a person who was fuming with anger.


    That person seemed to be dressed in the attire of a steward from Kuka Castle, but Cress did not recognize him.


    The two approached the wagon, the angry steward heading straight for it, reaching out his hand to open the carriage.


    Cress naturally saw the man''s action, her body tensed up.


    She could not let these people take Liz away, not even over her dead body!


    Mr. Lis, where are you?


    Without time to think, Cress lifted her magic wand, channelling magic power, ready to hit that person hard the moment he opened the door.


    Whoosh!


    The door of the carriage was pulled open from the outside, and just as Cress was about to cast her spell, something unexpected happened!


    Cress saw a sh along the doorframe of the carriage and suddenly, a zing red fireball converged in mid-air and smashed towards the steward who had opened the door.


    The abruptness of the event caused Cress to involuntarily stop the spell she was gathering in her hands.


    Cress saw that the knight standing beside the steward seemed to barely react in time, widening his eyes, trying his best to shield the steward with his shield.


    Unfortunately, the knight''s shield only managed to block part of the fireball.


    The fireball shattered, sending mes spreading out and sshing onto the steward, igniting him as the fire climbed his body.


    The steward screamed in agony, copsing to the ground while rolling desperately, as if trying to extinguish the bone-searing ze, but how could magic mes be extinguished so easily.


    Cress didn''t make a sound, raising her magic wand to deliver another strike.


    But after a moment''s hesitation, Cress didn''t act immediately.


    She noticed that though the carriage door was opened, there appeared to be a thin, gray film covering the door.


    It seemed those outside could not see her and Liz inside.


    Was this Mr. Lis''s arrangement?

 Chapter 210 【Forbidden Love】

    After Count Solo and Viscount Kuka''s people left, the caravan resumed its normal progress.


    Most people didn''t care much about the little incident that urred during the journey; it was just a bit of gossip for them, at most.


    Meanwhile, the arrival of Liz and Cress added a different ssh of color to the caravan.


    With Lis''s permission, Liz and Cress often got off the cart to wander around when the caravan took rests and encamped. Find exclusive stories on empire


    Relieved of her burdens, Liz smiled radiantly; having lived in Kuka City from birth, she was curious about all sorts of new things she encountered on the trip, running around joyfully everywhere.


    Cress, on the other hand, didn''t care much and preferred to stay inside the carriage, but worried about Liz running into danger, she always followed closely behind her.


    Heaven knows, there were almost no women in the caravan, since the hardships of long-distance travel meant it was almost entirelyposed of men, who only had a chance to rx when passing through towns.


    Therefore, they were rather friendly towards Liz and Cress, who were easy on the eyes!


    Of course, the disposition and attire of the twodies made it clear they were not ordinary people, so naturally, nobody dared harbor any ill intentions.


    The mundane and ordinary caravan journey thus passed by for a few more days.


    Since the carriage was given to Liz and Cress, Lis did not return to it for rest but instead took out a tent from his storage ring and mixed in with the White Wolf Mercenary Group.


    The mercenaries'' attitude towards Lis had be a bit more respectful, but Lis didn''t pay much attention to it.


    During one of the rests, Fink quietly approached Lis, who was nibbling on some dried fruit, and asked in a low voice,


    "Lis, can I ask you something, if it''s not too much trouble?"


    Lis looked at Fink curiously, wondering why the usually straightforward guy was being so secretive, and said,


    "You first tell me what it''s about?"


    Then Lis saw Fink awkwardly scratching his head, ncing around uncertainly and asking,


    "Those twodies..."


    "I saw theme down from your noble lord''s carriage."


    "I want to ask what rtionship those two have with your lord?"


    After finishing, Fink seemed somewhat embarrassed, bowing his head and not daring to look at Lis.


    Is... is thisd smitten?


    Lis realized something and looked at Fink with a bit of surprise.


    "Don''t worry, those two have nothing to do with my lord."


    A trace of a smile appeared on Lis''s face as he continued to add,


    "To be precise, there''s only those twodies in the carriage right now, so you don''t need to worry about anything else."


    "Oh."


    Fink, who got a positive response, breathed a sigh of relief, seemingly at ease.


    Lis nudged Fink, who was sitting next to him, and asked with a smile,


    "What''s the matter, taken a liking to one of them?"


    "No, no!"


    "Don''t talk nonsense!


    "I''m just asking out of curiosity!"


    Watching Fink almost jump up, the smile on Lis''s face grew wider.


    "Which one is it?"


    "I happen to know some information about those twodies, you know. If I''m in a good mood, I might just tell you."


    Looking at Fink in front of him, who was clearly embarrassed and hesitant, Lis had already turned into a tease.


    The smile did not vanish, it only moved to my face.


    Did the leader of the Blood Wolf Knight Order from my past life have a wife?


    Thinking of that advanced NPC who always had a poker face, Lis figured probably no one would fancy him.


    Fink, who had been struggling for a long time, finally couldn''t resist Lis''s temptation and said softly,


    "That blondedy..."


    Ah, Liz~


    Lis shook his head, feeling somewhat sorry for Fink.


    If Fink liked Cress, there might be a slim chance, but with Lady Liz, there was almost no hope.


    It wasn''t a matter of the gap in status or identity, but rather an issue with Liz Kuka herself.


    When Lis first saw Miss Liz, he had his suspicions.


    Those pale pink eyes, that longing for a special kind of love, it was all a bit unusual.


    To put it bluntly, Cress could at most be considered to have been led astray by Liz.


    Over the past two days, Lis had discreetly tested the waters and finally confirmed his suspicions.@@novelbin@@


    Since Liz was now just an ordinary person, Lis could see her stats clearly.


    All her attributes were at the level of an ordinary human, except for her unique talent.


    -----------------


    [Forbidden Love (Gold Level Talent): You naturally yearn for forbidden love that others don''t understand, mysterious attribute +30%,patibility with certain special skills increases. As your power grows, so does your allure to certain beings.]


    -----------------


    A rather unique talent, perfectly aligned with the characteristics of a mysterious attribute.


    The mysterious attribute is a very special existence among the six basic attributes. Unlike the others, it hardly shows any unique outward signs.


    At the same time, professions rted to the mysterious attribute mostly rely on innate talent, such as Prophets and Divine Thinkers, and those without talent can hardly master such extraordinary professions.


    This was one of the issues troubling Lis, as he had not yet decided which basic profession his mysterious attribute should specialize in.


    But a talent like Forbidden Love, Lis wouldn''t want it even if it were given to him for free.


    Such special talents begin subtly influencing the mind of the possessor upon awakening, causing their thoughts to gradually align with the talent.


    One could say it''s innate to the possessor, but it can also bring considerable pain to them.


    Like with Liz, her unconventional views on romance could cause significant agony, and she had to bear it all herself.


    Without resolve and perseverance, she might be crushed by this intangible pressure.


    This is amon issue among transcendent professions centered around the mysterious attribute.


    You either strive for transcendence, or you fall into bing a pervert or a monster.


    Resisting the impulses thate from one''s talent is exceedingly difficult; anyone who manages to ovee it will not have a modest future ahead.


    But speaking of Liz''s Forbidden Love talent, Lis did know of a suitable extraordinary path for her.


    That is to be a Divine Officer of the Love and Beauty Goddess Freya!


    As a chaotic good deity from the human pantheon, Lady Freya presides over the domains of love, beauty, desire, and fertility, and is a deity with medium divine power.


    She particrly favors those like Liz who yearn for a different kind of love, so Liz could certainly be a believer and start on the Extraordinary Path this way.


    This goddess is one of the more normal among the love deities of past generations. Her followers exalt the virtues of love and fertility, and besides that, they are not much different from other True God Churches.


    Lis still remembered a special quest he hadpleted in his past life, which involved the previous love goddess, Shuna. The scene of that church''s rites was not merely mind-blowing; it was shrouded in miasma.


    With that in mind, all Lis could do was to pat Fink on the shoulder consolingly and share some reserved information about Liz.


    Young man, go and strive hard!


    How can you grow without facing setbacks!

 Chapter 211 Northwind City

    Count Solo''s Territory, Northwind City.


    It was arge city located deeply in the northern territory of the Feis Kingdom, and the core of Count Solo''snd.


    The reason it was not named after the ruling family, like Kuka City, was that Northwind City had already stood against the cold winds of the north for many years before the first Count Solo was enfeoffed there. It also happened to be an extremely important city on the northern trade routes.


    The castle of Count Solo was situated on a small hill at the southern edge of Northwind City, its dark grey walls showing signs of weathering from the deste winter winds.


    Within the castle''s secret study.


    Ignos stood at attention to one side, covered in dust and looking exhausted as if he had just gone through an extensive journey.


    Indeed, this was the case. After receiving permission from Lis to leave the Feis merchant caravan, Ignos didn''t even nce at Rashid, joining Mage Xirui in rushing directly to Northwind City.


    Pushing their horses hard and traveling day and night, Ignospleted in two days what would have taken the caravan five days.


    Without even time to catch his breath, Ignos handed the faint Mage Xirui over to the servants of the castle and went straight to Count Solo.


    Ignos had just finished reporting everything that had happened without any omission, even sharing his own feelings in full detail.


    Ande Solo was reclining on a sofa, listening to Ignos''s ount.


    This was the current Count Solo, who appeared to be in his prime at forty years old. If Lis were here, he would have known that this man was actually around sixty years old.


    Because he was a Gold Ranked Martial Monk who had reached the ''Returning to the Truth'' realm!


    And when his appearance seemed that of a twenty-year-old youth, it would mean that he had broken through to the Legendary Domain.


    Just like the "Broken Mountain" Avin Dern.


    Ande rubbed his temples, feeling somewhat of a headache.


    He took a Danaman cigar from the box, but this time, he did not light it, instead tapping it in his hand.


    Ignos remained silent, just standing quietly to the side.


    The room was so quiet that only some faint breathing sounds and the howl of the north wind through the window gaps could be heard.


    The unique fragrance of the cold ironwood bookshelves from the northern territory of Feis Kingdom and the books upon them filled the study, casting an even more tranquil atmosphere.


    After a long time, Ande Solo finally spoke to Ignos:


    "Sit down. You''ve had a tough journey rushing back here."


    Ignos bowed slightly upon hearing this but did not sit down to rest.


    As the chief steward of the Solo family, maintaining strict discipline was his rule.


    Ande didn''t mind, knowing the character of his steward who had followed him since childhood. Shaking his head, he said:


    "You did well, there are no problems."


    "After learning about the numerous events in Bright City, I wrote specifically to my teacher."


    "This Marquis Kane is even moreplicated than I had imagined!"


    Ande sighed, lit the cigar in his hand, took a gentle puff, leaned back into the sofa, and slowly exhaled the pale blue smoke.


    "Ignos, prepare some gifts, something valuable,"


    "Arrange for someone to send them to Viscount Kuka, and cancel Lena''s engagement."


    "Who would have thought that Marquis Kane woulde to the Northern Territory at this time, could something big be happening?"


    Ande couldn''t help but pay attention. As far as he knew, Marquis Kane was deeply involved in all those major incidents that urred in Bright City. What special matter would bring him to the Northern Territory at the time when the Feis Kingdom dered war on the Boditch Kingdom?


    It shouldn''t be the case. If there were something, his teacher would have specifically admonished him.


    Truly, when it rains, it pours~


    Ande sighed, feeling the headache intensify.


    To be honest, he didn''t really care about the engagement. If his eldest son Lena hadn''t been so engrossed in Spellcraft that it consumed him, he would not have agreed to the marriage with the daughter of Viscount Kuka.


    After all, that boy Lena was over forty and still unmarried, almost treating Spellcraft as his wife.


    "Also, you said that Lis Kain will arrive in Northwind City in five days?"


    "Yes, that''s what Roque, the person in charge of the Feis caravan, told me; it should be in three days."


    Ignos nodded and replied.


    "Prepare the dinner, I would like to invite Marquis Kane to attend."


    Ande instructed indifferently, since Lis would be arriving in a few days, it would be an opportunity for a minor test.


    "Yes, Lord Ande."


    Ignos nodded to show he understood and then hesitantly asked:


    "Lord Ande, what about Master Lena..."


    "Don''t worry about him."


    Ande said irritably:


    "The engagement is off, he should be happier now, that kid."


    Even though Lena was already forty, to Ande he was still an unmarried brat.


    "Understood, Lord Ande. Then I''ll go make arrangements."


    Ignos bowed, gently closed the door, and left the study.


    Spying on Dillon Kingdom''s movements?


    Ande sighed and frowned.


    s, the task the teacher arranged was really not an easy one!


    -----------------


    Northwind City, a certain basement.@@novelbin@@


    "Lord Seth, what brings you to Northwind City?"


    The middle-aged man dressed in civilian clothes ushered Seth, who was wrapped tightly in a ck cloak, into the house and asked quietly.


    "Uer, this is a mission assigned by His Majesty the King and Lord Anna, no more questions needed."


    The deep tone of Seth carried a hint of warning.


    "Yes, Lord Seth, it was impertinent of me."


    Uer quickly bowed and apologised.


    Seth was his direct superior, the head of Dillon Kingdom''s espionage organization based in the northern territory of Feis Kingdom; Uer naturally didn''t dare to disobey.


    "Bring me all the intelligence you''ve gathered recently, especially concerning the movements of Bright City and the nobles in the northern territory."


    Seeing Uer''s obedient demeanor, Seth nodded and instructed.


    "Yes, my lord."


    Uer replied immediately, but then seemed hesitant.


    "Lord Seth, the previous reports are stored here, but the intelligence from the other outposts for thest two months has not yet arrived, this..."


    Seth furrowed his brows; Northwind City''s intelligence outpost was somewhat special. Due to its unique geographical location, all intelligence from Dillon Kingdom''s outposts in the southern part of the Northern Territory were sent here before being passed back to the Kingdom''s interior.


    Lord Anna had instructed him to bring back all the recent intelligence, and missing this part wouldn''t be right.


    "How long will it take to gather everything?"


    Upon hearing this, Uer promptly replied:


    "I''ll inform them now. I estimate that the farthest outpost will only take about five days to send the information here."


    Five days, that''s eptable, certainly better than personally retrieving the intelligence from those outposts.


    Although most of the intelligence gathered by each outpost was of no use, often the most critical intelligence hid within seemingly trivial matters.


    This was what Seth had learned from his years of experience in intelligence work.


    Experience tales with empire


    "Then I will wait a few days. Bring me all the intelligence you have for now; I want to review it first."


    "Yes, Lord Seth."

 Chapter 213 Sensible Uer

    Northwind City, Solo Castle.


    Count Solo had held a rather solemn banquet in the castle for Lis.


    The banquet invited all the prominent figures of Northwind City, including important officials from Count Solo''s Territory, directors of various guilds, advanced professionals, and the youngdies of various families...


    Lis even saw a dwarf master with a big brown beard on one side of the banquet hall, holding a barrel of malt beer and going "thump, thump, thump".


    The banquet''s cuisine was also quite abundant, but unlike Bright City, there weren''t many desserts or fish dishes; it featured mostly various specialty dishes of beef and mutton.


    This was perhaps due to the grasnds around Northwind City being more suited for grazing.


    With a little stimtion and setting from some spices, both the barbecue and the stewed dishes highlighted the rich, tender, juicy vors ofmb and beef, their deliciousness dancing on Lis''s taste buds, recounting this wonderful freshness.


    This was a delicacy not found in Bright City, only avable in this Northern Territory.


    Just like the Yalu in, closer to the southern countries of the Kingdom, known for its delicious desserts and dishes made from special fruits and vegetables.


    While savoring the food, Lis also conversed with the notable figures of Northwind City under the apaniment of Count Solo.


    Although Lis did not particrly enjoy such socializing, it was an indispensable part of noble life.


    More importantly, unlike when he first attended a banquet at Mora''s house, Lis was now the center and focus of the entire banquet, naturally attracting people who ttered Lis, hoping to draw closer to this influential great noble.


    Particrly, the representatives from Feis Chamber of Commerce and Bright Light Chamber of Commerce were quite enthusiastic and respectful towards Lis.


    Lis knew their motives but did not mind, for this was the confidence that came with being a Marquis of the Kingdom.


    However, among these people, one did catch Lis''s interest.


    "Lord Lis is truly learned and talented, even aware of the Northern Wind Eagle, which is quite a rare magic beast."


    A middle-aged man dressed in a ck suitplimented Lis while introducing himself:


    "I am Uer, the president of the Cold Pine Chamber of Commerce. My guild, of course, cannotpare with Feis Chamber of Commerce, but we do have some specialties of the north. Are you interested?"


    "Oh?"@@novelbin@@


    Hearing this familiar name, Lis took a closer look at the middle-aged man iming to be Uer, and smilingly said:


    "I indeed want to bring back some special gifts to Bright City."


    Uer''s face lit up with joy, and he hastily said:


    "Then you''ve made the right choice with the Cold Pine Chamber of Commerce, whether it''s rare mink magical beast skins or special herbs. They make great gifts, and our guild has plenty in reserve, which will definitely satisfy you."


    Lis nodded in satisfaction, raising the wine ss in his hand to gesture a toast and said:


    "Then I look forward to a good experience tomorrow."


    "Lord Lis, you are too polite; I''ll go back and prepare well right away." Experience new tales on empire


    Uer respectfully said, raising his ss and carefully clinking it against Lis''s before draining the wine in his ss and then hurriedly excused himself from the banquet.


    Many in attendance watched Uer with some envy.


    This guy is really lucky, just like that, he linked up with Marquis Kane.


    How did I not think of that? Those goods may be rare in Bright City but aren''t too umon here in Northwind City.


    Too bad!


    The crowd surrounding Lis, after a brief moment of regret, introduced their local specialties to Lis even more enthusiastically.


    But Lis merely sipped his wine lightly, showing no interest in the treasures they mentioned.


    The specific reason was clear only to Lis himself.


    Having decided to cause some trouble in Northwind City, Lis had carefully recalled the game''s storyline rting to Northwind City from his previous life.


    And the names of the Cold Pine Chamber of Commerce and its president Uer were very clear in his mind.


    That was part of the main storyline of the war in Northwind City, known as "Removing Dillon Kingdom''s Undercurrents."


    In the game, yers had to follow numerous clues across different maps, eventually discovering that Dillon Kingdom''s hidden agenda in Northwind City was indeed Uer and the Cold Pine Chamber of Commerce.


    The Cold Pine Chamber of Commerce, founded by Uer, quickly took root in Northwind City by relying on the rtively inexpensive specialty products from the Dillon Kingdom. Meanwhile, it established outposts in other cities in the Northern Territory of the kingdom and leveraged the guild''s influence to gather intelligence.


    This time, Lis''s target was the Cold Pine Chamber of Commerce, but he didn''t expect to run into him so proactively.


    Good fellow, quite clever!


    Or could it be that my luck has improved?


    ncing at the attributes panel, my luck was still at 7 points.


    Not to say that, when Lis wasn''t using the "Lucky" skill of the Luck Brooch, did not feel his luck improve.


    Could it be that 3 points of luck still aren''t enough to escape the factual circumstances of being incessantly unlucky?


    ...


    While Lis was lost in his thoughts, Uer had already left the castle and got on the carriage, heading back.


    At this moment, his facecked the near-sycophantic smile from earlier, and instead, was stern.


    "Lis Kain..."


    Uer gently tapped the armrest of the carriage, frowning.


    Why would this newly appointed Marquis from Bright City be here in Northwind City now?


    ording to the intelligence he gathered, Bright City has not been at peace recently.


    This Marquis Kane seemed quite active in it.


    Some things, even if the kingdom wanted to reduce their impact and limit the spread of news, they couldn''t keep everyone''s mouth shut.


    Uer, who had been deeply engrossed in the fields of intelligence and espionage for many years, understood clearly that the more the kingdom wanted to suppress the news, the more important the intelligence was.


    He thought it best to update Lord Seth, to see if he could extract some useful intelligence from this Lis Kain tomorrow.


    Uer sighed quietly, feeling the shadow of war looming over thend of the Northern Territory ever since the Feis Kingdom dered war on the Boditch Kingdom.


    War oh war��hopefully, Lord Lukar could lead us to victory.


    Uer reassured himself and then tried not to think too much about it.


    ---------------


    At Solo Castle


    The party was over, and both the hosts and guests had had a great time.


    The invited guests, attended to by the castle servants, left for their homes one after another, but the two most important people of the evening had not shown themselves.


    Lis was sitting in a luxuriously decorated reception room in the castle, beside a firece that softly crackled, the burning mes dispelling the early winter''s chill inside.


    "I wonder if Lord Lis is satisfied with tonight''s party?"


    Ande smiled, sitting directly across from Lis on the sofa.


    Ignos, who was nearby, filled two sses with cream liqueur that had been prepared, then stood silently to the side.


    This was the moment for serious talks!


    Lis smiled and said,


    "Thank you so much, today''s party allowed me to experience a charm quite unlike that of Bright City, truly captivating."


    "Haha, I''m d you enjoyed it,"


    said Ande,ughing and waving Ignos over.


    The butler brought out a small box wrapped in red silk and gently ced it in front of Lis.


    "I am very sorry about the preceding issues. This is a small token ofpensation; I hope it pleases you,"


    Ande pointed to the small box and said, smiling.

 Chapter 214 Soul Comforting Gem

    Lis looked at the small box ced in front of him and said with a smile,


    "That incident was but a mere ident, you are being too polite."


    Ande waved his hand and said earnestly,


    "At the end of the day, it was Ignos who failed to fulfill his duty. I admire your magnanimity, but this does not mean that the Solo familycks sincerity in expressing it."


    Upon hearing this, Ignos, who stood beside him, also bowed and said,


    "Thank you for forgiving my offense."


    It seemed that Count Solo was indeed expressing his gratitude sincerely and likely also did not wish to be overly indebted.


    Lis nodded as well and said,


    "Then I shall ept it, hoping that our friendship is as enduring as the Jianuo Mountain Range!"


    Ande also showed a smile and said,


    "Of course, the Solo family will always be your friend."


    Indeed, with strength and background, one truly does have "friends" everywhere.


    As Lis thought so, he also heard Ande say.


    "Please feel free to open it and have a look. This is a gift I have carefully selected, and I hope you will like it."


    Lis, upon hearing this, did not put on any airs, and directly picked up the small, dark grey box in front of him that felt somewhat heavy to the touch.


    What could this be?


    Lis couldn''t help but feel curious and gently opened the small box.


    Inside, lying on the velvet fabric, was a transparent crystal of a twisted twig-like shape and purple hue, covered with intricate cross-sections, reflecting a faint purple light with a slightly dreamy feel.


    Lis couldn''t help but mutter to himself,


    "A Soul Comforting Gem?"


    "Lord Lis is truly worthy of being a disciple of the ''Judgement me''!"


    Ande seemed to be surprised that Lis could recognize this treasure so quickly, pping his hands in astonishment.


    "I consulted many Appraisers and spent a lot of time since obtaining this gemstone to finally learn what it was; I did not expect you to recognize it instantly."


    Gently, Lis took the purple gemstone out of the box and held it in his hand, carefully examining it.


    Though it was just a small gemstone, its weight was quite astonishing, even two to three times that of the same volume of iron metal.


    Carefully observing the gemstone''s cross-section, the reflected light seemed to have a slightly twisted appearance.


    Without the need for system appraisal, Lis was certain that this was a genuine "Soul Comforting Gem"!


    Lis could recognize it because, in his past life, he had once stumbled upon a "Soul Comforting Gem," which heter sold for 100,000 gold coins��a substantial profit!


    Therefore, he was deeply impressed by it.


    The "Soul Comforting Gem," unlike the Sky Blue Gemstone and Jade Gemstone in Lis''s possession, contained not various elemental powers but a special kind of soul power.


    Simrly, "Soul Comforting Gems" are not produced from Elemental Crystal Stone Mines or Gem Mines; they might emerge in any corner of the world, and currently, no one knows how they are formed.


    Some specte that these are the crystals formed by souls that have entered the Netherworld, while others guess they are a product of the legendary Dream World. There are many such spections, none of which have been confirmed.


    The use of the "Soul Comforting Gem" is significant, as it can repair damage to the soul suffered by the powerful, enhance the spiritual foundation of the user, and it is also a requisite for some advanced ritual arrays. Enjoy new adventures from empire


    Lis knew that the Dawn Church''s "Saint Lale''s Miracle Resurrection Ceremony" required the use of "Soul Comforting Gems," able to resurrect an Advanced Professional without any harm using the ritual array.


    While "Soul Comforting Gems" have a wide range of uses, the quantity produced each year is quite limited, resulting in them being highly priced.


    The "Soul Comforting Gem" in Lis''s hands was slightlyrger than the one he had found in his past life, and he estimated it to be worth over 100,000 gold coins.


    Such a wealthy gesture!


    The only thought left in Lis''s mind was this idea.


    "This...is simply too valuable," he said.


    Lis ced the Soul Comforting Gem back into the box and spoke to Ande.@@novelbin@@


    Ande seemed unconcerned as he said,


    "This treasure was found on my territory, and it''s of little use to me. Since you are a mage, I am offering it to you as a token of my respect."


    Lis hesitated for a moment, then nodded his head, honestly taking the small box with the gemstone into his keeping.


    As expected of Count Solo, a pir of the Northern Kingdom, I see potential in you.


    That being said, Count Solo''s gift seems a bit too generous, havingpletely exceeded the level of a simple apology.


    I now owe Count Solo a favor.


    After all, the Soul Comforting Gem is something that Lis particrly wants. He had even asked the Feis Guild to help him acquire one. Unfortunately, by the time he left Bright City, there was no definite news.


    He had not expected to find what he was seeking here!


    Count Solo was also pleased that Lis epted the gemstone. To him, a Soul Comforting Gem was not a significant matter.


    If he could forge a good rtionship with Marquis Kane, in case of any issues, he could appeal to the two powerhouses backing him��he saw it asying the groundwork.


    Lis picked up his wine ss and took a sip, then hesitated before saying,


    "You are too kind, but indeed, I do have some matters I wish to discuss with you."


    Seeing Lis''s somewhat serious expression, Count Solo straightened up a bit and asked with a smile,


    "Is it rted to your visit to the Northern Territory, Marquis Kane?"


    "It is rted, in part," replied Lis.


    Lis fell silent for a moment as he organized his thoughts before continuing,


    "You know about the Kingdom''s deration of war on Boditch Kingdom, don''t you?"


    When Ande heard that this was the topic, he became serious and nodded slightly before responding,


    "Of course, as a border noble, I have been closely following this war."


    "I''ve heard that Duke Baird has already breached Beelu City and is advancing into the hearnd of Boditch Kingdom."


    "Duke Rame has also broken through the blockade at Dan Yi Pass."


    "The war is progressing smoothly, isn''t it!"


    Hearing that Ande was fully aware of the Eastern Territory war intelligence, Lis wasn''t surprised and went on to say,


    "Once the mes of war are lit, naturally, they won''t be confined to just the eastern part of the Kingdom."


    After hearing Lis''s words, Ande fell silent for a moment before speaking cautiously,


    "Are you suggesting that there will also be war in the Northern Territory?"


    Lis looked at Ande with a half-smile and calmly said,


    "Isn''t that the very task assigned to you by Lord Avin, to keep watch over Dillon Kingdom to the north?"


    Ande suddenly turned his gaze to Lis, pausing for a moment before raising his hand to touch his hair in an attempt to cover his slip, and said earnestly,


    "I didn''t expect that Marquis Kane would know even this. His Majesty the King truly trusts you!"


    Lis shrugged his shoulders, Our King probably doesn''t even know I''vee to the Northern Territory.


    I can''t exactly say I know because of a main storyline quest from my previous life, can I?


    Ande Solo is a student of Avin Dern, the Legendary Monk of Feis Kingdom known as Broken Mountain, a true blue noble of the Royal Faction, trusted deeply by the King of Feis.


    Because of the special nature of his family''snds, when he left the Royal Capital to return to his family to inherit his title, King Morton tasked him with the secret mission to amass strength in preparation for any potential threats from Dillon Kingdom.

 Chapter 215 Ready to Take Action!

    "Ha, Lis, since you''ve chosen to speak now, is there some special circumstance?"


    Ande steadied his mind and looked at Lis earnestly.


    In his view, since Lis knew his identity, he naturally had the trust of His Majesty the King and was on the same side as him, thus his wording grew much closer.


    However, at the same time, Ande believed that unless it was absolutely necessary, Lis would not easily rify his rtionship with the Royal Family to gain trust.


    If Lis had mentioned it unintentionally, then this Marquis Kane was toocking in discretion.


    Lis set his wine ss on the table, ced his hands on it, and stared at Ande with seriousness, "What if I were to say that the Dillon Kingdom is already preparing to invade our kingdom?"


    "Why?"


    Ande asked calmly.


    "The intelligence from my spies nted within the Dillon Kingdom indicates that there have been no such movements there as of now."


    "That''s because they are waiting!"


    Lis said affirmatively, his left forefinger gently tapping on the table.


    "They are waiting for the progression of the war between our Kingdom and the Boditch Kingdom."


    "They are waiting for more of our Kingdom''s strength to shift toward the Eastern Territory."


    "More importantly, they are waiting for the Church of the Gods'' response to this war!"


    Ande felt somewhat parched at this moment, and raised his head to drain the ss of wine.


    Because he realized what Lis had said was very usible.


    Thinking that the mes of war might soon spread from the north, he tightened his grip on the ss.


    War!


    As a disciple of Avin Dern, he had participated in wars organized by the Church of the Gods on Different nes.


    That sort of intensity inbat was not something minor skirmishes couldpare with.@@novelbin@@


    Everyone knew that the Dillon Kingdom desired more habitablends in the south.


    Before this, the Dillon Kingdom always had various disputes and conflicts with the Feis Kingdom along their borders, but under the mediation of the Church of the Gods, both sides had gritted their teeth and endured in secret.


    To be honest, the living environment in the Dillon Kingdom was truly harsh, and although it had many precious minerals, the Feis Kingdom did not wish to expend huge costs in a war whose oue was uncertain.


    Because of the harsh living conditions, the warriors from the Dillon Kingdom were extraordinarily brave and strong, and militarily, they were not much weaker than the Feis Kingdom.


    But the Dillon Kingdom was different, their desire for the southernnds was enough to overpower all opposition.


    Morton Fis, the man who had helped strengthen the Feis Kingdom, was also clear on this situation, which was why he had Ande keep a close watch on the Dillon Kingdom.


    Compared to those two Northern Dukes, he trusted Ande Solo, disciple of Broken Mountain, even more.


    He had been secretly preparing for a long time, but when the time actually came to face the Dillon Kingdom Army, Ande still felt somewhat taken aback.


    For those two from the north, Ande did not harbor much hope.


    "Do you need any help?"


    Ande sighed and looked at Lis.


    "I know that you still aren''t quite sure about the reality of this."


    Lis tapped the table, smiling as he spoke:


    "But now there is an opportunity to acquire evidence of the Dillon Kingdom''s intentions to wage war."


    Ande didn''t speak, just stared fixedly at Lis.


    "The Cold Pine Chamber of Commerce in Northwind City, including that Uer."


    "That is..."


    Upon hearing this, an image of Uer, who often sported a sycophantic smile, popped into Ande''s mind.


    "That is the visible force of the Dillon Kingdom''s intelligence organization ''Winter Snake'' nted in the Northern Kingdom."


    "They gather all sorts of useful intelligence in the Northern Territory through the mostmon methods, like expanding Chamber of Commerce power."


    "And that Uer is one of their key leaders."


    Ande''s brow furrowed deeply; he had never paid much attention to the Cold Pine Chamber of Commerce.


    Ultimately, the Cold Pine Chamber of Commerce was just a mid-sized Chamber limited to the Northern Territory, not very powerful.


    But still, gathering intelligence must have been rtively easy for them.


    "Lis, just tell me your thoughts," Ande urged.


    "No thoughts, just take them down," Lis said as he leaned back in the sofa, his gaze gleaming with a hint ofughter.


    "At this point, do we still need a reason to act against him?"


    "If I am wrong, I will take all the responsibility."


    Upon hearing this, Ande shook his head and said,


    "No, Lis, you must be joking. Just bringing me this news is already a huge help."


    "After all, this is happening in my territory; it is only right that I handle it."


    "Since His Majesty the King trusts me and has given me many privileges in the Northern Territory, how can I back down now!"


    Lis looked at the Count Solo in front of him, who was starting to emit a murderous aura, and seemed to see the invincible Martial Monk from the battlefield in his previous life.


    "Earlier at the banquet, I already made ns with that Uer to go to the Cold Pine Chamber of Commerce tomorrow to select goods."


    "It seems he will likely apany me personally."


    "So, when we confirm that Uer is at the Cold Pine Chamber of Commerce, should we take down everyone in the Chamber directly?"


    Having made up his mind, Ande did not hesitate further and asked.


    "Yes."


    Lis continued seriously,


    "Do not worry about my safety, Ande. I need you to arrange your men and make sure no one escapes."


    "No problem."


    Count Solo nodded, his preparations, long in the making, were more than enough to take down a Cold Pine Chamber of Commerce.


    After thinking it over, Ande still said,


    "Tomorrow, I will take action personally; there won''t be any idents."


    This was a critical matter rted to the invasion of the Dillon Kingdom, and Ande felt it best not to hold back and to make it quick and decisive.


    "That works."


    Lis thought for a moment, then said no more.


    In his previous life, amongst the storyline, only Uer and another Mage at the Cold Pine Chamber of Commerce had Silver Level Strength, the rest were basically Bronze Rank underlings.


    After all, "Winter Snake" was just an intelligence organization, skilled in disguise and stealth, without much strength.


    Experience tales at empire


    Duke Solo secretly had two Gold Level powerhouses under hismand, and being a Gold High Order Martial Monk himself, his strength was unquestionable.


    "In that case, I will head back now and hope everything goes smoothly tomorrow."


    Lis stood up, preparing to leave.


    Seeing this, Ande quickly got up and firmly shook Lis''s hand.


    "No matter the oue, I still thank you for your help, Lis."


    "If there is anything you need in the Northern Territory, just name it."


    Lis smiled and nodded, hiswork of connections growing stronger.


    After all, this was the Duke of the Northern Kingdom in the future!


    Ande personally escorted Lis to the castle gate, watched him board the carriage and leave, then turned to go back.


    "Clozer!"


    "Lord Ande, I am here."


    The shadow behind Ande began to move, and a figure appeared behind him.


    "What''s the situation with the Cold Pine Chamber of Commerce?"


    If Lis were here, he would see that Count Solo''s expression was very ugly, a stark contrast to just moments before.


    As someone secretly instructed by His Majesty the King to monitor the Dillon Kingdom, he had let the Dillon Kingdom establish a significant intelligence post right under his nose.


    Even the head of the outpost had be a guest at his banquet!


    Such an embarrassment!


    Ande even felt that Lis not probing further about this situation was to save his face.


    "I shall investigate immediately!"


    Clozer quickly bowed, showing his loyalty.


    Ande thought for a moment, then shook his head and said,


    "No need, we will find out the truth tomorrow. Acting now might just alert them."


    "However, I do not want such incidents to happen again."


    "Otherwise, what use would the ''Hidden Dog'' be!"

 Chapter 216 Lis Prepares for a Zero-Cost Purchase!

    Northwind City, Cold Pine Chamber of Commerce.


    At this moment, when the time was near noon, Lis chose this time toe to the Cold Pine Chamber of Commerce.


    After all, as a Great Noble, being too proactive might arouse suspicion.


    "Wee, Marquis Kane!"


    Dressed in a ck tailcoat, Uer now seemed like an experienced butler, leading a group of people standing at the entrance of the Cold Pine Chamber of Commerce to receive Lis.


    It appeared that they had been waiting here for quite some time.


    Lis smiled and nodded his head. He didn''t me Count Solo for not discovering this intelligence outpost; Uer''s disguise was simply too good.


    "The Guild has prepared everything; please follow me," Uer said with a polite bow, then sping his hands over his chest and smiling at Lis.


    Lis nodded his head and followed behind Uer.


    There was no need to hurry. After he entered the Cold Pine Chamber of Commerce, that was when Count Solo''s forces would start to surround the ce.


    A little dy would suffice.


    Uer led Lis to a spacious and luxurious room on the second floor of the Guild, where steaming hot tea and exquisite pastries were already prepared, and a firece was lit with wood, warming the room like spring.


    "Lord Lis, please take a seat!" Uer said with a smile as he gestured for Lis to sit on the main sofa in the room.


    "I''ll now go get the prepared goods; please wait for a moment," Uer said after Lis nodded in agreement.


    After Lis nodded again, Uer closed the door and left the room, and shortly after, faintly spoken instructions to the Chamber of Commerce''s attendants could be heard.


    Lis didn''t touch the items on the table in front of him even though it was very likely that Uer wouldn''t tamper with them. But given the circumstances, it was unnecessary to cause anyplications.


    After waiting quietly for a while, Uer returned, pushing the door open. Following him were several attractive female servants, each carrying a beautifully crafted wooden tray.


    "I''m sorry to have kept you waiting!" Uer said, his face filled with smiles. Without further dy, he gestured, and the first female servant following behind him approached Lis with her tray.


    She gently bent her knees, kneeling on the carpet in front of Lis, presenting the item on the tray before his eyes.


    On the trayy a snow-white piece of fur.


    "This is mink skin from the Northern Territory. This piece is the highest grade of pure Snow Mink Skin, without a single hair of another color."


    "It''s the softest and smoothest to touch, warm and lightweight."@@novelbin@@


    "Of course, this is just a sample. If you like it, I have enough to make several coats."


    "I imagine in Bright City you have experienced the various treasures of the Kingdom, and perhaps ordinary treasures do not interest you much, so how about taking some of the Northern Territory''s special products as gifts?"


    Lis picked up the mink skin and felt it, then nodded and said, "Indeed, it''s very nice. Arrange it for meter."


    "Of course," Uer replied, his smile growing wider. He pulled the servant aside to give a few instructions, then called the next one carrying goods toe forward.


    "This is the highest grade of Snow Jade."


    ...


    Throughout Uer''s introductions, Lis epted all the goods he had prepared without any hesitation.


    After all, he wasn''t going to pay for itter.


    Uer was almost beaming with joy; if Lis really took all those goods, it would be a significant sum of Gold Coins.


    Honestly, although Uer was a spy from the Dillon Kingdom, he did quite enjoy doing business.


    Establishing the Cold Pine Chamber of Commerce was his mission, but he also found joy in it.


    However, he couldn''t forget his task for the day.


    This Marquis Kane looked so young, maybe he wasn''t too careful with his words. Uer wondered if he could get more hidden news about Bright City.


    "Thank you for your generosity. Is there anything else you might require?" Uer asked while rubbing his hands, embodying the perfect image of a cunning merchant.


    Lis smiled, leaning his arm on the armrest of the sofa, resting his head on his hand, and said,


    "Actually, there is one thing, something only you, Uer, can help me with."


    Stay tuned for updates on empire


    "Lord Lis, please just give your instructions."


    "Then I''ll speak inly," Lis said as he tilted his head towards Uer,


    "Can you tell me information about the ''Winter Snake''?"


    Uer''s expression remained unchanged, though he looked at Lis with some confusion:


    "Lord Lis, what are you talking about? What is the Winter Snake? I''ve never heard of such a specialty from the Northern Territory."


    "How could you possibly have not heard of it?"


    "Surely, I haven''t mistaken the person, ''Shadow Snake'' Uer Pal,"


    Lis said with a smile, but the smile on his face seemed devilish to Uer.


    "Huh~"


    Even my real name and title are known, this isn''t a bluff!


    Uer sighed, straightened his bent back, and asked:


    "May I know how you managed to find me out, Lord Lis?"


    "I want to think that the Dillon Kingdom and the Feis Kingdom have a harmonious rtionship, so please give me a chance to redeem myself."


    Lis chuckled and said:


    "Ever since His Majesty the King of your nation decided to invade the Feis Kingdom, we have be enemies."


    Waving his hand to stop Uer from trying to argue, Lis looked at him:


    "If you have anything else to say, say it to Count Solo."


    "If that''s the case..."


    Uer murmured, seemingly resigned and no longer struggling.


    Suddenly, a cold light appeared in his hand, and he violently shed toward Lis''s neck.


    This Marquis Kane dared to say these things in the Cold Pine Guild, meaning he was absolutely sure he could keep him here.


    Perhaps Count Solo was already waiting outside with his men.


    But Uer was not the kind of person to be captured without a fight. His only chance was to seize this Marquis Kane to make Ande Solo hesitate.


    As a Silver-level Assassin, Uer was naturally very confident in his abilities.


    Unfortunately, the reality was not as wonderful as he had imagined.


    ng!


    Uer felt numbness in his right hand. Although the Dagger was only a short distance from Lis''s neck, it could not move any further.


    Lis''s Longsword blocked Uer''s Dagger, even pressing steadily towards him.


    "No need to be in such a rush!"


    Lis said casually.


    "Just wait patiently for Count Solo toe."


    Uer gritted his teeth, suddenly withdrew his Dagger, and leaped backward, escaping the range of Lis''s Longsword.


    Just as he was about to call for people toe in, he saw Lis throw something out of the window.


    Bang!


    A huge explosion sounded from outside the building, and the entire building shook violently for a moment.


    Before Uer could react, he heard a loud mor from downstairsing up.


    "It seems I''m quite lucky! Count Solo is, for some reason, nearby."


    Damn!


    Uer forced his mind to calm down. Such a bigmotion was not surprising; the other party must havee fully prepared.


    No way out!


    Uer took a deep breath, and his figure slowly disappeared from the spot.


    Lis remained unfazed, knowing that Uer was not nning to run.


    -----------------


    [Ding~]


    [Limited Challenge Mission Triggered]


    [Objective: Defeat Silver Assassin Uer]


    [Reward: To be determined based on missionpletion]


    -----------------

 Chapter 217 Weakness Technique Achieves Great Success!

    Oh no!


    Lis looked at the challenge quest information that popped up on his system panel with some surprise.


    He hadn''t expected a challenge quest, which had been quiet for a while, to be triggered by Uer.


    "Then I need to take this seriously," he said.


    Lis suddenly hurled his longsword to his right.


    ng!


    The longsword flew through the air and was about to hit the wall when it was suddenly knocked away.


    The figure of Uer appeared, with a somewhat ugly look on his face.


    How does he know my position, how can a silver-level warrior have such perception!


    It seemed that Lis''s use of the longsword made Uer think that he was a practitioner of the warrior profession.


    Lis didn''t pay attention to Uer''s surprise and leisurely took a magic wand out of his space ring.


    Explore hidden tales at empire


    I feel like I''m getting better at throwing my longsword recently, should I learn a throwing specialty in the future?


    Uer looked on in shock as Lis produced a magic wand.


    What is he doing?


    Lis got serious;pleting the task was the most important thing.


    The magic light began to flicker on the jade wand in his hand, and Lis started to wrap himself in various beneficial magic and protection spells.


    Four Rings Magic "Stone Skin Skill", "Advanced Protective Field", "Strong Deflection Field"!


    Five-Ring Magic "Detect Enhancement", "Advanced Weapon Resistance"!


    Sixth Circle Magic "Copper Wall Iron Wall"!


    Uer was no fool; he naturally wouldn''t just wait for Lis to finish preparing for battle.


    With a flicker of his figure, Uer instantly appeared behind Lis, the dagger in his hand glowing with a deep gray light.


    Assassinbat technique "Deceit"!


    This skill allowed Uer to continue using skills that required a stealth state for a short time aftering out of stealth.


    Assassinbat technique "Shadow Strike"!


    Uer chose to use "Shadow Strike" to pass through the shadows,e directly behind Lis, andunch an attack.


    As a silver-level assassin, he could use the power of the shadows to utilize a few select skills, and "Shadow Strike" was particrly practical.


    Uer knew that it was fatal to create distance from a mage at this time.


    He had to resolve the fight quickly inside the room because if Lis got outside, it would be difficult for him to get close to Lis again.


    As for why Lis could use spells, Uer no longer cared, or rather, he had no time to think about this issue.


    Lis naturally noticed Uer''s actions.


    His affinity with the shadow ne was even higher than Uer, a silver-level assassin, and he naturally sensed the fluctuation of the shadow power behind him.


    But he did not turn around.


    In fact, just as he had anticipated, Uer''s dagger directed at Lis did not seed as he wished, but rather got stuck in thin air, unable to advance an inch.


    The effects of several protection magic spells resulted in Uer''s attempt ending in failure, with him not even breaking ayer of the magic defense.


    Uer, missing with his strike, blinked away from Lis once more.


    His expression was very serious and gloomy, and he was clearly aware that his attack was not held back like the first time he struck, yet the oue caught him off guard.


    After all, he knew nothing of Lis''s true strength, but Lis was well aware of Uer''s methods.


    Now that the battle had started, Lis didn''t continue to waste words with Uer.


    "Blue Ball Skill"!


    A human-head-sized pale blue fireball formed in front of Lis and shot toward Uer.


    Before the fireball could get close, Uer already felt its scorching heat and, not daring to take it lightly, quickly dodged to the side.


    However, to his surprise, the pale blue fireball unexpectedly burst in mid-air, turning into countless streams of fire that shot towards where Uer had evaded.


    With so many scattered blue streams of fire, even though Uer tried his best to evade, a small clump still hit his left forearm.


    This was a direction of study that Lis had been pursuing recently, and it was also a training method taught by "Judgement me."


    He wanted to strengthen his control over the casting of spells and had been experimenting with the "Blue Ball Skill."


    Merely controlling the direction of attack after casting a spell was not enough; Lis''s idea was to maintain control over the status of the spell even after its release.


    Just like the "Blue Ball Skill" which had just disintegrated in mid-air, this time Lis did not use the arcane "Catastrophic Explosion"; instead, he made the Blue Ball Skill disintegrate by reliance on his extraordinary elemental control power, transforming it into countless balls of fire to attack the enemy.


    Lis could now even control the direction of some of the streams of fire produced by the partial disintegration of his spells.


    To be honest, this method of attack, aside from being unexpected, was not that much better than the more direct "Fire Meteor," but it certainly enhanced Lis''s control power considerably.


    Feeling the scorching heat on his forearm, Uer did not hesitate, as his right hand shed with a dagger, quickly cutting off the chunk of flesh that bore the blue me, which fell to the ground and turned into ashes.


    He realized that this blue me was not something that could be easily dealt with, so he chose the most direct way of handling it.


    Lis''s expression remained unchanged as Magic Light gathered once more on the Jade Wand.


    Five-Ring Spell System "Frozen Mist Skill"!


    With the casting of "Frozen Mist Skill," white mist gradually rose in the room, seeming to freeze everything in the chilling cold.


    But Lis found that the effect of "Frozen Mist Skill" wasn''t very good; it didn''t seem to significantly affect Uer''s actions, as he continued to roam around Lis, looking for an opportunity to attack.@@novelbin@@


    Suddenly, Lis recalled something and grinned as he realized.


    Uer was from the northern Dillon Kingdom, certainly ustomed to the cold climate; the "Frozen Mist Skill" would not affect him in such a short time.


    In that case...


    Five-Ring Shaping Energy Magic "Power Wall Skill"!


    Five Rings Confusion Control Magic "Weakness Technique"!


    A transparent and illusory wall suddenly appeared in front of Uer, and though his eyes did not detect anything unusual, his keen perception had already warned him of danger ahead, prompting him to immediately halt his movement.


    At that moment, a white Magic Light swiftly struck Uer''s body.


    Uer couldn''t react in time and quickly moved away from Lis.


    Afterward, he felt strangely, there were no wounds on his body.


    Could I have been mistaken?


    Uer felt puzzled and even felt around his body above and below where he stood.


    As he looked up, his mind suddenly went nk.


    Who am I?


    Where am I?


    What am I doing here?


    While Uer was deeply pondering these existential questions, a shadow suddenly appeared before his eyes.


    Duang~


    Lis held a human-head-sized Vajra Hammer, looking at Uer who had fainted on the ground.


    With strength boosted by Attribute modifications and the Vajra Hammer, Uer had no chance to resist and passed out.


    Lis kicked the lying Uer, reflecting:


    "The effect of Confusion Control Magic is this good?"


    "''Nether River''s Blessing'' is really useful. Thanks to Samus bro for the selfless support!"

 Chapter 218 The Assassins Bad Habits

    ```


    [Nether River''s Blessing] The effect of adding +2 priority to the Confusion Control System made Lis''s [Weakness Technique] unexpectedly effective.


    Of course, it probably had to do with Uer being a Thief, the Profession known for having the lowest resistances in all regards.


    Lis looked down at Uer, who had fainted on the ground, feeling a bit itch in his hands.


    After all, this guy was a secret agent from Dillon Kingdom, and Lis had to make sure he wasn''t carrying anything dangerous on him!


    For the sake of Feis Kingdom, I must do my duty!


    Lis, full of righteous vigor, began to "inspect" Uer''s body quite deftly.


    "Hey, there are actually quite a few nice things."


    Though Uer was the head of the Cold Pine Chamber of Commerce, his true identity was a secret agent from the Dillon Kingdom, one who was always ready to abandon the Guild if necessary.


    That''s why the storage ring Uer carried with him contained a considerable number of Gold Coins and other treasures.@@novelbin@@


    Lis roughly estimated it; there were about a hundred thousand Gold Coins and tens of thousands worth of assorted gemstones and Magic Metals.


    Most likely, this was arge part of the Cold Pine Chamber of Commerce''s savings, possibly with some financial aid from the Dillon Kingdom.


    Murder for profit and the golden belt!


    Lis happily began to transfer the wealth to his own storage ring.


    Just at that moment, Lis noticed that the disturbance downstairs seemed to be settling down.


    ncing downstairs, Lis saw Ande Solo standing in front of the building, apparently giving orders to his men.


    After thinking for a moment, Lis grabbed Uer by the neck, lifted him up, and jumped straight out the window.


    With the aid of the Feather Fall Skill, Lisnded gently in front of Ande, tossing the Uer he held to the ground beside him.


    "This is the head of the Cold Pine Chamber of Commerce, and also the person in charge of this Dillon Kingdom outpost,"


    "You''ve worked hard."


    Ande nodded in understanding of Lis''s intentions.


    This was also something agreed upon during their previous negotiations.


    If Uer was always by Lis''s side, Lis would be the one to deal with him.


    Of course, Ande was not worried about Lis''s safety.


    Joking, Lis had two Legendary Strongmen behind him; naturally, no one questioned his strength.


    "How has the rest of the search gone?"


    Lis looked at the fearful faces being escorted out of the Chamber of Commerce by Count Solo''s soldiers and asked.


    "There was some resistance, but it''s been subdued."


    "We''ve found a secret room right beneath the Chamber of Commerce, I just went to see it, and it indeed is an intelligence post for the Dillon Kingdom."


    Ande was a bit troubled and not particrly happy with the results so far.


    All the evidence confirmed that the Cold Pine Chamber of Commerce was indeed an intelligence organization for the Dillon Kingdom.


    But considering that the Cold Pine Chamber of Commerce had been rooted in the Northern Territory of the Feis Kingdom for over ten years, it was likely that they had already explored most aspects of the Northern Territory.


    Just thinking about it, Ande couldn''t cheer up.


    "Regardless, thank you for your help."


    Count Solo solemnly ced his left hand over his chest and said to Lis:


    "If it weren''t for you, Lis, the Cold Pine Chamber of Commerce would have continued to operate, and who knows how much more damage it could have done to the Northern Territory."


    Lis smiled and waved his hand, replying:


    "I really didn''t do much, it''s actually you, Ande, who will face many troublesome matters afterward."


    Ande nodded gravely, and while he didn''t know the exact timing yet, the preparations for an invasion by the Dillon Kingdom were almost certain.


    ```


    With most of the kingdom''s strength gathered toward the eastern Boditch Kingdom, was there still enough power to stop the invasion of the Dillon Kingdom?


    "Additionally, it seems like things are not over yet?"


    Lis turned his head to look at the nearby corner, smiling as he spoke.


    "Hmm?"


    Seeing Lis act this way, Ande also looked in that direction.


    "Since you''re already here,e out and say hello."


    Seeing that there was no movement in the corner, Lis shook his head and said with a bit of amusement:


    "Why do assassins and thieves have this bad habit of liking to hide in corners and watch people?"


    "Especially when you''ve already been found out, do you always have that much confidence that you can hide your presence?"


    As Lis spoke, a sh of light shot out from his hand and exploded in the corner.


    Four Rings Magic "Advanced sh Dust"!


    The spell''s effect was to create a cloud of golden dust smoke in the target area that would cling to living beings and objects within that area.


    Anything invisible would be outlined in ring detail by the sh dust, and there was a chance it would cause a blinding effect.


    "sh Dust" is Second Circle Magic, while the Four Rings "Advanced sh Dust" as its higher equivalent, could break a Gold-level assassin''s invisibility status.


    Under the influence of Lis''s spell, everyone could see a figure revealed by the effect of the sh dust.


    "Dammit!"


    Seth threw aside his cloak, coated with sh dust, and his expression was dark.


    He had carefully observed before approaching, and there were no high-tier assassins among the people Count Solo had brought with him.


    While Ande was a sensory-sensitive Martial Monk, Seth was confident that as long as he did not exude any killing intent or hostility, the monk would not be able to detect his presence.


    However, Seth had calcted everything except the possibility of being found out by Lis, the mage.


    Was that even reasonable?


    Before Seth could react further, Ande had already rushed forward quickly.


    Thump!


    A dull sound echoed, as Ande made a simple kick, and Seth barely had time to block the attack with a hurried lift of his arm.


    Seth''s figure retreated backward even faster, crashing into the brick wall behind him, raising dust that obscured everyone''s vision.


    Seth struggled to his feet from the rubble, his face pale.


    If Lis discovering his trail was surprising, Ande''s strength had truly chilled him.


    As a Gold-level assassin, he couldn''tprehend how a monk of the same level could be so formidable.


    Stronger than him and even faster than him, an assassin.


    Lis was of course well aware of Ande''s strength. As a disciple of a Legendary Monk, his strength was considered among the very top just below that of legends.


    Until now, Count Solo had been hiding his power, lulling the enemy, but the changing situation no longer permitted him to hold back.


    This Gold-level assassin''s presence here meant that the high-ranking figures of the Dillon Kingdom had realized the situation and were urgently in need of more detailed information.


    Ande didn''t give Seth a chance to catch his breath, swiftly closing in for a grapple and pressing down tightly against him.


    Recognizing the fearsome strength of Ande, Seth didn''t dare to confront his punches head-on and could only use Secret Techniques to break through his limits, managing to just cope with Ande''s attacks.


    The soldiers who had apanied Ande didn''t panic but quickly surrounded the area under themand of their officer.


    Well-trained, they knew that being rash would only trouble Count Solo.


    Controlling the situation on the scene and closing off the assassin''s escape routes was the best option to aid their lord.

 Chapter 219 Endgame and Harvest

    "Ande, we can''t let him go!"


    "This is the true leader of Winter Snake, Seth."


    Not far from the scene, Lis did not intervene but spoke up to remind Ande.


    Hearing Lis''s voice, Ande hit even harder.


    The existence of Winter Snake in the Dillon Kingdom was beyond doubt, and if this really was the leader of the organization, then it was indeed a big fish.


    Seth felt like he wanted to die. What was this situation!


    He was just following Lord Anna''s orders to retrieve the information from various Winter Snake locations; how did it turn into this?


    He thought he had concealed his identity well, and only a few leaders within Winter Snake knew of his presence, so why would this Lis directly call out his name?


    There must be a mole!


    Just wait! When I get back, I''ll find you and kill you.


    But soon, Seth had no more time to be distracted.


    Ande''s assault was like a storm, using simple and well-rounded punches and kicks to suppress him to the point of almost being unable to breathe.


    Actually, Lis standing to the side was also somewhat surprised.


    He didn''t know why the leader of Winter Snake, Seth, would appear in Northwind City.


    After all, in his previous life''s main storyline, Seth was stationed at the border of the Dillon Kingdom in Megar City.


    But now that he was here and Lis had discovered him, there was no way he was going to let him escape.


    As for whether or not the future story would change, Lis did not intend to worry about that.


    The changes he had brought were already enough.


    As a prophet who held knowledge of the "future", being bound by fear of change and not attempting or striving would be the true embodiment of ipetence and cowardice.


    It seemed that the battle would soone to a close.


    Lis watched as a deep grey light erupted on the battlefield, which was quickly suppressed by the blue aura flickering around Ande.


    Seth was fighting desperately, but unfortunately, it was futile; he couldn''t make a ssh in the hands of Count Solo.


    After all, this was the future Count Solo tasked with guarding the northern border of the Feis Kingdom.


    If he couldn''t even handle this, the old fox of the Feis King would not entrust the responsibility of the Northern Territory to him.


    Soon, the dust on the battlefield settled, and Ande, grabbing Seth by the leg, dragged the unconscious Seth over.


    Throwing Seth next to Uer, it seemed that all of Winter Snake''s powerhouses in Northwind City were neatly knocked out.


    "Take these two down, guard them well, don''t let any slip-ups happen."


    "Let Clozer take care of it personally, I want to know everything they have!"


    Ande ordered his soldiers, it seemed he nned to take the two unconscious individuals back for a thorough interrogation.


    Lis, watching Seth''s battered and unrecognizable face, suddenly felt quite merciful.


    At least Uer, aside from a face that was almost smashed into a pig''s head, didn''t suffer too much... at least he still looked human.


    I really am a kind person!


    After arranging the follow-up interrogation and the handling of matters with the Cold Pine Chamber of Commerce, Ande turned to Lis and said sincerely,


    "I don''t know how to thank you, Lis."


    "I will arrange for people to clean up the Cold Pine Chamber of Commerce''s locations in other cities of the Northern Territory."@@novelbin@@


    "Once the entire assets of the Cold Pine Chamber of Commerce are cleared, I will have them sent directly to your residence in Bright City."


    Knowing that Lis was leaving tomorrow, Count Solo said without hesitation.


    "I will report everything in Northwind City to His Majesty the King, and I believe His Majesty will agree and reward your contribution."


    "There''s no rush for that."


    Lis waved his hand; he really didn''t care that much.


    After all, the essence of the Cold Pine Chamber of Commerce was already in his storage ring, and he suspected there wouldn''t be much in the way of other fixed assets.


    "Instead of that, the two people you just brought back, Seth and Uer, they''re quite important."


    "Being high-ranking members of the intelligence organization Winter Snake, they might have special seals or restrictions on their bodies and souls. If you want to extract information, you''ll need to be extra careful."


    Lis kindly reminded.


    "...Indeed, I''ll get in touch with Bright City straight away, and ask the King to send professionals."


    Ande had indeed overlooked this detail; he frowned and thought for a moment before making the suggestion.


    The information could wait; these two couldn''t afford to die.


    "This is naturally the best."


    Lis nodded and then bid his farewell, preparing to return to the inn.


    "You have a lot of things to keep you busy, so I won''t disturb you further. I''m heading back to the inn now."


    Ande hesitated for a moment and then nodded, holding back his words of invitation for Lis to stay at the castle.


    He was indeed very busy; the storm was about toe!


    ...


    After returning to the inn, Lis noticed that there were not many people in the lobby, guessing most had gone out.


    Fink was there, however, standing at a distance, hesitating and seemingly lost in thought.


    Lis didn''t bother with Fink; he had more important matters at hand.


    He went back to the top-floor room of the inn, the most luxurious one, and locked the door.


    After washing his hands and face and lighting incense in one smooth sequence, Lis casually ced Acadia''s lucky brooch on the table in front of him.


    Although it wasn''t a draw, and the rewards for the mission were already determined, Lis always felt that doing this would give him a bit better luck.


    Having made his preparations, Lis unhesitatingly called up the panel and clicked toplete the time-limited challenge mission.


    ---------------


    [Limited Challenge Mission Triggered]


    [Objective: Defeat the Silver Assassin, Uer]


    [Reward: To be determined based on thepletion of the mission]


    ...


    [You used Weakness Technique on Uer]


    [Judgment sessful, Uer is now in a state of Confusion and Out of Control!]


    [You attack Uer with the special heavy iron hammer!]


    [You defeated Silver Assassin Uer LV80!]


    [You have gained 100,000 Experience Points!]


    ...


    [You have overwhelmingly defeated the Silver Assassin Uer,pleting the limited challenge mission]


    [Judgment: Cross-level challenge... Judgment failed, reward unchanged]


    [Judgment: Full-force fight... Judgment passed, reward increased]


    [Judgment (Hidden): Complete domination... Judgment passed, reward increased]


    [Missionpletion 150%, distributing rewards...]


    [You have gained 1,500,000 Experience Points]


    [You have gained the specialties Dual Hand Mastery and Shadow Concentration]


    [You have gained the skills Shadow Cloak and Deceit]


    [You have gained an item: Uer''s Diary]


    ---------------


    The rewards... not bad I suppose!


    Looking at the information on the panel, they were all good skills and specialties, but Lis felt they were not as great as he had imagined.


    [Specialty Dual Hand Mastery: Your non-dominant hand is equally dexterous, you no longer suffer damage penalties when using a weapon with it]


    This specialty is quite important for those with the Dual de Style Profession, as it can greatly increase theirbat strength, but its effect on Lis was average, not very useful to him.


    [Specialty Shadow Concentration: When you utilize Shadow Power to Stealth, the cost is reduced by 30%, and affinity with the Shadow ne slightly increases]


    This specialty... the effect of increased affinity was actually more important to Lis.


    Deceit, of course, is a skill that is essential for any assassin or thief to learn.


    Shadow Cloak is a Divine Skill for assassins, instantly removing all negative magic effects on yourself and increasing your magic resistance by 50% for 5 seconds.


    This skill allows you to break free from control and briefly increase your magic resistance, making it a core skill for assassins to counter mages.


    Looks strong, doesn''t it?


    Unfortunately, Lis had already learned these two skills from Joyce, and gaining them this time could only improve the proficiency of these two skills a little.


    Well, today''s gains have already been quite substantial.


    Touching the ring on his finger, Lis thought to himself.

 Chapter 220 Undermining The Foundation

    Northwind City, the city gate.


    Unlike the cities in other territories of the Northern Territory, the city gate of Northwind City wasn''t made by directly piecing together wooden nks. Instead, it was constructed from the hardest ck Pattern Wood found in the Northern Territory and wrapped in a thickyer of iron on the outermostyer. Lis could even see various reinforcing Magic Runes on the city gate.


    Just this city gate alone would be a challenge for even Gold Level warriors to breach in a short amount of time.


    Today was the day the Feis Guild finished their repairs and continued on their journey. The winter of the Northern Territory was gradually setting in, the chilling north wind incessantly prating through the seams of clothing.


    Roque was aware that time was pressing, as the caravan had to return to the south before the first snow fell.


    "Lord Lis."


    All members of the caravan had be aware of Lis''s identity. Roque thus ceased any pretense, standing respectfully by Lis''s side and said,


    "What is it?"


    Lis, having rested well the day before, was full of vigor as he currently sat in the carriage and sorted through the treasures inside his ring.


    The collection in Uer''s hands was truly substantial, especially since he had converted most of his wealth into Magic Metals and gemstones.


    It was most likely prepared for the Dillon Kingdom, specially purchased from the Feis Kingdom, but now all of it had be Lis''s gains.


    Mithril, Gold Essence, Red Copper...


    Various colored Magic Crystals and gemstones, including three high-level gems not inferior to the Sky Blue Gemstone in Lis''s hand.


    These precious Magic Materials were far more valuable to Lis than mere Feis Gold Coins.


    "Count Solo''s steward just came by to ask when we will be departing, saying that Count Solo mighte over."


    Roque said, being someone who naturally wouldn''t dare to offend either of these two big shots, he was well-prepared to be just a messenger.


    "I understand."


    Lis nodded. With his reminder, Count Solo should have already been aware of Dillon Kingdom''s impending invasion. Lis believed that Feis Kingdom''s situation this time around should be much better than in his past life.


    Whether to inform the other Nobles of the Northern Kingdom of this intelligence wasn''t something Lis needed to concern himself with.


    As the confidant of King Morton, Ande would surely report the whole affair to His Majesty the King, and let those in power worry about the nuances.


    After all, after the defeat of Dillon Kingdom''s invasion in Lis''s past life, many of the Northern Kingdom''s Sealed Nobles'' territories that were conquered became property of the Royal Family.


    Not much time passed before the sound of hoofbeats approached. Lis saw Ande, attired in eye-catching silver-white Armor, leading a group of soldiers galloping over on sturdy horses.


    "Lis!"


    Ande pulled on the reins, and without waiting for his horse to fully stop, he dismounted and stood in front of Lis.


    Lis too stepped down from the carriage, looking at Count Solo who, despite being over sixty years of age, was as agile as an age-defying warrior.


    However, considering his lifespan as a high-level Martial Monk, he was indeed at the prime of his life.


    "Ande, dressed like that, are you nning on taking action?"


    Lis asked with a smile, looking at Ande dressed in full military attire.


    When the two met yesterday, they were both dressed in stylized noble clothing. Now, with one in Armor and the other in adventurer''s garb, they didn''t look like Great Nobles at all.


    "I have received permission from His Majesty the King. This time, I n to clean up the Cold Pine Chamber of Commerce''s strongholds in other Nobles'' territories of the Northern Territory."


    "That won''t be an easy task. I didn''t expect to cause such a big problem for you."


    "Oh, my dear Lis, then I truly wish for more such troubles!"


    Upon hearing this, Andeughed heartily, patting Lis''s shoulder.


    In the end, Ande leaned in close to Lis and whispered,


    "After I reported the matter to His Majesty the King using the Magic Communication Tool yesterday, His Majesty specifically asked me to bring his regards to you."


    "He said he is looking forward to the day you return to Bright City."


    Ande said with a smile, clearly sensing King Morton''s favor toward Lis.


    "It is my honor."


    "Then let''s not waste any more time. I shall take my leave now and wish you a safe journey."


    Ande was quite decisive, after conveying the King''s message, he mounted his horse and galloped away with his soldiers.


    Lis did not linger either; he had to continue his journey.


    "Roque."


    "Lord Lis, I am here."


    "If I remember correctly, the next city should be within Viscount Raya''s domain, right?"


    "Yes, Lord Lis."


    Roque nodded respectfully and said:


    "However, it will take a ten-day journey to reach Viscount Raya''s domain."


    The farther north one traveled, the greater the distances between the nobles'' territories, often autonomous cities and uninhabited areas separating them.


    "I will part ways with the merchantpany there; I need your help with some matters."


    Lis spoke calmly:


    "The two youngdies in my carriage n to go to Bright City, intending to return with thepany. That can be considered a promise I''ve made to them."


    "Rest assured, I will ensure the safety of the two youngdies!"


    Roque promptly assured, as it was no big task.


    "You know that I have established a new guild in Bright City!"


    Lis turned to Roque, a smile on his face.


    Roque was silent for a moment before nodding.


    The name White Dove Chamber of Commerce might be unfamiliar to the ordinary people of Bright City, but to Roque, a member of the guild industry, it was nothing new.


    "Would you be interested in joining the White Dove Chamber of Commerce?"


    Lis smiled, extending an invitation to recruit him.


    Having traveled with the Feis merchantpany for so long, Lis had taken notice of Roque''s abilities.


    Shrewd and capable, calm and patient, and with years of work experience honing his judgement and self-awareness, Roque was respectful without being obsequious in Lis''s presence.


    Roque was indeed talented; had it not been for his humble background, he would likely have reached higher positions by now.


    Lis''s intention was not a spur-of-the-moment decision, as Mora had already built the framework for the White Dove Chamber of Commerce. However, the guild could not only nest in Bright City �C it needed sufficient manpower to operate branch locations and build merchantpanies elsewhere. Mora had also brought this situation to his attention.


    After considering, Lis felt Roque was fully capable of taking on this task.


    As for his personal desire...


    "I am willing, Lord Lis!"


    Roque hesitated only briefly before eagerly epting Lis''s offered olive branch.


    In the Feis Chamber of Commerce, he had no idea how long it would take to climb higher, but it was different with the White Dove Chamber of Commerce.


    For Roque, a newly established guild represented the most valuable opportunity.


    Anyone insightful could see that White Dove Chamber of Commerce was the emerging Marquis Kane building his own power in Bright City, and now was the best time to join.


    Not to mention when the invitation came directly from the guild owner, Lis himself!@@novelbin@@


    This was an opportunity of a lifetime, and Roque would not let it slip away.


    "Good."


    Lis appreciated Roque''s decisiveness. He wasn''t afraid of those with ambition to climb higher; having such capability was what mattered most.


    Lis was confident that he could keep all his subordinates in check.

 Chapter 221 The Pathway to Advancement in Social Class

    The greenery of the Northern Territory''s vastnds began to slowly recede in autumn, leaving the wilderness and hills interwoven with grey and yellow hues, instilling a sense of emptiness and vastness, yet also evoking a whisper of solitude.


    In the wilderness, a merchant caravan continued along a faint muddy road towards the north. A recent autumn shower had turned the road somewhat muddy, slowing the caravan''s pace a little.


    "Fink!"


    Seated on the carriage of the White Wolf Adventure Group, Lis, somewhat bored, called out to Fink, who was following with the team, summoning him over.


    "Moriarty..."


    Fink approached hesitantly and spoke in a low voice.


    Lis looked at Fink, somewhat speechless. What was up with this guy, acting all fidgety?


    "What''s with that look?"


    Fink, slightly embarrassed, scratched his head while looking at Lis on the carriage.


    "It''s nothing much... just that a friend I knew turned out to be somebody important, and it''s taking some getting used to."


    "You''re still too green, haha."


    Lis took out a piece of honey candy from his storage ring and tossed it to Fink.


    As if sensing that Lis''s attitude towards him hadn''t changed, Fink also seemed to rx a bit.


    After tearing open the wrapper of the honey candy, Fink took a few quick steps and hopped onto the advancing carriage, sitting on the side. With his mouth full, he mumbled:


    "Hey, isn''t this like how we''ve always heard how amazing the great nobles are, and now it turns out you''re one for real!"


    "And you still call me Moriarty?"


    Lisy atop the luggage on the carriage, staring at the azure sky.


    "...Lord Lis?"


    "Haha, I just wanted to tease you at first, I didn''t expect that you really wouldn''t notice."


    Lis said,ughing.


    "Can you me me? Uncle Magat and the others have always kept it from me, and I''ve never met a real great noble, have I?"


    Fink felt like an idiot and couldn''t help but make excuses for himself.


    "So... now that you''ve met one, you''ll be able to recognize them in the future?"


    Fink shook his head silently, then earnestly said:


    "I always feel that you''re not like the great nobles that rumors speak of, but when you stood beside Count Solo in Northwind City, I felt that if you weren''t a noble, then nobody could be."


    "Being about the same age as me..."


    These were Fink''s inner thoughts. That day at the inn in Northwind City, he had seen Count Solo engaging in a warm conversation with Lis, which deeply shook his young mind.


    This was Fink''s first encounter with the highest echelon of the Kingdom''s nobility; a league entirely unlike those impoverished nobles who still forcibly maintained a semnce of nobility.


    In that moment, Lis seemed both familiar and strange to him.


    But at the same time, it was what first kindled his desire, his longing to be somebody like Lis.


    To be a noble, it seemed, might not be that difficult?


    Perhaps it was just a misguided feeling of a youth; after all, Lis''s status was not something anymon noble couldpare with.


    Lis had been about to tease Fink some more, but he paused when he saw the gleam in Fink''s eyes.


    "Do you want to be a noble?"


    After a moment of silence, Lis asked.


    "To be a distinguished lord, who wouldn''t want that?"


    Fink scratched his head, feeling as if his fanciful daydreams were a bit out of touch with reality. If it was so easy to be ennobled, the title would have beenmonce.


    "For most people it''s difficult, but for you, Fink, it''s not impossible."


    Lis sat upright, looking earnestly at Fink and said:


    "Hmm?"


    Fink looked at Lis curiously. His instinct was to retort, but seeing Lis''s seriousness, he realized that the man before him was none other than the Marquis of Bright City.


    Could it be... he wasn''t joking?


    "Fink, do you know the simplest way to be a noble of the Kingdom?"


    Lis took out a bright red apple from his storage ring and began to munch on it.


    Fink thought for a moment, then shook his head.


    "Be a Gold Level powerhouse."


    "As long as you be a Gold Level strength, swear loyalty to His Majesty the King, you can directly be a Court Baron," said Lis.


    Lis continued.


    "Gold Level strength..."


    Fink had been somewhat hopeful, but hearing the prerequisite of bing a Gold Level strength, he was suddenly at a loss for words.


    Within the entire White Wolf Mercenary Group, only the leader was a Gold Level strength, even Uncle Magat had been stuck at the Silver Level for many years, could he really do it?


    "Do you know why I came to find you on the day we set off?"


    Lis''s face showed a hint of a smile as he looked at Fink.


    "Why?"


    This was also something that puzzled Fink. As a Marquis, Lis should have been living in afortable and luxurious castle, served by countless servants, and enjoyingvish meals.


    Yet, he chose to apany the merchant caravan to the Northern Territory, even willing to endure hardships and serve as a sentry with the White Wolf Mercenary Group for several days.


    Before, Fink could hardly imagine such a great noble doing this.


    "Because of you, Fink!"


    Lis raised his right hand, pointed at Fink, and said with a smile.


    "Because... of me?"


    Fink, somewhat puzzled, asked.


    "At the end of the day, it''s one''s own strength that matters most in this world."


    "Only with sufficient strength can you fulfill your own desires."


    "Like you, Fink, you will be a Gold Level strength in the future."


    Lis looked at Fink with a smile, but his expression was somewhat serious and solemn, just like a Priest conveying the will of All Gods.


    A so-called chatan!


    "This..."


    Fink instinctively found it hard to believe Lis''s words, even though the others in the Mercenary Group usually praised him for his Talent, no one was as certain as Lis that he would be a Gold Level strength in the future.


    "You don''t need to ask, and I''m not going to tell you why I would say that," Lis smiled and teased.


    Explore more at empire


    "As a Prophet, I can feel that you have this Talent."@@novelbin@@


    "So, it all depends on whether you are willing to put in the effort to realize your Talent."


    Fink fell silent for a moment, his voice slightly deeper:


    "Then what should I do?"


    Lis nodded, feeling the time was ripe.


    "Train, learn; there is still much youck."


    "Follow me these next few days; I will train you well."


    Looking at Lis eager to start, Fink suddenly had a bad feeling.


    Did he n to give me a beating?


    Of course, Lis had his own ns.


    Fink''s future achievements proved he had enough Talent, but the current reality was that he was progressing too slowly.


    The reason why Nobles are Nobles, is because while strengthening their family''s lineage over time, an abundance of learning and growth resources are also essential.


    Unless one trulycks Talent, no Noble would allow their family''s youth to waste time idly.


    Of course, themoners of this world are not without a way out.


    The existence of Extraordinary Power gives the vast majority of ordinary people a pathway to ascend socially.


    Compared to Nobles, the overwhelming numerical advantage ofmoners always allows for exceptional talents to emerge.


    Therefore, as long as the Kingdom functions normally and those in power do not be unduly inept, the Noble ss can continue to strengthen its power by absorbing and epting talented individuals from among themoners, maintaining its ruling status.


    In fact, what Lis was doing was not much different from those Nobles.


    He was simply certain of Fink''s Talent and making an early investment, that''s all.


    The Combat Techniques and training resources Finkcked were trivial to Lis.


    The future Kane Floating City needs a lot of talent!


    And naturally, Lis would not let go of any promising seedlings!

 Chapter 222 Parting and Departure

    Viscount Raya''s domain, Raya City.


    At the city gates, Lis was saying farewell to a group of people.


    "Lord Lis, I wish you a smooth journey."


    This was Roque, the manager of the Feis caravan.


    "Roque, when you return to Bright City, just go directly to the White Dove Chamber of Commerce and find Mora with the letter I gave you," Lis instructed, nodding his head.


    Roque also bowed respectfully, his demeanor more reverent than before.


    He was well aware that since he was preparing to join the service of this noble, he needed to have the proper resolve and maintain his ce.


    "Oh, and remember to deliver the other letters for me," Lis suddenly remembered something and quickly reminded Roque.


    These were the letters Lis had taken the time to write to Taya and Risa; he wondered if the two girls in Bright City missed him.


    There was nothing mushy in them, just a simple update on his well-being, and he casually shared some of his travel experiences.


    Lis did find himself missing the time spent in Bright City, especially after learning about the strength of his own powerhouse, Joyce, which meant he felt no pressure facing any situation knowing that he had such a powerful backer.


    But Lis knew that it was not sustainable to always rely on others, so even though his rtionship with Taya and Risa had just made a breakthrough, he still resolutely left Bright City in search of new progress.


    The production of magicmunication tools was still quite limited, and the kingdom could only distribute them to particrly important locations, but next time he returned to Bright City he could try to get a few more from his teacher.


    Cress and Liz, standing by his side, also bowed respectfully to Lis, saying with gratitude:


    "Lord Lis, thank you for your assistance."


    Cress and Liz knew very well that without Lis, they wouldn''t have been able to resist the men that Viscount Kuka''s men had chased all the way to the caravan, surely possessing a method to locate them.@@novelbin@@


    "It''s nothing, I was just fulfilling my promise," Lis said, looking at the two and nodding.


    "If you go to Bright City, Liz, you might consider visiting the Love Church. It is the church of the ''Love and Beauty Goddess Freyja,'' and may be of help to you."


    "If you encounter any difficulties, seek help at 36 Feis Street."


    "Thank you!" Liz said with pink eyes full of gratitude as she watched Lis.


    Then, Lis turned his head to look at Fink standing by his side, who was looking at Lis with a pitiable gaze.


    He seemed to have suffered quite a few injuries, wrapped in white bandages in several ces, but his spirits appeared to be rather good,


    "Remember to continue the exercise regimen I taught you, and the same goes for yourbat skills. As for the medicinal herbs I gave you, use them and don''t skimp," Lis counseled.


    Having decided to invest in Fink''s future, Lis would naturally not be stingy.


    He not only taught Fink aplete set of high-level warrior exercises and warrior martial skills but also gave him a lot of precious materials to strengthen his body. For this purpose, he even gave him the space ring he had "picked up" from Uer.


    As for Liz and Cress, Lis did not do as much.


    He didn''t have a firm grasp on their futures, and providing them with these resources might not be a good thing.


    "Understood, Teacher Kane," Fink immediately stood straight and responded upon hearing Lis''s instructions.


    ```


    There was no helping it, Fink had been enduring Lis'' devilish training recently.


    Since Lis didn''t have much time and was soon to embark on his own path, he tried to cram as much useful knowledge as possible into Fink.


    It was a treatment most people would beg for, so despite the pain, Fink found joy in it these past few days.


    What astonished Fink even more was Lis'' strength, who despite being nearly the same age,pletely dominated every sparring session, exerting just enough pressure to push Fink to his limits, thus maximizing the unlocking of his potential.


    But it was only during a casual conversation that Fink curiously asked and found out that Lis'' main profession was that of a mage.


    It was outrageous, a mage in closebat was making it hard for him to even lift his head.


    Especially after Uncle Magat, having seen Lis train him, said that Lis'' closebat abilities were even stronger than his own.


    During breaks, Uncle Magat and hispanions from the mercenary group hinted that he should take the initiative to pledge loyalty to that lord.


    Fink hesitated for a moment, after all, Lis had been nothing but good to him, offering him a full array of resources that he had never dared to dream of before.


    So, after hesitation, he asked Uncle Magat if it would be appropriate to take Lis as his mentor.


    Upon hearing Fink''s thoughts, Uncle Magat was stunned for a moment before he pped him hard on the head and walked away.


    Therefore, in the time that followed, Fink always addressed Lis as "Teacher."


    Lis did not object and therefore epted the arrangement.


    Taking a future powerhouse as his student, nothing wrong with that!


    "Magat, I''m leaving Fink in your care, make sure he gets enough training,"


    Lis said with a nod as he looked at Magat standing beside Fink.


    Your journey continues with empire


    "Rest assured, we will certainly take good care of Fink,"


    Magat promptly responded, not finding it strange at all that Lis had asked him to take care of Fink.


    Although Fink had been a member of the mercenary group, being taken as an apprentice by Marquis Kane was such a massive opportunity, Magat wouldn''t dream of hindering it, nor could he.


    Besides, to put it more self-interestedly, maintaining their good rtionship with Fink would naturally bring them a lot of help in the future.


    Lis smiled slightly, no longer worried.


    In the future, Fink might face a life-threatening crisis, and even the White Wolf Mercenary Group that apanied him might disappear; he might transformpletely.


    To prevent Fink''s future from turning for the worse because of his butterfly effect, Lis specially gave Fink a unique space transmission tool, instructing him to use it only in a life-or-death situation.


    This was from the handiwork of Judgement me; Lis didn''t expect Fink to encounter any legendary level dangers.


    After arranging everything, Lis wasted no more time and waved goodbye as he headed northwest towards Raya City.


    As Lis'' figure gradually vanished into the distance, Uncle Magat patted Fink on the shoulder and seriously said:


    "Fink, you''re incredibly lucky, being valued by Marquis Kane. Do you know how many people would be envious of your fortune if they found out?"


    "You must seize this opportunity, or you''ll regret it when you reach our age."


    "Don''t worry, Uncle Magat!"


    Fink nodded vigorously, his eyes determined as he watched where Lis had disappeared, his mind made up long ago.


    Having grown up listening to various legends of heroes'' adventurous tales, he envied the protagonists for having so many opportunities.


    Now, the opportunity was practically knocking on his forehead. If he failed to seize it, Fink felt he would be utterly useless.


    Teacher, the next time we meet, I will show you a stronger version of myself!


    ```

 Chapter 223 Snow Ridge Town

    Ding-a-ling~


    The brass-colored, worn doorbell jingled as the creaky wooden door of the tavern was pushed open from the outside, with the piercing cold wind howling as it followed Lis inside.


    Dressed like a typical mercenary, Lis swiftly closed the door behind him and surveyed the somewhat cramped tavern.


    Perhaps because the winters here were so harsh, the windows of the tavern were small circr holes carved out of the thick brick walls, which were now firmly sealed with rough nks and cotton fabric. A ck firece on the side burned with fiery mes, providing ample warmth to this little tavern in the midst of winter.


    Even though the firece and several Magic Stone Lamps weren''t enough topletely dispel the gloom inside, they did nothing to dampen the high-spirited shouts and yells of the mercenaries.


    By the wall, a drunken minstrel strummed and sung of heroic bads.


    This was the Mercenary Tavern of Snow Ridge Town, and just like mercenary taverns elsewhere, it was the favorite haunt of mercenaries in their leisure time.


    A tankard of aromatic barley wine, a te of cured ham, and a few willing friends to listen were enough to while away an entire day. One could drunkenly head home for a good night''s sleep, fully rxing the tense nerves strained from days of fulfillingmissions. Continue your adventure at empire


    However, Lis noted something different about this tavern.


    Many of the mercenaries wereparatively burlier, with high noses and paleplexions, bearing some traits of the Dillon Kingdom''s northern race. Lis even spotted several dwarves and two Half-beast individuals of the Cat Race among the mercenaries.


    Looking at the Half-beast''s furry ears and happily wagging tails, Lis couldn''t help feeling somewhat sentimental.


    As Lis gradually left the hearnd of the Human Kingdom, he saw more adventurers of misceneous races appearing in the Mercenary Guild.


    In his past life, many yers had vehementlyined to gamepanies,menting why they could only pick Humans and not other races.


    This was Snow Ridge Town, where, after parting ways with the Feis caravan, Lis embarked on his journey alone.


    The Luoxue Mountain Range, marking the border between Feis Kingdom and Dillon Kingdom, was a region where neither kingdom exerted strong control. Snow Ridge Town, situated at the foot of the Luoxue Mountains within the Feis Kingdom, thrived on the abundance of specialty goods and precious ores found in the mountains.


    The majority of mercenaries arriving here were preparing to venture into the mountains to hunt Magic Beasts and obtain valuable materials.


    Traveling alone, Lis was much faster than the caravan. Still, it took him half a month to reach this destination.


    This was Lis''s intended destination for his journey, the location of the ruins left by the Legendary Arcanist.


    Though Lis had received a lot of useful information from his teacher, they were only fragmented clues. To find the actual location of the ruins, he still needed to put in more effort.


    First and foremost, collecting information!


    Lis made his way straight to the tavern''s bar and took a seat, saying to the servant,


    "Arge mug of Cold Barley Wine and a serving of honey-cured fish, please."@@novelbin@@


    Cold Barley Wine was brewed using a special variety of Cold Land Wheat produced in the Northern Territory. This new kind of wheat was cultivated by the Druids of the Oak Sage organization, capable of surviving the harsh cold of the north, though the yield was lowerpared to regr wheat.


    The Cold Barley Wine made from this wheat had a crisp taste and a unique, lingering fragrance that many found irresistible. Of course, that also meant it was considerably more expensive.


    Honey-cured fish was a local specialty dish where small river-caught fish were smoked and then marinated in honey. It could be preserved for long periods, providing a unique vor during the lengthy winters.


    In his past life, Lis had been quite fond of this Northern delicacy, with its sweet taste that left one longing for more.


    "Sure, just a moment,"


    The tavern''s servant was a mature and elegant beauty with a charismatic presence.


    She responded with a smile, her attire simple and her bosom generous.


    Dong~


    She gently ced a te containing several ck-red fish in front of Lis and then, with some effort, brought over a wooden beer mug filled with deep golden barley wine.


    The tavern was quite clean. Despite its unimpressive exterior, the cups and tes appeared well-washed, and the bar was free from the usual ck grease stains.


    After everything was served, Lis did not rush to taste it but took out a Feis Gold Coin.


    Ting... Ting...


    This brand-new gold coin, embossed with the longsword emblem of the Feis Royal Family and the Dawn Holy Emblem of the Dawn Church, was held between the fingers of Lis''s right hand, lightly tapping on the dark grey wooden bar counter.


    "It''s my first time here at Snow Ridge Town, and there are a few things I''d like to inquire about. I wonder who would be the right person to ask?"


    The female servant didn''t fixate on the gold coin in Lis''s hand but threw him a charming nce and said with a smile:


    "Unless it''s some hidden information, I think I can be of assistance."


    "Good."


    Lis said with a smile, after all, he was only looking for some basic information right now.


    With a flick of his finger, the coin made a crisp sound, tracing a beautiful arc through the air beforending in the deep valley of the servant''s chest.


    The servantughed lightly, nonchntly picking the coin from her clothing, gave it a kiss with her red lips, and then contentedly tucked it away.


    "My name is Julia. Is there something you wish to ask, sir?"


    Julia brushed a few strands of her brown hair behind her ear, leaned inzily over the bar, her eyes twinkling with seduction, allure, and mischief as she looked at Lis,pletely unconcerned that her chest was nearlypletely exposed.


    Lis was utterly unfazed by Julia''s charm. Ha, using this to test me, a veteran of countless battles?


    "I heard that a purple fog appears here in Snow Ridge Town?"


    "Indeed, that does happen."


    Julia gave Lis a bewitching nce and nodded in confirmation.


    This was actually the first time someone had asked her about it; could it be that this young man was here to admire the scenery as a tourist?


    "That''s somewhat of a unique weather pattern for Snow Ridge Town. Each year during autumn and winter, this purple fog appears from time to time."


    "At first, it seemed quite beautiful and dreamy, but after a while, it''s just more of the same."


    "Do you know the extent of the area affected by the fog each time it appears?"


    Lis picked up a piece of fish and ced it in his mouth, savoring its sweet taste, then continued to inquire.


    "...I''m not really sure about that, it''s probably just around Snow Ridge Town and a small part of the nearby Luoxue Mountain Range. I haven''t heard of it appearing anywhere else."


    Julia said after a moment of silence, her curiosity about Lis growing.


    "Is that so?"


    Lis thought for a moment and took a big gulp of his Cold Barley Wine.


    "Are there any ruins around Snow Ridge Town?"


    Julia did not hesitate this time; she was quite familiar with this subject, having worked at the Mercenary Tavern for a long time.


    "No, I''ve never heard of any mercenaries discovering ruins around the Luoxue Mountain Range."


    Lis nodded; this matched the situation from his previous life. He was mentally prepared.


    "By the way, are there any legends or stories about Snow Ridge Town? I''m quite curious about that."


    Julia thought for a moment and then said with a smile:


    "There are, but as far as stories rted to Snow Ridge Town go, there''s just that one."

 Chapter 224 Wisdom God?

    Julia increasingly felt that Lis was nothing but a noble young master venturing out to travel, even though he was d in regr mercenary leather armor, his temperament and skin tone didn''t resemble those of mercenaries who had braved the elements all year long.


    However, she didn''t find it strange. The more nobles who enjoyed seeking new and exciting experiences the better. Hadn''t she just seen someone receive a Gold Coin for some of the mostmon news?


    "Oh?"


    Upon hearing that Julia had something to say, Lis perked up with interest.


    He knew that each ce''s myths and legends were like the poems recited by minstrels; they were often based on real stories and news and then creatively embellished.


    So, quite a lot of these legends and poems actually concealed real secrets.


    Julia did not keep him in suspense, but started to recount the tale directly.


    "Legend has it that it was a very long time ago when Snow Ridge Town was but a dpidated little vige. The people fought against magic beasts from the Luoxue Mountains, struggling to survive here while enduring danger and hunger, never knowing if they would open their eyes to see the sun rise the next day."


    "Later, a divine being descended!" Your next read is at empire


    A divine being!


    Lis''s attention instantly focused on this term.


    It shouldn''t be so, this was supposed to be the remains of a Legendary Arcanist, how did ite to involve a divine being?


    Mr. Stephens''s perception couldn''t be wrong; could it be...


    "That divine being bestowed knowledge upon the people and led them to expel the magic beasts from the Luoxue Mountains."


    "He even used His formidable power to move a section of the mountain range, allowing people to build a new homnd on tnd."


    "The people established a church for Him, and with the help of the priests, life in Luoxue Town increasingly flourished."


    "Until one day, cmity struck, the sky fell, the mountain crumbled, and the divine being, in order to save the people, resolutely walked into that peril and sacrificed His divine soul and body, ultimately halting the spread of the disaster."


    "It is said that the purple mist is the remnant of that divine being."


    Lis listened intently to Julia''s description, but his brows furrowed deeply.


    Something was amiss; the divine being in this legend was very strange.


    In all tales involving divine beings, they invariably promote the divine beings'' magnificent Divine Power and omnipotence, much like the ounts in the holy scriptures of various True God Churches.


    The Church of the Gods ceaselessly conveys these things to the faithful, for people to fear the divine beings, to respect them, to be their followers!


    In these stories, the divine beings are always powerful, invincible, immortal, yet this legend from Snow Ridge Town is different.


    This story actually depicted the death of a divine being!


    One must know that even demigods or false gods would not leave such records in the stories they propagate.


    Lis fell silent for a moment before looking up and asking:


    "You seem not to have mentioned the name of that divine being?"


    Julia thought for a bit, then said uncertainly:


    "That was a legend I heard when I was a child, not many people know of it now."


    "I remember... His name seemed to be the ''Wisdom God Sphinx''!"


    The ''Wisdom God Sphinx''?


    This...


    Lis was certain; he had never heard of this name before, nor did he recall any divine being with such a name.


    Right now, there wasn''t an existence wielding the Divine Position of "Wisdom," and no one dared to im they had grasped all wisdom, understanding everything about the Gaia World.


    Indeed, there were many divine beings with the Domain of "Knowledge": Lis knew of the ''Fantasy and Knowledge God Azus,'' the ''Forging and Craftsman God Gand,'' the ''Knowledge and Minstrel God Oghma,'' the ''Order and Justice God Tal,'' among others.


    Because the Divine Domain of "Knowledge" is so powerful, currently, no deity has fully mastered it. Consequently, many gods rted to various Divine Domains have more or less ventured into the territory of the "Knowledge" Divine Position.


    So, where did this Wisdom Gode from?


    ording to the narrative in this story, the performance of that deity seems more akin to that of a Legendary Strongman.


    Could it be the Legendary Arcanist who left behind the ruins?


    But that doesn''t make sense, if it were really that Legendary Arcanist, they probably wouldn''t have taken this path.


    To establish a church, spread a god''s name, and gather faith.


    That''s something those Legendary Strongmen who take the most orthodox Path to Divinity would do.


    But even Mr. Judgement me has confirmed that, basically, all Legendary Arcanists wouldn''t choose this path unless they had given up on advancing further in arcane arts.


    Lis tapped his right temple and poured all of the ale into his mouth.


    The information I''ve gathered so far is still too scant, blindly guessing is just wasting time, perhaps only by finding those ruins will I get the final answer.


    What I can confirm now is that the whereabouts of those ruins likely do not exist within the Gaia World, having been concealed by that Legendary Arcanist.


    And when the purple mist rises, that''s when the ruins open a passage to the outside world.


    But...


    "Julia, I came here precisely because I heard about the spectacle of the Purple Mist, are there any precautions I should take?"


    Lis looked up at the enchanting female servant and took out a Feis Gold Coin to lightly ce on the counter and asked.@@novelbin@@


    Without reaching for the coin, Julia appeared puzzled and hesitantly said,


    "There shouldn''t be... I guess?"


    "Although the color is quite special, it''s indeed just mist. The priests of the Church havee here to investigate as well."


    "As long as you don''t wander off into the Luoxue Mountains, there shouldn''t be a problem."


    "The mercenaries who specifically came to Snow Ridge Town still set off for the Luoxue Mountain as usual in the early morning despite the dense fog. I haven''t heard of anyone encountering danger because of the fog."


    "Thank you."


    Lis nodded at Julia and then turned and left the tavern.


    Watching Lis''s figure disappear behind the closing wooden door, Julia touched her cheek, wondering why her Charm had failed.


    "What a strange customer!"


    "Julia, three more ales, please."


    "Coming right up~"


    No longer concerned about Lis, Julia picked up the Gold Coin from the counter and, swinging her hips, busied herself with work again.


    Outside the tavern, Lis looked up at the somewhat gloomy sky and headed towards the inn within the town.


    No danger in the Purple Mist?


    That means there are two possibilities.


    Either it''s difficult for ordinary people to travel through the Purple Mist to reach the location of the ruins, or those people have had their memories erased after leaving the ruins.


    There''s a point worth pondering here, ording to Arcane Master Dracos, he was too weak when he received the inheritance, undoubtedly he couldn''t have entered the ruins on his own initiative.


    Generally speaking, if that being was selecting an inheritor, shouldn''t they cast a wide?


    Unless... entering the ruins is a selection process in itself, only those qualified could enter the ruins!

 Chapter 225 The Stranger Guest

    Luoxue Mountain Range, Snow Ridge Town.


    Lis had been in Snow Ridge Town for several days now, but the bad luck was he hadn''t encountered the Purple Mist even once.


    Although he was mentally prepared not to enter the ruins easily, not even having the chance to try was really disheartening.@@novelbin@@


    With no other choice, today, after confirming there was no Purple Mist, Lis headed into the Luoxue Mountain Range to hunt Magic Beasts while also training his Martial Arts.


    He could feel that his Martial Arts had greatly improved during this journey, especially the proficiency of Professional Skills such as those of assassins and Hunters.


    Unlike in Bright City, in this wilderness, he had more opportunities to experience nature, and he could sense the flow and fusion of elements in this world more clearly.


    When the mood struck, Lis even spent a night quietly up in a tree, experiencing a different kind of outdoor life than before.


    This different lifestyle brought Lis starkly different experiences, giving him a deeper understanding of the Foundation Principles taught by Judgement me.


    The only shoring was that Lis had yet to master Druid Professional Skills.


    If he had Druid Skills or Special Skills, it would undoubtedly be a greater help in understanding the elemental Foundation Principles.


    As the evening approached, the temperature in the Luoxue Mountain Range dropped a few degrees lower than in Snow Ridge Town.


    "Looks like it''s going to snow in a few days,"


    Lis remarked somewhat helplessly, observing the weather.


    If based on the scientific research from his previous life, the principle behind fog formation is due to long nights without clouds and rapid heat loss from the earth, causing the moisture in the air near the ground to condense into small dropletster at night and into the morning, thereby forming fog.


    Generally speaking, heavy fog wouldn''t form during snowy weather.


    But this was an Extraordinary World, and ording to what that tavern waitress Julia said, Purple Mist could appear during the autumn and winter, even on snowy days.


    It must be influenced by Extraordinary Power.


    Lis threw a few pine cones into the zing fire before him, cones from the snow oil pines unique to the Luoxue Mountain Range, renowned for their plump kernels and rich oil content.


    Especially after being roasted by Fiery Fire, the pine nuts released a unique burnt fragrance. The taste was also crispier and sweeter.


    Apanied by slight crackling sounds, Lis used Mage''s Hand to remove the charred pine cones from the fire after a while.


    While nibbling on the fragrant pine nuts, Lis''s thoughts began to wander.


    He had kept watch in Snow Ridge Town for several days, and although he gained nothing, Lis wasn''t anxious.


    Today, Lis chose to enter the Luoxue Mountain Range, naturally, the area close to Snow Ridge Town.


    Training himself was secondary; he intended to observe the source of the Purple Mist outside Snow Ridge Town, hoping to make new discoveries.


    This was what Lis had been doing during this time; since the Purple Mist in Snow Ridge Town always appeared in thetter part of the night, Lis kept watch for itte into the night, waiting for its appearance.


    The cold autumn wind blew in from the north along the mountain ridges at night. Aside from themon sight of dark green pine and cypress trees, most of the underbrush on the ground had withered.


    Today, after surveying the surroundings, Lis hadn''t found anything special, nor had he encountered any Magic Beasts.


    Was it too close to Snow Ridge Town? Whatever was of value here had been gleaned by those mercenaries like locusts sweeping through.


    Lis had nned to hunt a wild boar for dinner, but in the end, he only collected some plump pine cones.


    Lis, who had wanted to experience roasting wild boar, had to abandon the idea and took out amb leg and other ingredients from his storage ring.


    When he had the time and conditions, Lis wouldn''t skimp on pleasing his stomach.


    The ingredients Lis stored in his storage ring were all pre-processed by the White Dove Chamber of Commerce, and they could be preserved in the storage ring for a long time.


    He ced the tendermb leg over the well-controlled campfire, scored it, and gently brushed it with salt and spices.


    Although spices were rather precious in the Feis Kingdom and using too much would mask the vor of themb itself, Lis had a taste for stronger vors and cooked ording to his own preferences.


    After handling themb leg, he lit another small campfire beside it and set up a pot to cook a small pot of radish and vegetable soup.


    With the all-purpose Mage''s Hand, he carefully rotated themb leg over the campfire while simultaneously controlling the temperature.


    With the Magic Power and control Lis had now, he was able to use five Mage''s Hands at the same time.


    Waiting was somewhat dull, and the Magic Book that Lis carried had been readpletely during his time with the Feis Guild; now, he could only attempt to construct an arcane model to pass the time.


    "Ah, that smells delicious!"


    A gentle male voice appeared behind Lis.


    What!!?


    Seated before the campfire, Lis suddenly stood up, and a jade-green staff quickly appeared in his right hand.


    With a flicker of Magic Light, severalyers of Magic Barrier surrounded Lis, and the glow from the Beneficial Magic lit up the dark forest around him somewhat.


    Only after preparing himself did Lis turn to look in the direction from which the voice hade.


    It couldn''t be helped that he was so cautious, as even though he felt that there was no danger around Snow Ridge Town and the nearby Luoxue Mountains, the good habits he had formed prompted Lis to set up warning and protective barriers around the campsite.


    But Lis was certain that before the voice had sounded, his Magic Barrier had shown no signs of being disturbed.


    Had I been too rxed?


    Who on earth is it?


    Lis gripped the Jade Wand tightly, his body tense, and slowly turned around.


    No attack came.


    A figure stood three meters behind Lis.


    It was a young man in his early twenties, exceptionally handsome with clear eyes, well-defined and deep facial features, and a pair of golden pupils under ck hair that shimmered brilliantly, betraying an air of wisdom and confidence.


    He was dressed in pure ck formal wear, with gold thread outlining his tall figure so formally, it seemed as if this ce wasn''t the Luoxue Mountains but rather a ball among the nobility in Bright City.


    Seeing Lis''s defensive stance and the twinkling Magic Light, the young man waved his hand, smiled, and said:


    "It seems I was too impolite, wasn''t I? I bear no hostility."


    "On such a cold night, I couldn''t help but be attracted by the aroma of the food as I was passing by and came over to have a look."


    Upon hearing this, Lis did not let down his guard.


    This man seemed to have no hostility, but that didn''t exin why he had directly passed through the barriers Lis had set up.


    His strength was great, certainly much greater than Lis''s current level!


    "How did you get through the barrier I set up?"


    Lis watched the man warily and spoke.


    Magic Power was already surging into the Space Ring on his right hand. Your journey continues with empire


    "I did indeed overstep, but I felt a familiar aura as I approached and couldn''t contain my curiosity,"


    The young man pointed at the ring on Lis''s hand and said with a smile.

 Chapter 226 Golden Dragon Silverster Ludwig

    "This ring?"


    Lis saw the other party''s gaze fall on the Teleportation Ring on his right hand, remained silent for a moment, then raised his hand to gesture at it.


    "You mean this one?"


    "Yes."


    The young man smiled, nodding with golden eyes that conveyed a sense of closeness.@@novelbin@@


    He took off the ck silk gloves he was wearing, revealing a brass-colored ring on his hand.


    Stay tuned to empire


    To Lis''s surprise, the style of the ring was very familiar to him, identical to the one on his own hand.


    "This is a ring Mister Stephens gave me, so I was curious and sneaked past the barrier to have a look."


    "Mister Stephens really has taken a fine disciple."


    "Allow me to introduce myself, you can call me Silverster Ludwig, as my full name is a bit long."


    Ludwig''s lips curved slightly upward, as he methodically put on his gloves again.


    "Hello, I am Lis Kain, a disciple of Fran Stephens."


    Upon hearing this young person who called himself Ludwig mention the teacher''s name and even disy a ring like his own, Lis felt reassured.


    Anyone who could steal a ring from the hands of the Judgement me and still be lively enough to run around certainly wouldn''t be Ludwig.


    That suggests the ring was given to this young man by the Judgement me.


    Could this be a senior disciple I haven''t met?


    That shouldn''t be the case, Mr. Stephens had said that his previous disciple who hadn''t broken through to legend had already passed away from natural causes.


    Then who is this person?


    Noticing the puzzled expression on Lis''s face, Ludwig smiled and sat down by the campfire.


    His eyes watched the reddish-orange mes lick over themb leg sizzling with oil, releasing a captivating aroma of rich spices under the high heat, mixing with the smell of fat in the air.


    "I knew Mister Stephens before, and although he didn''t take me as his disciple in the end, he gave me this ring."


    "So when I approached you, I felt this unique fluctuation."


    "Unique fluctuation?"


    Lis looked down at his ring, but didn''t feel the special fluctuation Ludwig mentioned.


    "You aren''t able to notice it yet."


    Ludwig''s voice rose beside him, followed by the sound of him cutting themb leg.


    The perfectly roastedmb leg''s skin was crisp, and Ludwig deftly sliced a small piece of roasted meat using a delicate knife.


    He ced it in his mouth and nodded repeatedly.


    The crust was tender, the golden skin hiding delicious, richly vored meat fibers, creating a delicate, savory taste in one''s mouth mixed with fat and spices, truly irresistible.


    Lis watched this overly familiar stranger with some speechlessness and shook his head as he sat down beside him, serving him a bowl of radish vegetable soup.


    Ludwig contentedly sipped the steaming hot vegetable soup, sighing deeply.


    "Nothing beats the taste of human food!"


    Huh?


    Lis also sat down by the fire, and upon hearing this remark, he turned and looked at Ludwig.


    Even though he had found it strange before, could it be that this guy isn''t human?


    Is he currently using a Transformation Technique to alter his appearance?


    If so, his Transformation Technique is too perfect; one simply cannot tell any difference from a normal human.


    "Haha."


    Ludwig unapologetically continued to savor the delicious roastedmb leg and spoke further.


    "I met Mr. Stephens on Dragon Ind."


    Dragon Ind? Could it be...


    Lis looked at Ludwig somewhat solemnly. Could this guy be a Metallic Dragon?


    The Transformation Skill of the Metallic Dragon n was indeed second to none, and they particrly loved to transform into humans and blend into human society.


    Especially the Golden Dragons and Silver Dragons.


    "That was 50 years ago, when Mr. Stephens came to Dragon Ind to visit the Dragon n elders."


    "Back then, I was still a young dragon, seeing a human set foot on Dragon Ind for the first time, and no matter which elder it was, all of them showed great respect to Mr. Stephens."


    Dragon n elders?


    Those were the dragons with at least Legendary strength. Could this be considered the stronghold of the Metallic Dragon n?


    Unlike the Five-Colored Dragon n that belonged to the evil alignment and was warlike, the Metallic Dragon n was more united. They worshipped the God of Good Dragons, the tinum Dragon God Bahamut. Apart from the Five-Colored Dragon n, they harbored goodwill towards other races.


    Dragon Ind was the Holy Land and stronghold of the Metallic Dragon n; many strong dragons of the n had their nests there, which also made Dragon Ind one of the safest ces in the Gaia World. Many from the Metallic Dragon n chose Dragon Ind to raise their next generation.


    Being a young dragon fifty years ago, he would at most be a young adult dragon now.


    "Back then, Mr. Stephens came to learn and study the Dragon Language Magic."


    "But the elders didn''t refuse the teacher at all. Mr. Stephens stayed on Dragon Ind for a long time to study and research the Dragon Language Magic."


    "It was also back then that I pestered the teacher to teach me magic, and at that time I couldn''t even handle the Transformation Technique."


    Listening to Ludwig''s words, Lis pictured a golden young dragon following the teacher, frolicking and scampering around on the ground.


    Yes, Ludwig''s golden pupils confirmed that he was indeed among the strongest, a Golden Dragon from the Metallic Dragon n.


    "Why did you want to learn magic from Mr. Stephens? I remember that as dragons age, they naturally master the Dragon Language Magic, don''t they?"


    "It''s not the same."


    Ludwig shook his head and exined with a smile,


    "Magic is fascinating."


    "And Dragon Language Magic is merely a Talent etched into our bloodlines. I don''t know the principles behind it at all, I just need to chant spells and consume Magic Power to perform it."


    Ludwigughed while twirling a small knife with roastedmb on it:


    "It''s too boring, not what I was looking for at all."


    "I even asked the elders before, and they all told me I was thinking too far ahead��they just swept me away with a wing."


    "And then?"


    Lis asked with interest, noticing Ludwig seemed to have a knack for storytelling.


    Could one of his parents be a Red Copper Dragon?


    "Not long after, Mr. Stephens arrived at Dragon Ind."


    "The first time I noticed the teacher was when he was experimenting with spells on the eastern sea of Dragon Ind."


    It seemed to be the first time he encountered someone rted to the ''Judgment me,'' and he was quite enthusiastic about it.


    "That was real magic, that was true power!"


    Ludwig''s eyes reflected his longing and admiration.


    "I kept pestering Mr. Stephens, and he had no choice but to asionally teach me since it wasn''t convenient to beat me too harshly on Dragon Ind."


    "Unfortunately, my Talent wasn''t enough to be a true Arcanist."

 Chapter 227 Dragon Language Magic and Body Enchantment

    "So, Mr. Stephens probably never mentioned me to you, after all, I am not really his true student yet."


    Ludwig cut another piece ofmb leg, ced it in his mouth, and slowly savored it, seeming to really enjoy the taste of roastedmb leg.


    Thinking this, Lis also began to taste the fruits of hisbor.


    It couldn''t be helped, if he was any more polite and didn''t start eating, all the roasted meat would be devoured by the Golden Dragon before him.


    Lis had no doubt about the Golden Dragon''s appetite, even if he roasted ten more wholembs, it would not be enough for this one to eat.


    "The teacher only stayed on Dragon Ind for a year, and that time was truly wonderful."


    Ludwig, finding the knife too slow, directly grabbed themb leg and bit off a big chunk, excitedly expressing,


    "At that time, I would squat next to the teacher, watching the process of him mastering Dragon Language Magic, it was really amazing!"


    "It took the teacher a year to master Dragon Language Magic?"


    Lis, who was brushing seasoning on threemb legs, asked curiously upon hearing this.


    ording to Lis''s knowledge from his previous life, Dragon Language Magic was basically exclusive to Dragon n and Dragon Descendant Creatures, and it was rare to hear of other races learning and mastering Dragon Language Magic.


    As the name implies, Dragon Language Magic involves invoking elemental power using the Dragon Language, thereby casting specific spells, which is what differentiates Dragon Language Magic from the Magic used by Humans.


    Dragon Language, being the most fundamental and essential heritage of the Dragon n, has a history stretching back before the appearance of Humans, allegedly created by the Nine-faced Dragon God, Io, and deeply rooted in the Dragon n''s bloodlines. If a Giant Dragon did not awaken the heritage of Dragon Language in its bloodline and chant its true name at birth, it would just be a Dragon Beast without wisdom, abandoned by its dragon mother.


    This illustrates the significance of Dragon Language to the Dragon n.


    As anguage containing Extraordinary Power, Dragon Language, like Ancient Elf and Titannguages, resonates with Nature''s elements, granting the Dragon n their unique powers. The Magic Runes used by modern Humans to cast Magic have reportedly evolved from these Transcendentnguages.


    Dragon Language is an extremely ancient and primitivenguage, containing incredibly strong primordial Strength, and the ancestors of the Dragon n created many forms of Magic and established a system of Dragon Language Magic, bequeathed within the Dragon n''s bloodlines.


    But for this reason, when those Dragon n ancestors were creating Dragon Language Magic, they did not take into ount whether the user''s body was strong enough to meet the standard, as the body of the Dragon n could bear any Dragon Language Magic with ease.


    Therefore, to learn Dragon Language Magic, one must not only learn the Dragon Language, but also possess a sufficiently powerful physical constitution.


    Although Lis had not yet encountered the study of Dragon Language Magic, he figured these problems probably weren''t much of an issue for Fran Stephens.


    As one of the continent''s top Legendary Arcanists, Lis never doubted Mr. Stephens''s Wisdom. It probably wouldn''t take him a whole year just to learn Dragon Language Magic.


    "So, this is where the teacher is impressive!"


    Talking about this, Ludwig''s eyes sparkled, and he even put down the roastedmb leg in his hand.


    "The teacher mastered most of the Dragon Language Magic within a month, except for those with special restrictions, and he spent the rest of the time doing one thing."


    "What was the teacher busy with?"


    Lis yed along at just the right moment, while taking out a crystal-clear crystal goblet, pouring some precious Naske Red Wine from the East Coast of the Fanor Continent for Ludwig.


    This Golden Dragon big shot seemed to know many secrets, and Lis was enjoying the stories.


    "Afterward, Mr. Stephens spent his time researching Body Enchantment, using Dragon Language Magic!"


    Body Enchantment?


    Lis was somewhat taken aback.


    Body Enchantment was not an umon practice; it was also a rtively important andmon area of study in the field of Magic Runes.


    Just like Enchantment of weapons, it involved carving Magic Runes onto the body to invoke elemental power and enhance the body.


    There are manymon types of Body Enchantments, some that strengthen physical Strength, some that enhance Elemental Affinity, some that increase resistance to negative Status conditions, and even some that enhance a particr ability.


    Body Enchantments are not without drawbacks. The difficulty of carving Magic Runes onto the body is much greater than weapon Enchantments, and the Magic Runes also ce a burden on the body, with the Magic Power required to power the Runes provided by the user.


    Under all these restrictions, basically, only the most naive warriors are the most suitable vessels for Body Enchantment.


    That excludes yers who like to run around covered in colorful tattoos.


    As for engraving Dragon Language Magic on the body, this idea... is indeed feasible.


    As a script with Extraordinary Power, Dragon Language certainly has the same effect as Magic Rune.


    Can we say nothing but worthy of a Legendary Arcanist?


    Find your next read on empire


    "So... what was the final result?"


    Lis nodded and turned to ask Ludwig.


    "The teacher engraved all the strength-enhancing Magic Runes on his body, and in the end, even the elder couldn''t beat the teacher in arm wrestling."


    Ludwig held his head high, looking proud.


    No wonder your elder pped you flying; you indeed have the potential to be a troublemaker.


    Lis nced at the triumphant Ludwig and shook his head, somewhat helplessly.


    But to win arm wrestling against a Dragon n Elder, that''s a lot of Strength enhancement!


    "That strong, truly worthy of my teacher."


    Lis could tell, this Golden Dragon held great admiration for Judgement me.


    "Of course!"


    Ludwig drained the cup of fine wine in one gulp and then gazed eagerly at the threemb legs sizzling and oozing fat over the campfire.


    Themb leg from earlier didn''t even fill the gap between his teeth.


    "However, the teacher also saidter that it wasn''t of much use to him."@@novelbin@@


    "Mainly because the teacher''s physical strength indeed can''tpare to ours in the Dragon n. If he wanted to engrave Dragon Language Magic on his body, the teacher would first have to expend a great deal of Magic Power to strengthen his body in advance, maintain his Strength while engraving the Magic Rune, and utilize the Rune''s enhancing capabilities."


    "ording to the teacher, it can only serve as a kind of special strengthening technique, and it barely increases his power," Ludwig exined.


    So, the physical Strength of a Legendary Giant Dragon isn''t even considered an added bonus anymore?


    Lis was somewhat silent; the strength of a Legendary Arcanist was truly unfathomable. Even as a former Golden Mage in his past life, he was nothing more than an ant before his teacher.


    But, good!


    Thinking of all the wonders that awaited him in the future, Lis found his thirst for power growing increasingly uncontroble.


    "Later, the teacher gave me this Ring before he left Dragon Ind."


    "Although the teacher didn''t acknowledge me as his disciple, I believe that as long as I keep working hard, I will seed one day."


    "Keep it up!"


    Lis said so and then suddenly realized something.


    If the teacher really does take him as a disciple in the future, does that mean he will be my junior?


    Lis''s gaze shifted, looking warmly and kindly at Ludwig, handing over a freshly roastedmb leg.


    "Eat slowly, no rush!"


    Ludwig took a big juicy bite ofmb meat and mumbled:


    "I must say, your cooking skills are really good... What''s with that look?"

 Chapter 228 Reusing the Arcane Handnote

    That evening, Lis and Ludwig were sitting by the campfire, chatting over roastedmb legs about the interesting events rted to "Judgement me" on Dragon Ind.


    The topic of conversation gradually shifted to the knowledge of magic and the study of elements.


    Generally speaking, the strength of a young giant dragon barely breaks through the Gold Level, but Ludwig, on the other hand, was an anomaly; his deep mastery and research in the field of magic had already granted him the strength of a Gold High Order.


    That is to say, even taking just the mage aspect of Ludwig''s power, it surpassed even his strength as a Golden Dragon.


    No wonder Mr. Stephens paid him special attention on Dragon Ind and even gifted him a personalized space ring when he was leaving.


    Ludwig could have relied solely on his talents, yet he chose to study.


    In his interactions, Lis also sensed the solidity andprehensiveness of Ludwig''s mastery of magical knowledge.


    One could only say, isn''t it fitting for a Gold Level mage plus Golden Dragon; Ludwig''s knowledge derived from the Dragon n''s heritage was already quite vast, but over the years, when he wasn''t in slumber, he consistently followed Mr. Stephens''s demands and persevered in learning various kinds of magical knowledge.


    If there was one thingcking, it might be that Ludwig seemed somewhat deficient in creativity in terms of Magic Models.


    "Ah, if it weren''t for this, I might have be an Arcanist by now!"


    Ludwig said somewhat helplessly, biting angrily into a piece of roastedmb.


    The food stored in Lis''s storage ring had already been half depleted by the two of them.


    Of course, most of it was consumed by Ludwig.


    "So now you..."


    Lis asked curiously.


    As a rule, as an earnest Golden Dragon, it was rare to leave Dragon Ind and travel on the Fanor Continent before maturing.


    As powerful as the Dragon n is, they are essentially a moving treasury themselves; dragon blood, dragon teeth, dragon horns, and dragon skin, among other parts, are all quite precious Magic Materials.


    Unlike the Five-Colored Dragon, which only rears its young until they reach adolescence, metallic dragons tend to cherish their offspring more, and some even raise them until they mature.@@novelbin@@


    Metallic dragons even allow their young to take a few items from their treasure hoards as initial savings, which is viewed as absurd by the Five-Colored Dragon.


    "My teacher, when leaving Dragon Ind, told me to take the opportunity to travel outside Dragon Ind, which would be beneficial for my breakthrough into bing an Arcanist,"


    Ludwig said with a smile:


    "After my strength was approved by the elders, I came to the Fanor Continent for my own travels, and this is already my twentieth year."


    The concept of time between Dragon n and humans really was quite different; was this what being a Longevity Species meant?


    Lis reflected silently; although Gaia World had the presence of Extraordinary Power, for most of the lower-ss public, it merely existed in the songs of minstrels and the scriptures of the Church of the Gods, and they might spend their entire lives without ever leaving their birthce.


    The lucky ones among themon folk might possess some Talent in a particr field, advance to be Professionals, and then experience a differentndscape.


    Though there were priests from the Church of the Gods, and most diseases among themon folk could be cured, various factors limited the lifespan of ordinary humans to usually around 100 years, with an average lifespan of only about 50 years��a stark contrast to Lis''s previous world.


    Yet,pared to the dark ages recorded in the history of Lis''s previous life, it was significantly better, which could perhaps be considered fortunate.


    Inparison, the lifespans of other Transcendent races generally exceeded that of humans.


    Dog-headed men had an average lifespan of about 135 years, Half-orcs around 150 years.


    Meanwhile, Dwarves lived about 400 years, Elves 700 years, and giant dragons at least 1200 years.


    Thus, different perspectives on time also stood as one of the barriers in inter-racialmunications and interactions.


    Even so, humans had created the most splendid and brilliant civilization in the world of Gaia, unique as the protagonist in the world. Discover exclusive tales on empire


    The human divine faction also upies the most godly positions within the Pantheon.


    "So, when I passed by today, and saw you wearing the teacher''s ring, you must be a formal disciple of the teacher," he said.


    Ludwig had not yet advanced to be an arcanist, so he couldn''t directly sense the difference in Lis, but through the exchange of magic knowledge earlier, he knew that Lis had advanced to arcanist.


    "Honestly, I''m quite envious of you, and a bit jealous too," he said.


    Ludwig left a gap between his thumb and forefinger and gestured towards Lis.


    "So, earlier, I wanted to y a prank and sneaked into your protective barrier, but you really are impressive."


    Ludwig spoke with a genuinely sincere tone:


    "You can see, you''re not like what the teacher described, a bookworm who only studies without the ability to adapt."


    "Unlike me..."


    A wry smile appeared at the corners of Ludwig''s mouth as he rubbed his hair and spoke.


    "Ha ha..."


    Lis could onlyugh, not knowing how tofort Ludwig.


    He couldn''t exactly say he had be an arcanist by just reading a note.


    Hmm, note?


    Lis seemed to remember something, his consciousness entering the space ring and flipping through it.


    Soon, a spark of inspiration shed, and a thin ochre parchment appeared in his right hand.


    Boba Ka''s Arcane Notebook!


    This was a special notebook Lis had obtained from the Royal Library in Bright City, which he had relied on to advance to arcanist.


    "I have an arcane notebook here, not sure if it might be of use for your advancement to arcanist?"


    Lis handed over the parchment, saying meaningfully.


    Ludwig looked at the parchment Lis was handing over, his expression became serious as he prepared to take it, but suddenly he paused, used the Cleaning Skill to remove the grease from his hands, then received the parchment with both hands.


    Ludwig quickly immersed himself in the content recorded in Boba Ka''s Arcane Notebook, asionally gesturing in the air with his fingers tracing magic models.


    Lis did not disturb him; from their recent conversation, he also gained new insights.


    That was Mr. Stephens''s technique concerning body enchantment.


    I am too dense for not realizing this earlier!


    Lis took out an engraving pen from his storage ring and sketched on a refined iron te.


    Previously focussed on the self-charging magic pattern, he had overlooked the closely rted operation of body enchantment!


    As Lis wrote with fervor, his mind was also continuously calcting.


    Unlike other mages, because I have the All-Purpose talent, after acquiring the specialties of warrior profession, assassin profession, and martial monk profession, my physical condition could even overpower warriors and martial monks of the same level.


    Thus, I don''t need to perform operations to maintain physical strength by expending magic power in advance like the teacher, and can perform body enchantment directly on myself.

 Chapter 229 The Friendship of the Golden Dragon

    Lis had previously neglected Body Enchantment, which was actually influenced by the mindset from his past life.


    It wasn''t that no Mages had tried Enchantment; a small portion of them researched special Combat Skills toplement and unleash the power of Body Enchantment.


    Because, besides the physical requirements, the Magic Runes used in Body Enchantment were the micro Magic Runes mostmonly used by human Mages, which are also used to construct the magic Model. Therefore, a problem arises: when the Body Enchantment''s Magic Runes are activated inbat, they may resonate with the Magic Runes in the Magic Model, leading to unexpected changes.


    Thus, those Mages who use Body Enchantment would specifically study a set ofbat spellbinations different from those used in Body Enchantment.


    And even a very small number of Spells would delve deeply into the changes caused by Magic Rune resonance, summarize patterns, and use the advantageous spell changes inbat.


    However, all these would require a tremendous amount of effort, and would restrict the spells Lis could use inbat, which was not worth the loss for him.


    But the operation of "Judgement me" gave him an epiphany.


    Magic Runes resonate?


    No problem, I''ll just use other strength-containing Magic Runes for Body Enchantment!


    Like Dragon Language, for example!


    This way, I could also fully utilize my All Attributes advantage.


    Furthermore, Lis''sbat style meant that he excelled at close-quarter battles, meaning Body Enchantment''s ability to enhance closebat was well-suited to his fighting style.


    Add it to the n list!


    After pondering for a while, Lis then rubbed his temples, which had started to ache.


    It seemed like the research directions scheduled were a bit too many!


    Body Enchantment, melee arcane research, integration exercise of other Professions'' Combat Skills...


    Oh, what a headache!


    Thankfully, he could "shear the leeks" from yers, harvesting Experience Points, which spared Lis most of the time spent on gaining experience and meditation. While advancing his arcane research and honing his Combat Techniques, he would not fall behind in leveling up.


    It was then that Ludwig seemed to snap out of his contemtion, sighing deeply and handing back the Parchment.


    "How was it, did you gain anything?"


    Lis took the Parchment, asking with a smile.


    Ludwig''s mind seemed still immersed in the Knowledge he had just acquired, as he murmured:


    "It''s very useful to me, though it''s all knowledge my teacher has taught me before, the methods and ideas recorded here are quite special."


    "Directly disassembling the Element Model of spells, forcibly cobbling together new arcane models based on inspiration, exhaustively searching for arcane models that resonate with oneself, and practicing extensively for the chance to ascend to Arcanist."


    "So simple, so brute, so time-consuming... it''s perfect for me!"


    "The senior who left this manuscript behind was a genius!"@@novelbin@@


    "If it''s useful to you, that''s good," said Lis with a smile and a nod. He had already mastered the knowledge recorded on this Parchment, but it was of little use to him now, having already ascended to Arcanist.


    The methods recorded were very suitable for Ludwig, the Golden Dragon, whose robust body could easily withstand the bacsh from a spell model''s copse, his long lifespan gave him ample time for trial and error, and most importantly, his own research had already been deep enough��all he wascking was a direction to move forward.


    After taking a deep breath to settle his emotions, Ludwig looked at Lis and said earnestly:


    "I don''t know how to thank you, but I have a feeling that I might truly be an Arcanist this time."


    "Although it might take a lot of time, I now have enough confidence."


    "If the conditions were right now, I would even want to plunge into the wonderful world of Magic research right away."


    "I will go to Bright City to find Mr. Stephens right now!"


    As he spoke, Ludwig gradually transformed, and once the golden glow had dissipated, a giant dragon d in golden scales appeared before Lis.


    Standing nearly five meters tall, his robust and powerful physique and massive dragon wings unequivocally disyed his might, while the gleaming golden scales and pupils proved he was a Golden Dragon who had not yet reached maturity.


    The giant dragon lowered his head to look at Lis, and through his majestic, golden eyes, he emanated a sense of closeness and goodwill.


    "Forgive me, I had wanted to apany you for a while longer, but the desire for arcane has me eager to see my teacher now and gain new knowledge," Lis said.


    "After all, if I arrivete, the teacher might have gone off somewhere again."


    From their earlier conversation, Lis knew that in the twenty years that Ludwig had traveled, he had visited Bright City three times, but had never managed to meet Mr. Stephens, the arcanist.


    Having learned from Lis that the teacher was currently staying in Bright City, Ludwig was quite anxious to get there.


    Especially after receiving a new hope.


    "Thank you for your help, otherwise I don''t know how long it would have taken to seize this opportunity," he said.


    "Lis, my friend, I hope we can meet again in the future. May Bahamut Crown Admiral witness our friendship."


    A golden light fell from the chest of the Golden Dragon, slowly descending andnding in front of Lis.


    "I had thought to give you other gifts, but since you have the teacher''s ring already, those gemstones would probably not be much help to your strength," Ludwig said.


    "This is my Dragon Scale, you are my friend, and a friend of the Metallic Dragon n as well."


    Without waiting for Lis to react, Ludwig pped his wings, and a whirlwind arose as the Golden Dragon vanished before Lis''s eyes.


    Lis reached out to catch the golden Dragon Scale floating before him, as a system notification sounded in his ear.


    Whew~


    Before he even had a chance to pull up the system panel to take a look, another gust of wind blew, and the huge golden figure reappeared in front of Lis.


    "There''s something I forgot to say," the rough voice of Ludwig came after he returned to his original form, a hint of embarrassment in his tone.


    "When I came over from the other side of Luoxue Mountain, I saw many soldiers who seemed to be building a castle. I didn''t pay it much attention."


    "Lis, both you and the teacher are from Feis Kingdom, right? You might want to be careful about that."


    Unlike the Five-Colored Dragon, the wisdom and worldliness of Ludwig from the Metallic Dragon n made him quite aware of the conflicts among Human Kingdoms, and he kindly tipped Lis off.


    "Now, off I go!" Ludwig said.


    Amid Lis''s somewhat helpless gaze, the campfire, which had stubbornly endured for a while, was finally extinguished by the third gust of wind, and the surrounding trees swayed wildly.


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    After waiting a while to make sure that Ludwig had truly gone this time, Lis called up the panel.


    -----------------


    [You have received an item[Token: Ludwig''s Dragon Scale]!]


    [[Token: Ludwig''s Dragon Scale]: The Dragon Scale of Golden Dragon Sylvester Ludwig, imbued with special Transcendent power, also a proof of his identity; Fire Element Skill damage +10%, reduce the Fire Element damage you take by 10%]


    ...


    [You have reached a new milestone[Friendship with the Metallic Dragon n]!]


    [Milestone[Friendship with the Metallic Dragon n]: You have gained the long-standing friendship of a Golden Dragon, all Metallic Giants will have goodwill towards you. The initial goodwill of all Metallic Dragon n towards you is raised to friendly]


    ...


    [You have activated the milestone quest[Extraordinary Race Diplomatic Envoy]!]


    [Quest requirements for[Extraordinary Race Diplomatic Envoy]: Acquire ten goodwill milestones from Extraordinary Races]


    [Current progress: 2/10]


    -----------------


    Wow! Quite a bargain.


    Sharing knowledge once not only garnered many secrets from Ludwig but also brought such new gains, which was pretty good.


    Just as Lis was preparing to pack up his things, he noticed.


    A wisp of dreamlike purple mist was gradually spreading through the forest.

 Chapter 230 Todds Morning

    Snow Ridge Town, east of the city.


    Because winters in the Northern Territory are long and cold, all the houses in the town are built with ck bricks from the Luoxue Mountain Range, making the town''s uniform ckness even more somber after the green leaves fall.


    However, after the first snowfall of the year, the whole Snow Ridge Town seemed to don a brighter white winter outfit, which reflected beautifully against the distant Luoxue Mountains, bringing a different kind of scenery.


    "Todd, hurry up ande eat!"


    Upon hearing his mother''s call from downstairs, Todd didn''t dare to stay in bed any longer.


    He knew that if he dyed any further, his mother woulde up in a huff with a spat in hand and open the windows in his room, letting the cold windpletely blow away his drowsiness.


    By the Wisdom God, that would be too cold!


    After the first snowfall of this year, the temperature dropped rapidly, and winter in Snow Ridge Town came just like that.


    Taking a deep breath to prepare himself mentally, Todd quickly climbed out of bed and changed into his cotton clothes and shoes in no time.


    After all, only the living room had a firece; the bedroom was quite chilly. Once Todd had changed, he hurriedly opened the door to a chorus of "thump thump thump."


    "Mom, look, I''m up!"


    Standing outside the door was his mother, Brenda Croft, holding a wooden spat. Years had left indelible marks on her face, but the soft lines of her face still retained some of her former beauty.


    The cold winds of the Northern Territory always made a girl''s youth so fleeting.


    She was now the mother of two children.


    Just about to open the door, she eased her anger a few degrees when she saw Todd was already up and dressed.


    After giving Todd a quick once-over and making sure he was properly dressed for winter, Brenda nodded and said,


    "Hurry up and wash up, thene eat. Your sister has almost finished eating, little Todd."


    "Okay, Mom."


    Todd obediently replied, not wanting to stoke his mother''s ire any further.


    Rushing downstairs, he used the warm water his mother had prepared to quickly wash his face and rinse his mouth, then wiped down with a towel, and that was that.


    Minstrels say that the Nobles in the Royal Capital wash every day with the whitest fine salt��he wondered if that was true.


    After washing up, Todd hopped onto a simple-patterned pine stool and eyed the breakfast before him, still steaming hot.


    Today''s breakfast was corn chowder and oat bread.


    Whoop!


    Todd let out a small cheer; he loved the sweet sensation of corn chowder.


    Unfortunately, fresh corn didn''t keep for long��it was likely that they were using thest few fresh ears from their cer.


    Thinking about having to drink thick, gooey potato soup in theing months, Todd solemnly scooped up the pale yellow corn chowder into his mouth, savoring the sweet taste of the corn as it burst between his lips and teeth, brightening his mood considerably for the day.


    Picking up a toasted piece of oat bread and soaking it in the sweet chowder, Todd chewed it as he nced at the other family members at the table.


    In his sister Bev''s usual spot, only an empty soup bowl and a spoon tossed onto the table remained, indicating she had already finished breakfast and ran off somewhere.


    His father, Vigil, had also finished breakfast and was now flipping through a ledger, frowning, evidently troubled by something.


    Finally, after finishing the morning chores, his mother wiped her hands on her coarse apron and sat down next to the table to slowly sip her corn chowder, showing a trace of rxation on her face.


    "Damn that Matt, raising the price of wheat by thirty percent��that''s a whole thirty percent!"


    Vigil angrily mmed the ledger onto the table, voicing his dissatisfaction as he pped the sturdy, ck pine dining table.


    "Lord of Dawn above, how dare he do this! Isn''t he afraid of the Lord''s punishment?"


    Brenda was startled by his words. She knew that the Croft family could live quitefortably in Snow Ridge Town, in a spacious house without evercking oat bread and with enough firewood to fill half the kitchen, all because of the two bakeries they ran in town.


    Honestly, with the family''s economic situation, they could easily afford a full-time maid, but Brenda always refused whenever Vigil suggested it.


    "Why waste the money when I can do it myself?"


    Brenda was a typical housewife of the Northern Territory, resilient, industrious, and content.


    Do-do~


    Vigil tapped the table with his right hand and, after a long silence, sighed helplessly and said,


    "Forget it, it''s not his fault. I''ve asked around, and the food prices across the Northern Territory are all rising. Even the caravans heading to the Dillon Kingdom can hardly buy any food."


    As a small town lying next to the Luoxue Mountains, Snow Ridge Town was not suitable for growing crops; it mostly depended on the supplies brought by caravans. Thus, it was greatly affected by the fluctuations in food prices.


    The supply of white bread for the town mayor of Snow Ridge Town and a few upper-ss people was still manageable. The demand was not too high, and there was enough stock.


    But the impact on the ck bread and oat bread, which had the highest production, was even greater, with the cost of maintaining operations significantly increasing.


    "Has there been no word of any catastrophe this year?"


    Brenda asked, somewhat worried.


    "Who knows?"


    Vigil shook his head and heaved another sigh.


    The wars in the eastern part of the Kingdom were too remote for them! The very word ''war'' might have never even entered their consciousness.@@novelbin@@


    Prices were already so high just after autumn. By next year, before the harvest, prices might note down, or might even go higher!


    "If ites to that, we''ll have no choice but to raise the bread prices."


    Upon hearing her husband say this, Brenda too fell silent.


    Havinge from a modest family background, she keenly understood the enormous blow this would deal to themon folk.


    But she couldn''t argue against raising prices either, knowing her kind-hearted husband would not do so unless it were truly unavoidable.


    This winter would be even tougher!


    Meanwhile, Todd paid no attention to the gloom between his parents; he simply didn''t understand what the adults'' words implied.


    "I''m done eating! I''m going out to y!"


    Having finished his corn soup cleanly, Todd pushed his bowl away and got ready to head out and y in the town.


    To him, a full belly and learning to read with his teacher epassed all of his days; the rest was ytime.


    Especially thesest few days with the snowfall, the teacher had given them a holiday, so he had even more time to enjoy himself.


    The only pity was that his friends had to help out at home first, so he was the only one running around outside at this time.


    After pondering for a moment, Todd went to the town center''s square, where the ck te that covered the ground had been polished smooth by the wind, the snow, and the steps of passersby. Now, ity covered in pristine white snowkes.


    He huffed and puffed as he rolled a huge snowball and then carefully fashioned it into an indescribable humanoid shape.


    With hands pressed together, Todd stood before the "Divine Statue" and softly prayed,


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    "Great Wisdom God, I hope you can hear my wish and make me smarter."


    After a pause, Todd quickly added,


    "Smarter than Lian is enough, I''m willing to go without corn soup for the next three months!"


    Feeling he had made a great sacrifice, Todd earnestly prayed to this deity when suddenly, a voice came from behind him.


    "Are you... praying to the Wisdom God?"


    Startled, Todd whipped around, eyes wide open, to see who it was.


    A handsome young man in Mercenary Leather Armor stood behind him, smiling at him.

 Chapter 231 The Key to Entering the Ruins!

    Now, standing behind the little boy Todd was none other than Lis.


    He had just returned from outside Snow Ridge Town, and as he was passing by the square on his way back to the inn, he happened to hear Todd''s prayer.


    Wisdom God!


    This phrase immediately piqued Lis''s interest, prompting him to suddenly speak to the boy.


    It had been ten days since Golden Dragon Ludwig had left, and the first big snowfall of Snow Ridge Town had already fallen.


    On that early morning, when he had parted from Ludwig, Lis finally saw the goal of his journey, the spectacle of Snow Ridge Town.


    The dreamlike Purple Mist!


    There are two pieces of news, one good and one bad.


    The good news was that the Purple Mist had appeared three times in these ten days, no longer as elusive as before.


    The bad news was that each time the Purple Mist appeared, Lis could not find any trace of the ruins.


    Lis had tried, both in Snow Ridge Town and in the nearby Luoxue Mountains, but no matter what, he could not find a trace of the ruins.


    It was as if this Purple Mist was just a mist of a different color.


    It shouldn''t be!@@novelbin@@


    Lis had a headache. Both the words of the Arcane Master and the experiences of the teacher Judgement me confirmed that the Purple Mist of Snow Ridge Town was the key to the ruins.


    But why couldn''t he find even a hint of the ruins using any method?


    Exploration Magic, consciousness perception, setting up barriers��Lis even used the Flying Technique to ascend to the highest point of this Purple Mist and observed with his naked eyes, but it all came to nothing in the end.


    Aside from its dreamlike purple color, there seemed to be no difference, and Lis couldn''t sense the presence of any Extraordinary Power within this mist.


    The teacher said the ruins did not exist within the Gaia World but should be in another ne.


    But the clue to enter that space should still be within the Purple Mist, right?


    What exactly am I missing?


    Lis, feeling a headache, rubbed his temples in frustration.


    No wonder the teacher said I might not even find the door; this is too difficult!


    After staying up all night, Lis, preparing to return to the inn to rest, passed by the square and saw Todd, who was bowing down and praying to a bizarrely shaped snowman, and heard the words he said.


    Wisdom God!


    Could it be the legend of Snow Ridge Town?


    ---------------


    "Who are you?"


    Todd looked at the stranger who had suddenly appeared with a wary face and asked.


    "I''m a mercenary, little fellow."


    Lis said with a smile to Todd, trying to ease the awkward atmosphere.


    "My mom told me not to talk to mercenaries!"


    Hearing what Lis said and looking at his attire, Todd became more cautious, already ready to run away.


    Mom said some bad mercenaries might kidnap children and sell them or even eat them!


    Not expecting this reaction, Lis was stunned for a moment, then thought about it, took out a Feis Gold Coin from his ring, and smilingly said:


    "That''s because your mom is afraid that you''ll go with bad people; I''m different, I''m just curious about that Wisdom God you just mentioned."


    "I''m quite interested, can you tell me about it, and if you''re willing, this Gold Coin is yours."


    "I won''t touch you anyway, and there are other people around, aren''t there?"


    Lis pointed towards passersby in the distant square, his face bing more and more kindly, just like a creepy uncle.


    Todd thought for a moment, realizing that this reasoning did make sense.


    Most importantly!


    The Feis Gold Coin looked really attractive as it glittered in the sunlight!


    As someone whose family owned a bakery, Todd naturally knew the power of a Gold Coin.


    It could buy many, many jars of wild honey!


    Todd looked at the Gold Coin in Lis''s hand, then back at him, and seriously said:


    "Then you ask right here, I won''t go anywhere else with you!"


    "And after you ask, whether you''re satisfied or not, you have to give me this Gold Coin, no welching!"


    Smart kid!


    Lis nced at the little boy and smiled, nodding his head.


    Even if it was just trying his luck, a single Gold Coin didn''t mean much to him!


    "Go ahead and ask!"


    Todd''s little face looked at Lis excitedly.


    "Were you praying to the Wisdom God just now?"


    As Lis toyed with the Gold Coin in his hand, he asked with a smile.


    "Yes."


    "How did youe to know about the Wisdom God, are you a follower?"


    Todd hesitated for a moment, but under the temptation of the Gold Coin, he said:


    "No, I just heard about the Wisdom God from Teacher Robert''s legendary tales."


    "I thought the name ''Wisdom God'' sounded powerful, and it could make me smarter, so I prayed to Him."


    Lis nodded, seeing that there really wasn''t a Church of the Wisdom God, then continued to ask:


    "Could you tell me that story?"


    "No problem."


    Todd had no objections, and recounted the story he heard from his teacher.


    Lis listened carefully and found it was essentially the same as what he had heard from the tavern maid, which left him somewhat disappointed.


    After thinking for a while, Lis continued to ask:


    "Do you really believe that the Wisdom God exists?"


    "It seems like you often pray to Him."


    "Of course! The Wisdom God definitely exists."


    Todd lifted his face confidently and said seriously.


    "Oh?"


    Lis grew interested and asked with a smile.


    "Why are you so sure, can you tell me?"


    "Of course I can!"


    Todd suddenly got excited; earlier, when he mentioned this, his little friends didn''t believe him and even said he was lying.


    "I really have seen the pce of the Wisdom God!"


    Upon hearing Todd''s words, Lis perked up immediately.


    The pce!


    Could it be the relic I have been looking for?


    "Where did you see the pce?"


    Though he doubted that a child could have seen a relic that didn''t exist in this world, Lis still held some hope.


    "In a dream!"


    Todd dered confidently, his little face flushed with certainty. Your next journey awaits at empire


    Ugh...


    Upon hearing this, Lis almost passed out in frustration.


    Seeing the seriousness on the little boy''s face, Lis held back the urge to p his head and sighed before continuing to ask:


    "So, you mean that you saw the Wisdom God''s pce in your dreams?"


    "Why are you so certain? Could it be fake or just something you imagined?"


    Seemingly not noticing the skepticism in Lis''s words, Todd continued to say:


    "That''s impossible."


    "Don''t think I''m young: I''m very smart."


    "I''ve seen that pce several times in my dreams, that ck pce emitting a rainbow of lights, so beautiful."


    "Before the pce, there''s a very long, very long staircase, and each time I try to climb it, I never finish before I wake up, never reaching the pce."


    "I remember it so clearly; every time I dream of the Wisdom God''s pce, when I wake up, there''s beautiful Purple Mist outside, so I''m definitely not mistaken."


    Purple Mist!


    It suddenly exploded in Lis''s mind, and he realized that he might have finally found the key to entering that relic.

 Chapter 232 Palace of the Dream World

    "In a dream, I saw a magnificent pce and ascended the throne at its end, where I was crowned by a sage."


    This was how Dracos Mick, the Arcane Master, described his extraordinary experience in Snow Ridge Town.


    Right, how did I not realize that!


    Lis finally understood from Todd''s description where that ruinous pce was located.


    The Dream World!


    That legendary arcanist had hidden his legacy within the Dream World, essible only when the Purple Mist ascended, allowing passage to that fantastical pce.


    Whether the Dream World truly exists and how to reach it is something many mages and explorers are seeking to discover.@@novelbin@@


    A rather persuasive theory posits that everyone''s soul and spirit possess strength, including ordinary people, such as the praying power generated when people pray to the All Gods��known as one of the most famous forms.


    Likewise, the process of dreaming while deeply asleep is a manifestation of the spirit''s roaming dispersal, which is why things within dreams are so bizarre and illogical.


    A myriad of such colorful dreams forms the Dream World, characterized as unstable, chaotic, and resplendent, and home to Extraordinary Creatures such as Dream-eating Rhinoceroses and nightmares.


    The legendary arcanist was actually able to construct a stable spatial region within the Dream World for his legacy, and he even established a stable passage connected to the Main World; such extravagance was truly astounding.


    Lis was inwardly shaken but kept his face unchanged, continuing to smile and ask young Todd for more information. After confirming there was nothing else of use, he handed the shiny Feis Gold Coin to him.


    Todd watched the strange young mercenary hurry away and felt puzzled.


    But the Gold Coiny real and cold in his own reddened, little hands.


    Todd was somewhat troubled, though he had seen real gold coins with his father, he had no idea how to discern their authenticity.


    I''ll ask Mom when I get back!


    With that thought, Todd didn''t bother with the "Wisdom God" snowman he had just built and hurriedly ran towards home.


    -----------------


    Upon returning to his room at the inn, Lis immediately shut the door, sat at the room''s crude table, and took out a piece of Parchment to start writing and drawing.


    If my guess is correct, when the Purple Mist rises in Snow Ridge Town, it''s actually selecting from all the people within its coverage, giving everyone a chance to enter that special dream ne; they just might not meet the requirements to receive the legacy.


    If it''s the Dream World, that also exins why the majority have no memory of that pce��after all, it was a dream!


    So the previous times the Purple Mist rose, I missed the opportunitypletely because I was searching for the ruins instead of sleeping.


    Thinking that, Lis couldn''t help but smirk.


    It felt like when you''re struggling to reach a goal without sess, and someone tells you not to bother, just sleep on it instead.


    ��=(��ϣ�*))) Sigh!


    Lis collected himself and continued to ponder.


    If it''s arge-scale selection process like this, it shouldn''t be dangerous.


    After all, if there were any risk to life in entering the Dream World, then over the years, with so many selected by the Purple Mist, there would likely be rumors of disappearances, at least enough to create a sinister legend.


    But Lis hadn''t found any such news in his intelligence gathering over the past few days.


    No, I can''t let down my guard.


    What if there''s no danger during the initial selection, but there are risks during the subsequent trials to receive the legacy?


    Lis, slightly troubled, rubbed his temples and sighed.


    The information in hand was still too scarce; there was no way to deduce the current status of the ruins.


    The only option now was to go on an adventure in person.


    However, Lis had some concerns, after all, it was the Dream World, and there was a high probability that he would not be entering with his real body. Discover hidden tales at empire


    That meant the Shadow Talisman, the Teleportation Ring, and even the magicmunication device given by Mr. Stephens might not work when the time came.


    This was his first adventure without any aces up his sleeve since leaving McGwire''s Death Tomb.


    But, is this what a real adventure is supposed to be like?


    Lis suddenly smiled with relief, thinking too much was useless anyway, since he had already made up his mind to brave the dream ruins.


    Besides, his powerful backer knew his destination, so if something were to really go wrong, if he became trapped in the Dream World, there should still be a chance to rescue him.


    After going over his n and potential problems he might face, Lis also settled his emotions, quietly meditating and resting in his hotel room, waiting for the next round of Purple Mist to arrive.


    The first night, perhaps because he spent a long time adjusting his status through meditation during the day, Lis suffered from insomnia and did not fall asleep, and the Purple Mist did not appear.


    The second night, Lis went to sleep as normal people do, but there was no change until he woke up the next afternoon; it was a sunny day.


    The third night, as Lis entered dreand, that dreamlike purple mist began to drift outside the window.


    Gradually, the whole of Snow Ridge Town seemed to be sleeping in the faint purple dream.


    ...


    ...Hmm?


    ...Where am I?


    .... What ce is this?


    Groggily, Lis opened his eyes to a view filled with pale purple fog, feeling as if he was still groggy from a long slumber, his consciousness lingering in a haze.


    Gradually, the pale purple mist dissipated, and Lis thought he saw a simple ck pce appear in front of him, atop high, hundreds of steps. Faint multicolored lights surrounded the ck pce, which should have been an incongruous contrast in color but emitted a holy and solemn aura at that moment.


    ...Is this... the pce of ruins?


    ...Am I already in the Dream World?


    ...Why... can''t I wake up...


    Lis felt as light as air, his consciousness trying hard to take control of his body, but it was as if his body were numb; even though he felt himself slowly walking towards the pce, he couldn''t control it at all.


    ...Is it because of the Dream World... or the influence of the ruins...


    Lis realized that something was abnormal about his situation, but he could not react normally.


    It was as though there was a transparent, thin film between his consciousness and his body; he could sense the state of his body but just couldn''t touch and control his own actions.


    Feeling his body stand on the t tform before the ck stone steps, slowly walking towards the steps, Lis forced himself to calm down.


    His body should be in a state of unconscious sleep, simr to what''s colloquially known as "sleep paralysis" in his past life, and without external stimtion, he wouldn''t be able to awaken.


    What should I do?


    His consciousness was awake, yet his body was immersed in sleep.


    Just as his unconscious body continued to move forward, stepping onto the first stair...


    Ding~

 Chapter 233 The Trial of the Wisdom God Sphinx

    Ding~


    This crisp sound was so melodious in Lis''s mind at that moment.


    The system had disyed new information.


    -----------------


    [Detection: You have entered the special map "Sphinx Temple of the Wisdom God!"]


    [A special task "The Trial of the Wisdom God Sphinx" has been triggered!]


    [Objective: Pass the three trials set by the Wisdom God Sphinx and obtain the legacy of the Wisdom God]


    [Reward: Unknown!]


    -----------------


    One could only say that the system''s notification was timely, just like an rm clock, awakening Lis from his slumber.


    "Huh~"


    Lis finally felt that sense ofpleteness, with no barrier between his body and consciousness.@@novelbin@@


    He wiped the non-existent cold sweat and looked at the ck pce floating in mid-air.


    Is this the Dream World?


    Indeed, it''s magically bizarre!


    Lis was aware that, as a Silver Rank Professional, especially a powerful and finely controlled Arcanist, such a situation should not be possible.


    Even in his dreams, should he be conscious, he ought to be able to control his dream self.


    After all, it was his own dream.


    Unless~


    The Dream Space I am currently in does not belong to me, but to someone else, perhaps that Wisdom God.


    Lis felt like he had grasped the truth, and after moving his hands and feet a bit, his eyebrows slightly furrowed.


    Indeed, in the Dream World, can I not bring my Magic Items and Equipment?


    Lis was still wearing the Mercenary Leather Armor he had prepared, but his Shadow Talisman and Teleportation Ring were missing, leaving him with not a single item brought in.


    At the same time, Lis also realized that his current body must have been newly formed in this Dream Space, although identical in physical features to his original body, its physical qualities were just at a normal human level.


    The attribute data in his system panel remained unchanged, but all the attributes had turned into unviewable gray, as if sealed.


    Simrly, this body did not contain any Extraordinary Power, meaning he was no longer the Silver Level Mage he used to be, except for the same mental strength and the system born with his soul, he was now apletely ordinary person.


    It makes sense, as only his soul should havee to the Dream Space, while his body was likely still sleeping in the inn''s bed.


    Lis wasn''t worried about his body encountering any problems, as he had already set up the necessary protective barriers before falling asleep.


    After confirming his own status, Lis raised his head and carefully observed the pce not far off.


    Is this the temple of the Wisdom God Sphinx?


    The task had already provided basic hints; it appears that what the little boy said was actually true.


    But it must not be the real Wisdom God, rather some identity of that Legendary Arcanist.


    So, the Legendary Arcanist''s name was Sphinx?


    Why would he do this?


    Wisdom God?


    Is this some kind of arcane experiment?


    Lis shook his head, guessing here was of no use.


    He had a vague view just now and had not clearly seen his surroundings; now he took a careful look at the space he was in.


    The pce high above was made of big ck stone bricks which seemed to be the same kind used in Snow Ridge Town, all mined from Luoxue Mountain. The appearance of the pce was not luxurious, it could only be considered sturdy and simple. It was evident that the builders of the pce were not highly skilled and the materials were quite ordinary; the pce was merely a stack of stones and bricks. However, much thought must have been put into it, as the stones used were diligently polished, and simple engravings on the outer walls sketched out basic patterns, with an "unfurled scroll" emblem on the tightly shut main doors.


    Under the reflection of the multicolored light, the entire ck pce looked simple and elegant, simultaneously giving a feeling as if it had been washed by the sands of time.


    No, this is a temple!


    But it seemed more like an ancient church in style.


    Lis turned his head to look behind him at the purple mist; he had just walked from this direction to the front of the pce. Now, within the mist, vague figures lingered; Lis also saw a small figure, seemingly a little boy squatting and crying on the ground.


    Were these... the townspeople of Snow Ridge Town brought here by the purple mist into the Dream Space?


    It seemed there was no danger to them.


    After assessing his surroundings, Lis examined the ck stone steps under his feet; unlike the temple, the steps'' smooth edges and intersecting stony patterns proved they were formed from countless people treading and polishing them.


    Just like the tiles in Snow Ridge Town''s square!


    The mystery deepened; this Dream Space indeed had a significant connection with Snow Ridge Town.


    Lis nodded and no longer hesitated. He stepped forward and slowly ascended the steps toward the ck temple.


    The little boy had said he climbed all night and hadn''t reached the temple by the time he woke up; could there be something special about this?


    Lis constantly pondered while carefully observing his surroundings.


    The hundreds of steps were nothing for the Silver Rank Lis, but now that he only had the physical strength of an ordinary person, he soon became a bit breathless.


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    However, in the end, he managed to ascend the steps smoothly and stood in front of the ck temple.


    Could his guess be wrong, and the little boy simply didn''t have the physical strength to walk up?


    Lis shook his head and then prepared to push open the temple''s main doors.


    The stone doors looked very solid; he wondered if he had the strength to push them open.


    Just as Lis touched the stone door, the scroll emblem on it lit up slightly, emitting a rainbow of lights.


    Hum~


    The tworge doors slowly opened inward, revealing the interior of the temple to Lis.


    The space inside the temple was not veryrge; several stone columns supported the entire building, the intermingled ck and grey colors did not seem out of ce. The sides of the temple had rows of rough wooden benches just like those in the church of Bright City.


    Of course, what captured Lis''s attention most was the statue at the very center of the temple.


    It might be the only finely crafted item in the entire temple. The meticulously sculpted statue seemed to depict an old man, dressed in a simple wide-sleeved corless robe that looked more like a simplified version of a Mage Robe. His white hair and beard spread across his chest, and his kind and benevolent face looked not like a so-called deity but more like a kind neighborly old man. However, his eyes seemed to contain all the wisdom of the world.


    Lis felt as if the statue of the old man was watching him with a gentle smile.


    No, how could the eyes of the statue be so lively?


    Lis suddenly became alert, although so far, the temple had not given him any feeling of danger or eeriness.


    Suddenly, a majestic voice echoed throughout the temple.


    "Wee, to the Temple of the Wisdom God!"

 Chapter 234 The Black Cat Messenger in the Temple

    Lis did not respond aloud, but rather started to pursue the source of the voice.


    However, the voice echoed in every corner of the temple, and Lis simply could not discern its origin.


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    "What are you searching for, young man?"


    The authoritative voice rose again, seemingly mocking Lis''s ignorance.


    Without paying heed, Lis hesitated a moment before taking action and began searching the temple.


    "Hey, hey! Aren''t you curious about who is speaking to you?"


    The figure suddenly seemed somewhat anxious, no longer maintaining the previous sense of dignity and solemnity.


    Finally, Lis spotted his target, pulling out a clump of ck, furry creature from behind a humanoid statue.


    "Let go of me, let go��watch out, I''ll bite you!"


    The furry ball struggled fiercely in Lis''s hand, trying to escape his grasp, but despite Lis now having only the physical abilities of an ordinary person, restraining a small kitten was still quite easy.


    Yes, what Lis was holding was indeed a ck kitten, a small and adorable one with no other colors marring its pitch-ck fur, and its eyes a peculiar amber color.


    Lis picked up the little cat and shook it gently, curious.


    This should not be happening. He had thought that the temple of the Wisdom God would have some special arrangements left behind, as the system task had hinted at a special trial, such as the memories left by that Legendary Arcanist.


    As for why Lis was certain that the voice echoing through the temple was not that of the "Wisdom God"?


    It was simple because the voice was just the most ordinary of human voices, with no extraordinary power present.


    Lis was sure of this; although his body was now merely that of an ordinary person, his spiritual power remained, and he could clearly discern the difference.


    The power of deities is beyond imagination, and so is that of a Legendary Arcanist. Lis didn''t believe that the setup specifically left in the temple would be so simple; the voice just now must have been a mere mischievous act of the ck cat.


    After all, "Divine Word" is one of the representatives of Divine Power, holding an irresistible force over ordinary people and even Low-level Professionals; "Decree Technique" was created in imitation of that Divine Power.@@novelbin@@


    Upon entering the temple, Lis had felt the hidden power within, but the voice that suddenly appeared had no special power, and Lis, with his many unique experiences, would not be fooled so easily.


    "Who are you?"


    Lis pinched the back of the ck cat''s neck tightly with his right thumb and index finger and pondered aloud.


    He certainly did not believe that an ordinary ck cat would appear in this temple without reason.


    Or rather, in a temple filled with Extraordinary Magic, an ordinary ck cat would itself be very special.


    Moreover, this ce was the Dream Space; there could be no ordinary cats that had identally wandered in.


    "Huff!"


    The ck cat did not answer Lis''s question but continued to struggle, iling its pink-padded little paws in mid-air as if trying to escape Lis''s clutches.


    After thinking it through, Lis let go of his right hand, allowing the ck cat to drop to the ground.


    Once free, the ck cat darted behind the statue of the old man, leaping onto its head to perch there.


    Seemingly feeling safe in this spot, out of reach of Lis''s threats, the ck cat reverted to its prior state and said with its head held high,


    "Young man, do you realize that you are offending the Wisdom God?"


    "Are you the Wisdom God?"


    Lis asked cooperatively; this ck cat must be rted to the Wisdom God.


    "...I am the messenger of the Wisdom God, and to offend me is to offend the Wisdom God Sphinx."


    "Please forgive my rudeness."


    Lis nodded slightly, it seemed that this talking ck cat was indeed a setup by that Legendary Arcanist.


    When he had the ck cat in his hands earlier, he had felt carefully, and its body was not made of flesh and blood but was like an elemental incarnation, akin to sprites.


    The ck cat itself must be an even more special existence.


    However, this ck cat didn''t seem very smart, so Lis decided to go along with it to understand the situation first.


    "Humph!"


    The ck kitty''s head lifted even higher, as if it had finally regained its dignity.


    This person is really strange, the previous people who came in seemed to be afraid of me, but he dared to catch me with his hands directly.


    But it seems that he has finally sumbed to the majesty of the Wisdom God.


    "Respected messenger of the Wisdom God, may I ask where this ce is? Why have Ie here?"


    Lis bowed slightly, asking with a face full of respect.


    "Oh, this is....."


    "Cough cough�� This is the Wisdom God Sphinx''s temple, the legacy of the Wisdom God is here, waiting for every lucky person whoes here."


    The ck cat felt that it needed to maintain a certain image, so it jumped down from the top of the statue andnded on the outstretched right hand of the human figure, continuing in that solemn voice.


    "How can I obtain the Wisdom God''s legacy?"


    Lis continued to ask, carefully observing the ck cat and the statue before him.


    The ck cat felt something was amiss. The people who came before were excited and full of desire when they heard about the legacy of the Wisdom God, but this person in front of it was so calm.


    With no experience, it had no choice but to say:


    "By passing through the three trials of the Wisdom God, the ultimate legacy will be yours."


    "Work hard, young man!"


    The ck cat said in an old-sounding voice, but the contrast with its current appearance was all too evident.


    How could a divine being leave behind a legacy? Could it really be the Legendary Arcanist Sphinx?


    Why must it go by the alias of the Wisdom God? Could it be relevant to his legacy?


    A myriad of thoughts flitted through Lis''s mind in an instant, and he continued to ask:


    "Your Highness Wisdom God Sphinx, are you truly a divine being? Why do I not feel the presence of divine power within this temple, but instead, it is filled with a strong magic power?"


    The ck cat fell silent for a moment, then earnestly shook its head:


    "No need to ask more, if you can obtain the legacy, you will naturally understand all of this."


    "Then, may I ask, messenger, what is the legacy of the Wisdom God?"


    Seeing that the ck cat was unwilling to talk, Lis did not pursue the matter further.


    "You will know when you take the trial, there''s no use in talking more about it."


    The ck cat shook its head firmly, appearing to adhere to some sort of rule.


    Lis thought for a moment and didn''t seem to have anything else to ask; it looked like this ck cat wouldn''t say anything more, and the only thing left was to ept the trial?


    Calming himself, Lis prepared to begin the Wisdom God''s trial.


    Just then, the voice of the ck cat reached Lis''s ears.


    "What is your name?"


    "Lis Kain."


    Lis looked at the ck cat with a bit of surprise, gaining a new understanding of the ck cat''s wisdom.


    "Lis Kain��"


    The ck cat sitting on the right hand of the statue tilted its head, speaking in a somewhat ethereal voice:


    "May the Wisdom God bless you, and I hope you can make it to the end."

 Chapter 235: Dream Trial

    Have we reached the end?


    Lis slowly chewed over the ck cat��s words and etched them in his heart.


    "I am ready, I can undergo the trial now."


    Lis calmed himself and addressed the ck cat in front of him.


    The ck feline nodded anthropomorphically and, mimicking the Divine Statue of the Wisdom God, raised its right paw and spoke softly:


    "My Lord, Wisdom God Sphinx, your wisdom is as profound as the mountains and as expansive as the seas. Please cast your gaze upon this ce!"


    Unlike before, this time, as the ck cat��s voice emanated within the temple, the tranquil flow of extraordinary magic power suddenly began to boil, swirling rapidly around Lis and the Divine Statue of the Wisdom God.


    The ck cat��s voice, bolstered by the magic power in the temple, seemed to soar innumerable ranks, making Lis feel as though he were facing his teacher, the Judgement me.


    As Lis concentrated, preparing to face the first trial, he heard the ck cat��s voice again.


    "The first trial, passed!"


    Huh?


    What happened?


    Just like that, I passed the first trial, for real? Isn��t this just toying with my feelings?


    Are you serious? I suspect you��re tricking me!


    Lis eyed the ck cat doubtfully, his gaze saying it all.


    Feeling Lis��s distrust, the ck cat seemed a bit embarrassed and hastily said:


    "What are you looking at? I am serious!"


    "When you ascended the steps leading to the temple, the power of the Wisdom God had already examined your body."


    "Only those suited for the inheritance can ascend those steps and enter this temple."


    "The first trial is to check yourpatibility with my Lord��s inheritance and to test whether you possess the talent to be an Arcanist!"


    "You are already an Arcanist, so you naturally breezed through the first trial."


    "If it were someone of another profession, the trial would also test their talent, so rest assured, there were no issues with the trial."


    The talent to be an Arcanist?


    Lis nced at the ck cat which looked as though someone had stepped on its tail and was hastily exining itself, and he thought amusedly.


    Did you slip up in your own words?


    So, the rules that the ck cat abides by are not the prohibitions left by that Legendary Arcanist but merely verbal requirements ced upon it?


    Lis nodded and, cooperating, said in a deep voice:


    "I understand now, ck Cat Divine Envoy, please proceed with the subsequent trials!"


    The ck cat then realized it might have misspoken, and seeing that Lis did not seem to have caught on, it too pretended not to notice and continued:


    "The second trial, begin!"


    While Lis waited, the vortex of magic power that had been swirling around him inside the temple suddenly stopped spinning, and all the magic power rushed towards him fiercely. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Holy crap!


    Such terrifying magic power could blow me apart on the spot!


    Before Lis could react, he felt an enormous surge of magic power being channeled mysteriously into his brow, and he naturally fainted.


    The ck cat looked at Lis who had copsed on the ground, rxed slightly, lifted its paw to gently lick it, and a hint of expectation shone in its eyes while looking at Lis.


    This individual named Lis Kain was strange but felt like the most likely candidate to seed that it had encountered over countless ages.


    "No rush, no rush, even if it fails this time, it doesn��t matter."


    "Even if he cannot remember anything after leaving, there is still a chance to re-enter the temple and face the trials anew."


    "There is still a chance..."


    The ck Cat��s voice echoed in the temple, it was unclear whether it was speaking to Lis, who had fainted on the ground, orforting itself.


    -----------------


    "Miles... Miles, wake up!"


    A shouting voice rang in Lis��s ears, and he awoke amidst the shaking.


    The sensation was just like when he had first entered the Dream Space.


    Hm? Wasn��t I in the midst of a trial?


    Lis, still dazed, seemed to realize something and hurriedly opened his eyes.


    What met his gaze was a young face full of freckles, anxiously looking at him, continuously shaking his body.


    "Miles, why did you suddenly fall asleep? The Wisdom Temple��s test is about to start!"


    Wisdom God? Temple?


    Lis��s consciousness finally cleared, though there still was a surreal feeling.


    "Rory..."


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    Lis looked at the boy before him and naturally spoke his name.


    This boy named Rory was probably only around twelve or thirteen years old, his thin small body d in simple brown sackcloth that served only to cover him.


    A gust of cold wind blew, and Lis couldn��t help but shiver; only then did he notice that the clothes he wore were as meager as Rory��s, and his body had also taken on the form of a child.


    Nodding quickly at Rory to indicate that he was fine, the two continued standing in line, slowly moving forward.


    Lis seized the opportunity to think about his current Status.


    I should be undergoing the second trail, so this is the content of the trial?


    A dream within a dream, or an illusion trial?


    What are the requirements for passing? Do I still need to find out for myself?


    Lis noticed that the system was still there, but it wasn��t of much use; neither had the system quests updated with new information.


    Lis surveyed his surroundings, recalling the boy Rory who said they were queuing up for the Wisdom Temple��s test. Could it be that of the Wisdom God?


    Those standing in line around him varied in age, the oldest looking about seventeen or eighteen, and the youngest merely six or seven years old, all looking malnourished, thinly dressed, and as if living a hard life.


    Could it be that this illusion I��m in is from the time when the faith of the Wisdom God existed��basically, what preceded Snow Ridge Town?


    Looking at the makeshift shacks and walls constructed of wood, ck bricks, and mud around him, and the faint Luoxue Mountain in the distance, it must be Snow Ridge Town indeed.


    Lis pondered silently; this was not an unfamiliar scenario, having encountered simr situations in many adventures in his past life.


    However, most illusions were built upon the illusion creator��s memory of a real-world scene, often having loopholes in the details andcking rigor.


    Moreover, most illusions are created to confine enemies and create an advantage��using one specifically for a trial, or rather a dream, seems a bit too realistic.


    Pinching his thigh hard, Lis thought thus without any expression on his face.@@novelbin@@


    And on top of that, it was all built upon thatyer of Dream Spaceyer uponyer ofplexity!


    This ability, impressive!


    Is my goal to break through this dream and wake up, or toplete a mission within the dream?


    Lis couldn��t help but rub his temples, feeling as if his own cognitive ability had be duller.


    If it��se to this, then let it be!


    Since the Wisdom God has chosen to ce me in the dream as Miles during this period, then what happens next must rte to the trial.


    So... is it the trial of the Wisdom Temple?


    Silently following the queue, Lis turned past a wall.


    That familiar ck Temple once again appeared before Lis��s eyes!

 Chapter 236 Praying to the God of Wisdom

    In front of the Wisdom Temple in Snow Ridge Town.A group of children of various sizes stood quietly in line, waiting to enter the temple for testing. Although their eyes revealed tension and anticipation, they dared not make a racket in front of the temple. At most, they would whisper a few words to each other before promptly turning back and standing quietly in line.


    If there was one person in the queue who stood out, it was Miles, standing at the end of the line. His delicate face was calm, his brows furrowed, as if pondering something.


    Now the adolescent Lis, who was Miles, was sizing up the Wisdom God''s temple before him.


    The ck stone temple was almost identical to the one in the Dream Space, the only difference seeming to be that the temple in front of Lis appeared to be newly built,cking the sense of time''s passage and the various phenomena present in the Dream Space.


    However, it looked quite imposing among the surrounding low-rise buildings.


    Lis calmly observed the surroundings, noting that the living environment in Snow Ridge Town now did not seem to be very good. He could tell from the children''s status that there was ack of food and insufficient garments against the cold.


    It seemed to bete autumn by now, with the temperature dropping noticeably. But the clothing on these youngsters around him was quite simple, likely with limited instion.


    Several adults passing by were dressed simrly to the children, suggesting that the current state of Snow Ridge Town might be quite difficult, barely maintaining its existence on thisnd.


    This matched the legend told about Snow Ridge Town.


    So was this the period when the Wisdom God had exerted his great power to move the mountains, and the people were rebuilding their homes on this newnd?


    Lis silently mused, expecting that the development toe would involve the Wisdom God establishing his church, which, with the help of the priests, would lead to Snow Ridge Town''s better and better development?


    This newly built temple of the Wisdom God must be the home of the Wisdom God Sect; was the so-called test about checking if the children of Snow Ridge Town had the talent to be priests?


    Lis turned his body to the side and poked his head out of the line to see the youngsters not too far away walking into the ck temple one after another, but it seemed they wereing out not long after they went in.


    The children who came out all had a dejected look, as if the results of the test were less than ideal.


    "The test seems quite difficult..."


    Rory, standing in front of Lis, also noticed what was happening not too far away and said with some worry.


    "Yeah, I wonder what the content of the test is?"


    Now it was Miles''s Lis who whispered back, nning to get some information from his good friend Rory first.


    After entering this dream, bing Miles, Lis only knew a few familiar names, he was clueless about everything else.


    "I don''t know either, I heard Dad say that Priest Kelly is in charge of the content of the test this time."


    Rory spoke in a hushed voice and then, looking forward with anticipation, said:


    "I heard that the Wisdom God Himself would witness our performance in the test, I''m so nervous!"


    Lis noted this in his mind, finding no specific peculiarities in this dream world thus far; it seemed that the Legendary Arcanist would be the key to this Dream Space, but where he was at the moment was anyone''s guess.


    Could he be in the temple?


    Lis shook his head; he couldn''t begin to guess the might and methods of a Legendary Strongman, especially a Legendary Arcanist.


    The records from his past life proved that Legendary Strongmen hadplete dominance over those below their legend, even the pinnacle Gold Level strongmen.


    The gap between Legendary Strongmen and Gold Levels was even wider than that between transcendent Gold Levels and ordinary people.


    It was an entirely different level!


    So there was no need to fret over this��for the second trial, there was definitely a chance to seed. He just had to calm down and search slowly.


    With that resolved, Lis waited patiently in the line, moving forward with the crowd little by little.


    Those who had entered the temple before hadn''t taken much time, and it wasn''t long before it was Lis''s turn.


    Rory, the boy who had gone before Lis, looked rather calm when he came out, not too different from the other boys earlier; but Lis noticed his clenched fists and excited eyes.


    Had he passed the test?


    Lis watched Rory, taking mental note.


    Rory noticed Lis''s gaze and nodded excitedly at him before leaving with a buoyant step, seemingly eager to share the good news with his family.


    How curious, what could the test be?


    Could it really be that the church established by the Legendary Arcanist was testing these children for priestly talent?


    With such questions in mind, Lis did not hesitate and, like the others before him, he walked into the temple.


    The interior of the ck temple was dimly lit, simr in arrangement to the pce in the Dream Space. But in front of that divine statue stood a young man dressed in a white robe.


    This must be Priest Kelly of the Wisdom Temple, right?


    Beneath his pale-gold hair was a handsome face, he appeared to be in his twenties, and he seemed to be emitting a special charm with his smile.


    Kelly nodded towards Lis and said softly:


    "Child, stand over here."


    Lis nodded obediently and walked to the spot indicated by the young priest, facing the Wisdom God statue squarely.


    But Lis''s mind was already alert.


    Just by looking at the priest''s appearance, it revealed a lot��the priest did not appear malnourished or pale like other residents of Snow Ridge Town. His skincked the look of someone weathered by the harsh climate, inconsistent with the conditions of the Northern Territory.


    His white robe was clearly made from a special, expensive silk fabric, material not produced in the Northern Territory. It could only be found in the Elf Great Forest in the southern part of the Fanor Continent.


    This priest was likely not a native of Snow Ridge Town.


    ```


    Was he an assistant to that Legendary Arcanist, or...


    "Don''t be nervous, rx."


    Kelly''s voice arose next to Lis''s ear, and his gentle voice seemed to contain a power that made Lis''s mood seem to calm down.


    Was this... the influence of Extraordinary Power?


    Lis was somewhat curious, but he did not ask aloud. S~ea??h the N?velFire(. website on Google to ess chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He was just a twelve-year-old child, so in his state of unclear understanding, it was better to continue pretending.


    "Close your eyes, calm your heart."


    "Come, recite with me."


    "Oh great and benevolent Wisdom God Sphinx!"


    "You are the embodiment of wisdom in the world!"


    "You are the guardian deity of Snow Ridge Town!"


    "You are the leader and pioneer of Mages!"


    "Your believers here sincerely pray,"


    "Seeking your gaze to descend,"


    "Bestow upon me a new miracle!"


    Lismitted the prayer to memory and slowly recited it following the priest''s voice.


    This prayer to the Wisdom God seemed no different from those of the Church of the Gods, as the three-part prayer distinctly and clearly directed the believers'' prayers towards this deity.


    But the content of the prayer was somewhat strange!


    "The embodiment of wisdom in the world" should refer to the Divine Domain of Wisdom, [Wisdom].


    Lis had suspected before whether anyone could truly master this special Divine Position?


    The presence of this information in the prayer content also meant the Divine Domain that the Legendary Arcanist attempted to master was [Wisdom], but relying on this domain, Lis felt, was a bit too difficult.


    To aim for the Divine Domain as a Path of God Sealing and reach the Demigod stage would be very hard, wouldn''t it!


    Next was the second part of the prayer mentioning "the guardian deity of Snow Ridge Town."


    There was no problem with this positioning in prayer, as this section usually targets the positioning of God believers.


    The Elf n''s God believers are pointed to by this part of the prayer.


    Just as the Human n''s pantheon points to the Human n, only that there might be some qualifiers in front.


    But in this restrictor "Snow Ridge Town" for the Wisdom God, it seemed too small.


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    Are the believers only the people of Snow Ridge Town? This scope is too narrow to satisfy the Faith requirements necessary to be a divinity!


    The more Lis thought about it, the more he felt that the one masquerading as the Wisdom God wasn''t really trying to be a God but was undergoing some kind of special experiment.


    "The leader and pioneer of Mages" should refer to the profession of the Wisdom God [Arcanist], but regrettably, Mages hardly have any faith, and they hardly provide much Power of Faith.


    Lis''s mind raced with these thoughts, but his actions appeared devoutly praying to the Divine Statue of the Wisdom God to outsiders.


    While praying, Lis noticed a certain power forming within his body, slowly emerging from his forehead.


    This power was familiar to Lis; it was the Power of Faith!


    The Power of Faith is a special kind of soul power that everyone produces when praying to a special existence they believe in their hearts.


    It is also the source of the Divine Power! It is the fuel for the divinities to sustain their existence and purify Divine Power!


    ording to each person''s level of firm belief in divinity, they can be ssified as Non-believers, Light believers, True believers, Devout believers, and fanatics.


    The more devout the belief in the divinity, the purer and more powerful the provided Power of Faith.


    And General Believers are those with weak faith, like Lis just before.


    Therefore, the Power of Faith he provided was pitifully weak.


    At that moment, Lis felt a special power flowing from in front of him, slowly seeping into his body.


    Barely opening his eyes, Lis saw the Divine Statue in front of him emitting a multicolored glow, with an indescribable power converging towards his body.


    Lis silently felt the Special Power merging into his body, and his brow slightly furrowed.


    It was somewhat like Extraordinary Magic, but it also carried a bit of that Holy sensation like that of a priest.


    Ding~@@novelbin@@

 Chapter 237 Is This Divine Arts?

    -----------------[Special Power of Faith detected!]


    [Activating Judgement! Priest''s specialty [Devout Faith]!]


    [Yes/No to begin]


    -----------------


    Looking at the newly popped-up message on the panel, Lis was somewhat puzzled.


    Could experiences in a dream world also trigger a judgement?


    He directly clicked "No," refusing the Priest profession''s specialty.


    Lis was quite familiar with [Devout Faith], the Priest profession specialty, because many Priests in his past life had chosen this specialty, and the bonuses it provided were significant.


    Due to the special nature of the Priest profession, they needed to worship a divine being and receive a baptism from Divine Power, in order to officially advance to the Priest profession.


    Thus, the vast majority of Priests were members of the Church of the Gods, with very few exceptions.


    The essence of a Priest is to offer their Power of Faith to the divine and to receive power in return, so the more devout the faith, the more powerful the Priest could be.


    By the time they reached the Legendary Priest stage, they were essentially walking representations of the All Gods on earth!


    After his rebirth, once Lis discovered that he possessed the [All-Purpose] Talent, he had nned the basic specialties he intended to acquire for various Professions.


    Naturally, he considered the Priest profession.


    Lis had also wondered, since the Divine Revtion game world was a real ce, what exactly was the situation for those yers who chose the Priest profession? Did they truly have faith in the All Gods?


    Lis was quite curious; honestly, he felt it was more in line with yers'' style to have faith in the Abyss Lord and Lords instead!


    Could it be that Priest yers had been freeloaders, taking advantage of the gods'' Divine Power without true devotion?


    Lis didn''t have the power to explore these Hidden secrets yet, but he had already determined his future specialty as a Priest, and it was not the [Devout Faith] that the system had just prompted.


    The effect of [Devout Faith] was to reduce the Priest''s consumption when using Divine Arts, while also significantly increasing thepatibility with the worshipped divine''s Divine Power, which was already a highly practical Skill for the average Priest.


    But Lis didn''t want to choose this one, as it wasn''t very useful for him, especially since he had received education in the new age materialism and didn''t think he could truly believe in a divine being.


    Moreover, the standard Priest wouldn''t help much in increasing his power.


    So Lis chose to decline the mastery judgement of this Priest''s profession specialty.


    He wondered if this refusal would affect the subsequent process.


    Lis pondered quietly, then he heard Priest Kelly''s gentle voice.


    "Open your eyes, Miles!"


    He knows my name.


    Upon hearing this, Lis opened his eyes to see Kelly looking at him with a smile in his eyes.


    "Congrattions, Miles, you have be a messenger of My Lord. Hurry back and tell your uncle the good news."


    "Don''t forget toe to the temple on time tomorrow morning!"


    It seemed that there was no impact; was the key point the power that reshaped his body?


    Lis nodded his head and bowed respectfully to Kelly, saying:


    "Thank you, Priest Kelly."


    Then he ran out of the ck Temple in high spirits, imitating Rory''s manner.


    Kelly watched his retreating figure with even more joy in his gaze, then continued to test the other boys.


    -----------------


    Lis, armed with the information in his mind, walked through the rudimentary Luoxue Town toward his home.


    Pushing open the wooden door, he saw the somewhat dark interior of his home. He called out, but no one responded; it seemed that his Uncle Rogel wasn''t at home.


    The Miles that Lis had incarnated into lived with his Uncle Rogel. His parents had died from attacks by wild animals in the mountains when he was a child, and afterwards Rogel had taken him in, and they lived together to this day.


    Rogel had not married subsequently, perhaps because of Miles.


    In the early days of Snow Ridge Town, it was difficult enough to support oneself, let alone someone with a child to look after.


    Lis looked around at the quite rudimentary shed, its only advantage being that it was strong and firm enough not to copse under the heavy snow of winter, and to block out the winter''s chilly winds.


    Lisy on his small wooden bed, underneath which was a simple padding of straw topped with tanned hides.


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    Seeing various animal hides and well-crafted arrowheads around the home, it seemed that his uncle was a Hunter?


    The life of a mere Hunter in this world was far more dangerous than in his former life, given the presence of Extraordinary Magical Beasts.


    Lisy on the bed, staring at the wooden nks above while his mind pondered the matters of this dream trial.


    There were too many strange things, including the Wisdom God, those peculiar prayers, and that Priest Kelly. Lis felt that the key might well be in the temple.


    I''ve passed the test, and since I''ve been told to go to the temple tomorrow, it''s probably to teach us what we should do as Priests, or perhaps to guide us in Priestly Extraordinary Abilities?


    Something about this once Snow Ridge Town seemed off to me, the style didn''t quite match.


    Lis rubbed his head, exhausted by the morning''s events; the twelve-year-old''s body was starting to feel sleepy.


    It wasn''t long before Lis fell asleep in bed.


    ...


    Lis suddenly woke up to the sound of the door opening after who knows how long.


    Looking up, it turned out to be Uncle Rogel returning.


    Rogel was only around thirty years old, but he looked much older than Priest Kelly. He wore deep grey leather armor stained with dust and ck mud, signs the chill winds of the Luoxue Mountain had left indelible marks on his face, his brown hair greasy and dirty as it hadn''t been properly cleaned in a while.


    He appeared quite tired, but upon seeing Lis, he couldn''t help but smile.


    "Little Miles, how did the test go this morning?"


    "I passed, Priest Kelly told me to go directly to the temple tomorrow."


    "It doesn''t matter if you didn''t pass, what?"


    Rogel learned from the town mayor that only two or three people were expected to pass the test. With so many children, he figured it would be tough for Miles to make it through. Just as he was about to offer some words offort to his nephew, he suddenly paused and asked with an uncertain tone.


    "You passed the test?"


    "Yes, Uncle Rogel."


    Lis nodded, giving Rogel a definitive answer.


    "Phew~ That''s fantastic, Miles!"


    Rogel''s face lit up with surprise as he tossed aside the longbow and sack he was holding.


    He lifted Lis with both hands and said cheerfully,


    "I never expected my nephew to be so talented! Keep it up, Miles!"


    Lis struggled ufortably for a moment, realizing it was futile against the considerable strength of this seasoned hunter.


    "To celebrate, let''s have meat stew tonight."


    "I caught a deer today and brought back a leg."


    While talking, Rogel put Lis down and retrieved a deer leg, already skinned, from a sack nearby��an extraordinary delicacy in Snow Ridge Town.


    Rogel took the deer leg to prepare it outside the house and added,


    "Miles, you need to eat more meat. It''s not good to be frail if you''re to be a priest of the Wisdom God!"


    Listening to Rogel''s words, Lis suddenly felt something was off.


    What the heck, since when did priests need to train their bodies?


    -----------------


    The next day, at the town center of Snow Ridge Town, the temple of the Wisdom God.


    Early in the morning, Lis was woken up by Rogel and hurriedly taken to the temple.


    Rogel clearly held sincere reverence for the Church of the Wisdom God, which seemed to have a very high status among the townfolk of Snow Ridge. Could the legends actually be true?


    But for now, it appeared that there was only one priest within this church of the Wisdom God, Kelly.


    "Today, we are here to learn how to gain favor with My Lord and be a better priest."


    Kelly stood in front of three children, smiling kindly.


    Lis, one of the children, nodded obediently, while sneaking a nce at the other two.


    One was his good friend Rory, and the other was someone he didn''t know well, seemingly named Akhar, a skinny and tall teenager who looked about fourteen or fifteen years old.


    "Priest, what should we do then?"


    Rory raised his hand and asked curiously.


    "No rush, just follow my lead."


    Kelly held a Holy Scripture that emitted a faint white glow, looking quite charming.


    Too bad there were no girls present to appreciate the scene.


    Is this the main event then?


    Lis was also secretly looking forward to it. Was the real action finally about to start?


    But then, Priest Kelly began to train the three young boys.


    Lis had thought the training would involve meditation, reciting Holy Scriptures, and sensing spirits��all of that sort. However, the reality waspletely different from what he expected.


    Priest Kelly first led them in a devout prayer to the Lord of Wisdom, settling their spirits.


    Then he took the three on a run around Snow Ridge Town, circling the small town four or five times before taking a short break, followed by strength training.


    Lis, busy moving a rock up and down, felt somewhat dejected.


    Although he had been a Mage and not a Priest in his past life, he knew that Priests normally did not train like this.


    Wasn''t this the kind of training warriors did?


    Why did the Church of the Wisdom God seem so whimsical?


    But...


    Lis nced at Rory and Akhar, who, gritting their teeth, were diligently training, their faces flushed with effort.


    They didn''t seem to have any doubts, behaving as if it were expected of them.


    Thinking back to what Rogel had said the day before, could it be that the true profession of the so-called Priests of the Wisdom God was actually that of a warrior?


    Feeling his muscles ache, Lis pondered.


    He didn''t fear the hard work of training, but the frustrating feeling of missing the mark was bothersome.


    No, there had to be some key element he was missing. Sear?h the n?velFire website on Google to ess chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The tough training quickly consumed the morning hours.


    "Let''s take a break,"


    Priest Kelly stood up, wiped off his sweat, and spoke.


    He had kept up with the three boys during their training, and his own effort was much greater than theirs.


    He had already taken off his robe and set it aside, sweat glistening on his well-built chest.


    Seeing the three kids lying on the ground, spent and bruised, Kelly thought for a moment. From his hand, a white light burst forth, enveloping Liz and the others.


    "Divine Arts [Light Injury Healing]!"


    As Kelly''s voice echoed, Lis and the others felt the pain in their bodies ease considerably, and the bruises began to fade under the glow of the white light.


    Rory and Akhar, feeling the strange sensation, looked at Kelly with anticipation. If they trained hard, could they learn to wield this peculiar Divine Art like Priest Kelly?


    Lis''s expression, on the other hand, was more solemn.


    Was this Divine Art?


    It was clearly a first-level Transmutation spell [Light Wound Repair]!@@novelbin@@

 Chapter 238 Tedious "Divine Arts" Cultivation

    Lis did his best to control the expression on his face, showing a hint of longing for Extraordinary Power just like Rory, but the shock in his heart had not diminished at all.


    Although it was just One-Circle Magic, the underlying significance was certainly different.


    Yesterday, while being tested at the temple, Lis had already confirmed through the appearance of the "Devout Faith" specialty from the Priest Profession that the Wisdom Church was generally on the Path to Divinity, after all, the Wisdom God did seem to make use of the Power of Faith.


    But if it truly was the orthodox Path to Divinity, why then did instances ur where Spells were used in ce of Divine Arts?


    Just now, when Priest Kelly cast the Spell "Healing Light Wounds," Lis did not feel any elemental fluctuations.


    This was very strange!


    When a Mage wants to cast a certain Spell, they infuse Magic Power into a constructed Magic Model, resonating with Elemental Particles to produce Spells with different effects.


    In this process, elemental fluctuations are unavoidable.


    Unless, there is a Mage''s advanced technique to conceal spell fluctuations, but that absolutely could not exin the actions of Priest Kelly just now.


    Because when casting the One-Circle Magic "Healing Light Wounds," Lis sensed the aura of Divine Arts.


    This was the most orthodox representation of Divine Arts!


    The people of Snow Ridge Town might not recognize it, but how could Lis, with his extensive experience, not see it?


    Lis felt his brain was somewhat in disarray, the casting exuded an aura of Divine Arts, but the actual disy was that of One-Circle Magic.


    To Lis, it felt as though he was seeing a fish grow legs and run on the ground.


    Was this the handiwork of that Legendary Arcanist, and how on earth was it achieved?


    Wait a minute...


    Lis suddenly realized a point he had previously overlooked.


    Generally speaking, only a True God can grant Divine Arts to priests who worship them, as it is a fundamental expression of a deity''s power.


    Before this, even a peak Demigod, as long as they had not formally consolidated their Divine Position andpleted thest link in the operation of Divine Power, they could not bestow Divine Arts to their followers.


    The Divine Position, as a core power source of a deity, means that any Divine Arts used by priests who worship this deity will bear the basic characteristics inherent to the deity''s Divine Position.


    For instance, a priest of the War God, their Divine Arts will lean towards ughter and Inspiration and the like.


    And a priest of the God of Justice, their Divine Arts will lean towards Judgment and Notarization and the like.


    Clearly, this "Wisdom God" has not yet consolidated his Divine Position, so there should be no formal Divine Arts at all.


    So, he must be using some special methods, allowing his subordinate priests to perform Spells with certain effects.


    Lis even suspected, the act of casting these Spells might not be reliant on the inherent power of Priest Kelly himself, but rather achieved under the guidance of the Wisdom God.


    How did he manage to do this!


    You should know, even for priests, the process of performing Divine Arts is not entirely dependent on the power bestowed by deities, but more so on harnessing one''s own strength, guiding one''s Mana to resonate with the seed of Divine Power, and thus performing different effects of Divine Arts.


    Thus, this could exin why Priest Kelly had not required Lis and the others to read the Church Holy Scripture, to condense Divine Art seeds, or to meditate to increase their Mana.


    However, it''s regrettable that Lis has not yet learned this special form of "Divine Art"; otherwise, he could have understood much more.


    Now, the goal is to learn the "Divine Art" of the Wisdom God!


    Lis had a premonition that the key to passing the second trial might just lie within this.


    Looking at Priest Kelly not far off, Lis firmed up his target in his heart.


    ...


    In the days that followed, Lis and his twopanions continued to train diligently with Priest Kelly.


    The first day,


    Running, training Strength, running.


    The second day,


    Running, training Strength, running.


    ...


    The tenth day,


    Running outdoors, mountain climbing.


    ...


    Day thirty,


    Winter swimming, cross-country running, mountain climbing.


    ...


    By the end of the first month, Lis had nearly had enough. It wasn''t the high-intensity training that he couldn''t stand; rather, he simply didn''t understand the purpose of it all.


    Did one really need to be a muscle-bound man to learn Divine Arts?


    Was this still the Wisdom God?


    Might as well call it the Muscle God!


    ...


    "Priest Kelly, how long do we have to train before we can learn Divine Arts from you?"


    Lis wiped the sweat from his forehead, hands on his knees, as he asked Kelly.


    Lying on the ground next to him, unable to move, were Rory and Akhar, who had justpleted a ten-kilometer run which was particrly grueling for them, especially after swimming.


    Lis was doing okay; over the month, the three of them had almost received the care and love of all the residents of Snow Ridge Town, as the hunting team brought back game first and foremost for these three kids every day.


    Everyone was looking forward to them growing up quickly and bing as strong as Priest Kelly under the guidance of the Wisdom God.


    Miles, whom Lis was embodying, was the best among the three, having grown noticeably taller and considerably more robust over the month. Stay tuned with empire


    Lis also noticed some peculiarities about Snow Ridge Town; other than Priest Kelly, there were no other Extraordinary Professionals, not even the mostmon warriors.


    That''s why Priest Kelly held such a unique position in Snow Ridge Town. During the month of training, Lis had witnessed Priest Kelly, with the help of Spells, drive off a silver-level Earth Bear with his bare hands.


    Priest so formidable are terrifying indeed, in no way inferior to those hotheaded brothers at the Dawn Church.


    "You still have a long way to go!"


    Kelly looked at the small muscles on Lis''s arms and chuckled as he shook his head.


    "So, what level do I need to reach to begin learning?"


    Lis blinked and looked at Kelly with anticipation in his eyes.


    "I definitely want to be as strong as you, Priest Kelly!"


    Kelly smiled, bent down to meet Lis''s eyes, and patted his head, saying:


    "Given your rate of progress, Miles, about another half a year!"@@novelbin@@


    Lis stared at Kelly, gritted his teeth, and nodded forcefully.


    Half a year... It''s killer!


    This trial is truly toxic!


    Lis couldn''t help butin in his mind.


    This Dream World was created by that Legendary Arcanist, and the time Lis spent here felt extremely real.


    However, Lis had no choice. He had confirmed that the secrety within "Divine Arts," and it was something Lis couldn''t give up on.


    ...


    With several snowfalls, Snow Ridge Town became enveloped in apletely white world, with almost every viger staying at home to rest, and scarcely a soul to be seen in the vige.


    "Huff~"


    "Huff~"


    ...


    At the edge of Snow Ridge Town, a figure in ck clothing turned from the ck surrounding wall and slowly ran towards the temple.


    Even though the surrounding temperature had dropped below zero, this person wore only a thin linen garment, his body emitting steamy white mist.


    "Miles, take a break!"


    At the temple gate now, Kelly waved to the running figure.


    "Come here, today is the day you receive the grace of the Lord and grasp Divine Arts."

 Chapter 239 The Miracle of Arcane!

    The one diligently running was Lis, who had been persistently training; he appeared considerably stronger than he had three months prior.


    Lis, originally somewhat impatient, realized that this second trial wouldn''t end anytime soon and that even his own mindset was the key to the trial, so he steadied his heart and fully immersed himself in the process of enduring and polishing his body.


    Since his rebirth, apart from mastering the Warrior Professional Specialization "All Martial Arts Mastery," Lis had never trained his body so seriously.


    When learning with Joyce, it was more about advancing hisbat skills.


    Though this body was not his own, Lis discovered his past inadequacies through training.


    Perhaps focusing on learning skills and techniques, he had not fully mastered control over his body and strength. The Lis of the past was already quite exceptional for an ordinary Mage, but for Lis, who aimed for all-around development, any deficiency had to be addressed.


    Lis had also guessed that the flow of time in this dream trial must be different from the outside world; otherwise, undergoing a trial for half a year, his body outside would have long starved to death.


    So, having set his mind, Lis seriously began to refine his body, taking the intensity he had for arcane research and practicing in tranquility.


    With top Body Refining Techniques and abundant experience in his memory, Lis''s progress was remarkably swift, and he now looked like apletely different person from the sprout-like figure he once was.


    Casually wiping the sweat from his forehead with his clothes, Lis followed behind Priest Kelly and entered the temple.


    Rory and Akhar had long been unable to keep up with Lis''s rapid advancement, so Lis began to train on his own.


    "Come, stand here."


    Kelly pointed in front of the Divine Statue, just like the scene months ago when Lis first underwent the temple''s test.


    The moment was finally arriving!


    Lis calmed his somewhat excited heart and obediently stood as Priest Kelly had asked.


    Kelly was very pleased with Lis''s performance; he could now be considered a miniature version of a muscle man, and it''s possible that one or two adults couldn''t beat Lis as he was now.


    "The reason I rejected your application to learn Divine Arts was that the power of My Lord is too mighty, and your body might not have been able to bear it."


    "Wait, you should pay attention to..."


    Lis listened carefully to every word of Kelly''s admonition.


    The Divine Arts of the Wisdom God, or rather, that Legendary Arcanist''s specialty, were too unique, and Lis''s previous experience was entirely ineffectual.


    However, Lis had developed some ideas over the past half year based on the clues he had.


    This special Divine Art likely required a high physical standard from the user, where the user needs to withstand the conversion pressure between Divine Arts and Spells, with the power provided by the Wisdom God.


    "Come, center yourself."


    Priest Kelly spoke with the gentle voice he had always used.


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    Led by Priest Kelly, Lis prayed to the Wisdom God:


    "Oh great and loving Wisdom God Sphinx!"


    "You are the embodiment of wisdom in this world!"


    "You are the guardian deity of Snow Ridge Town!"


    "You are the leader and pioneer for Mages!"


    "Your faithful follower prays earnestly here,"


    "Begging for you to bestow a miracle,"


    "To grant your follower newfound strength!"


    ...


    As Lis''s prayers concluded, the Divine Statue began to emit dreamlike, multicolored light.


    Gradually, all the colors of light converged into a crystalline orb, hovering in mid-air, slowly drawing closer to Lis''s body.


    In the end, it merged into Lis''s brow.


    Just as the orb merged into Lis''s body, he felt a sudden heaviness, as if an invisible special pressure had been ced upon him��not just physically but also spiritually, almost making him feel as though he might fall over.


    This...


    Lis clenched his teeth tightly, but his heart wasn''t panicking; instead, he was rapidly thinking.


    Rather than pressure, it felt more like bearing a burden that exceeded the power of his own rank.


    It was just like how ordinary people felt in the presence of a divine being, who, even after retracting their divine pressure, were still too much for mortals to withstand.


    This must be... the handiwork of that Legendary Arcanist!


    Lis couldn''t help but raise his hand to touch the center of his forehead, feeling the special spherical object hidden within.


    It wasn''t a physical entity but seemed more like a phantom carrier of power.


    "Do you feel it?"


    Priest Kelly looked at Lis''s somewhat heavy expression and said with a smile.


    "This is My Lord''s blessing, as well as the foundation of our power."


    "As long as we pray to My Lord, His blessing will help us cast different Divine Arts."


    "However, the higher the level of the Divine Art, the greater the pressure one needs to bear, which is why I asked you to refine your body."


    This was equivalent to an ordinary person harboring Legendary-level power in their body, and even though that being had done their best to contain it, the residual pressure was still not something an ordinary person could easily bear.


    Feeling the pressure at the center of his forehead, Lis nodded.


    "Right now, you might only be able to cast the simplest ''Light Technique'', but don''t be too discouraged. As you improve, the Divine Arts you can master will also be more and more numerous."


    "Let me first teach you the method of casting it."


    ...


    "Indeed, Lis, you are a genius, the most talented follower of My Lord!"


    Kelly patted Lis on the shoulder and said with augh:


    "It''s an unpleasant feeling, isn''t it? You should head back for today and rest well."


    Anxious to thoroughly study the special power at the center of his forehead, Lis hurriedly nodded, said his goodbyes, and headed for home.


    As he stepped through the snow that reached his ankles, his steps uneven, Lis''s mind was fervently and swiftly in motion.


    He had discovered that the special spherical object at the center of his forehead was actually an extremely intricate and profound Magic Array!


    More crucially, this Magic Array was emanating an aura of the Power of Faith!


    This was a miracle!


    How on earth did that Legendary Arcanist achieve this!


    It was practically using arcane to replicate the power of the divine!@@novelbin@@


    Feeling as if he had touched upon the Hidden Divine Level, Lis''s heart couldn''t stop pounding.


    Damn it, which Arcanist could resist such temptation!


    Lis, who had just sessfully cast ''Light Technique'' under the guidance of Priest Kelly, now had a general understanding of the Magic Array at the center of his forehead.


    Its principle seemed to be absorbing the Power of Faith generated by Lis''s prayers, using a special transformation to build a stable channel for the transmission of Extraordinary Power, guiding the power from the Wisdom God into Lis''s body, making it possible for the magic to be cast and take effect.


    And the power from the Wisdom God was the Magic Power Lis had felt before!


    This series of operations might look simple but were in fact extremely precise to the point that the slightest mishap could severely injure Lis in an instant.


    However, be it the Power of Faith or the power of spells, both were as tame and gentle as meek sheep under the guidance and control of the Magic Array, operating smoothly and effectively.


    There were no words besides miracle to describe it!


    Lis lifted his head, looking at the snowkes that had started to fall from the sky again.


    If he could unravel the secrets of this Magic Array, then even if he left the ruins now, it would have been worth it!

 Chapter 240 Dragon Power Skill

    So, what he needs to do now is to continue cultivating and mastering more Divine Arts!


    Lis massaged his temples with a headache, not expecting the process of cultivating Divine Arts to truly be a matter of tempering the body, but he had already begun to master the Divine Arts, and his progress would be faster and faster.


    Lying in his own bed, Lis used massage to relieve his muscle soreness.


    In the future, he would use the daytime to train his body, polish his bones and muscles, and at night to decipher the Magic Array between his eyebrows,prehending its mysteries.


    Luckily, his spiritual power hadn''t weakened much; otherwise, trying to decipher this Magic Array might have been even more strenuous.


    It looks like he''ll have to stay in this dream for a while longer.


    Lis sighed. It had only been half a year since his rebirth, yet he''d spent such a long time in this dream.


    He must seize this opportunity!


    ...


    One month after mastering Divine Arts,


    Lis had sessfully mastered all low-level Divine Skills, and Priest Kelly began to take him into the Luoxue Mountains to hunt Magic Beasts and hone his realbat skills.


    ...


    Three months after mastering Divine Arts,


    Lis hadpletely mastered all the intermediate Divine Skills and hisbat abilities had improved rapidly. Priest Kelly was confident in Lis''s strength and allowed him to go into the Luoxue Mountains to train by himself, focusing more energy on Rory and Akhar, who both had just started training and had not yet mastered their first Divine Skill.


    ...


    Half a year after mastering Divine Arts,


    On the outskirts of the Luoxue Mountains, a group of six or seven people dressed as Hunters were slowly approaching Snow Ridge Town.


    Having been on high alert in the mountains to guard against stealth attacks by ferocious Magic Beasts, they were now somewhat rxed, talking about recent happenings.


    "Rogel, your boy, Miles, is getting more and more impressive!"


    A rough voice rang out from the team, as an old Hunter with a weather-beaten face smiled at Rogel and said:


    "Just two days ago, he dealt with that wild wolf pack that strayed close to the town all by himself, and those were Magic Beasts!"


    "Yeah, he''s only thirteen now, right? But he''s as big and strong as an eighteen-year-oldd."


    "He could be as impressive as Priest Kelly himself."@@novelbin@@


    ...


    Listening to hispanions'' praises, Rogel waved his hands modestly and said,


    "Oh that kid, he just has some talent, but he''s nowhere close to Priest Kelly."


    Though he said this, Rogel couldn''t help but let his lips curl up with pride��after all, Miles was his pride and joy!


    "Rogel, you''re being too.��"


    The Hunting Team''s leader also turned his head, smiling as he prepared to tease Rogel.


    Roar!!!


    Before he could finish, sudden chaos erupted!


    With a shadow shing across the wilderness to the side followed by a loud fierce roar, a three-meter-long snow-white beast appeared on the path right in front of the Hunting Team.


    "Snow Leopard, be on guard!"


    The leader immediately recognized the fierce creature in front of his teammates and issued a warning.


    The well-coordinated Rogel and hisrades immediately picked up their weapons, intently watching the Magic Beast radiating a strong murderous aura, yet feeling somewhat desperate inside.


    Why would a Snow Leopard, which only roamed the mountains of the Luoxue Mountains, appear near Snow Ridge Town?


    On the outskirts of the Luoxue Mountains, snow leopards, Winter Wolves, and Earth Bears were the three most powerful Magic Beasts��simply not something their Hunting Team could handle.


    In the entire Snow Ridge Town, only Priest Kelly could defeat them head-on.


    However, what puzzled Rogel and the others was that the snow leopard didn''tunch an attack on them. It merely nced at them but kept a watchful eye on its surroundings, as if it was on guard against something.


    Rogel''s gaze sharpened as he noticed something off about the snow leopard''s right leg, a faint red wound.


    Was this... from fighting with other Magic Beasts?


    No good, they needed to leave this ce quickly. If they got caught up in this, it would be the end.


    The captain of the Hunting Team also noticed this problem and was about to signal hispanions to withdraw when suddenly, a figure leaped over their heads and mmed hard into the snow leopard.


    The snow leopard, seemingly slowed by its wounds, was caught off-guard and sent flying by the impact of the figure.


    Bang!


    The snow leopard was hurled away,nding in the thick shrubs at the foot of a hill.


    Only then did Rogel and hispanions notice the figure standing where the snow leopard had been��a tall, sturdy figure with simple clothes that could hardly conceal the firm muscles underneath, holding a bronze-colored Heavy Hammer the size of a human head in hand.


    "Miles?"


    Rogel realized only then that the sudden figure was none other than his nephew.


    Lis was too upied to respond to Rogel''s call and dashed after the snow leopard, diving into the shrubs.


    This snow leopard had been his prey for a long time, having previously escaped his pursuit due to its agile body and familiarity with the terrain of the mountains.


    But this time, Lis had carefully nned for a long time, luring it down from the mountain ridges. He was determined to seed in subduing the snow leopard.


    As an Extraordinary Magical Beast, the snow leopard possessed a certain level of intelligence, so if he failed this time, the same method might not work again.


    Rogel and the others stood rooted on the spot, watching as Lis''s figure disappeared into the shrubs. After a violent shaking of the bushes, they stared in shock as Lis walked out, dragging the snow leopard by one of its hind legs.


    The snow leopard''s head was a blur of flesh and blood, apparently having suffered a severe blow, and it was clearly lifeless now.


    "Uncle Rogel, hello, uncles of the Hunting Team!"


    Lis greeted everyone politely, and if it weren''t for the giant Magic Beast in his hand, the Hunting Team members would likely have happily responded.


    But now, they were all frozen in ce, nearly forgetting to breathe.


    This... this was a fully-grown snow leopard, only Priest Kelly was supposed to defeat it!


    Could it be that Miles had already...?


    Seeing that everyone remained stationary, Lis did not mind, dumping the snow leopard''s carcass in front of Rogel and the others.


    "Uncle, I''ve got things to do, could I trouble you to take this back for me? Just divide it up among everyone!"


    Lis said with a smile, and then without waiting for Rogel to respond, he disappeared from the spot in a sh.


    "Rogel..."


    The first toe to his senses was still the captain of the Hunting Team, who sighed deeply and said to Rogel:


    "Your nephew Miles, he''s remarkable!"


    ...


    Lis, who had just killed the snow leopard, didn''t give it much thought. Although the snow leopard was an Extraordinary Magical Beast, it was, after all, just a Bronze Demon Beast, barely possessing the strength close to Silver Level. With his current strength, as long as he seized the opportunity, he still had a chance to kill it. Experience more on empire


    Lis estimated that he now possessed the strength of High-level Bronze!


    This was an outrageous matter!


    In just half a year, from a weak little boy to a Top of Bronze, this rate of progression was terrifyingly fast.


    This was certainly due to Lis''s own unceasing training and the abundance of experience he gained from practice, but this speed of advancement,parable to being directly leveled up by a system panel, was still quite exaggerated.

 Chapter 241 Kelly? Sphinx!

    Lis''s rapid enhancement was due to the power of the Wisdom God he had received.


    As long as Lis improved his physical fitness, he could gain the corresponding level of Divine Arts, and as the number of Wisdom Divine Arts he mastered kept increasing, the power feedback he could obtain from the Magic Pattern Array at his be also grew.


    The Power of Faith and Magic Elements nourished Lis''s body, and the top Body Refining Technique from Feis Kingdom in his mind, all these were reasons why Lis could enhance his strength so swiftly.


    After sessfully killing the snow leopard, Lis had already sensed a new breakthroughing, which is why he did not stop to say another word to Rogel, instead finding a quiet ce to sit down cross-legged.


    As Lis slowly breathed, calming his emotions, his be also began to emit a polychromatic glow.


    The colorful light slowly spread downward from Lis''s be, eventually covering his entire body.


    Under the influence of the colorful light, Lis''s bones crackled, and he seemed to grow a few inches taller, with pale-colored scales slowly emerging on his skin.


    "Huh~"


    Lis let out a sigh, opened his eyes, and looked at the changes in himself.


    "Is this the final advanced Divine Art, ''Dragon Power Skill''?"


    "My physical strength has increased by fifty percent, and these ethereal dragon scales can also enhance my body''s defensive strength."


    The effect of ''Dragon Power Skill'' was satisfactory, but Lis''s expression was somewhat serious and deep.


    I miscalcted!


    Mastering all of the Wisdom Divine Arts is not the key to passing the second trial.


    Lis felt a bit of a headache, as he had thought that mastering all the Divine Arts of the Wisdom God would allow him to pass the second trial, but ''Dragon Power Skill'' was thest Divine Art he could master, and Priest Kelly had nothing left to teach him.


    To be frank, it''s that the Divine Arts created by the Wisdom God had no further parts, and even the highest ''Dragon Power Skill'' was only equivalent to Three-Circle Magic.


    If the key isn''t in the Divine Arts, then where is it?


    Lis pondered slowly in his heart. The scope of this Dream World was not extensive,prising only Snow Ridge Town and the surrounding Luoxue Mountains, with Magic Beasts Lis absolutely could not contend with further away, which must be the boundary of this Dream World.


    So it must fundamentally be within Snow Ridge Town!


    Could it be this Magic Pattern Array?


    Lis touched his be, feeling somewhat headachy.


    During this half year, he had not stopped researching and exploring the Magic Pattern Array at his be even for a moment, but in the end, he had no valuable findings.


    This Magic Pattern Array must have been created by that Legendary Arcanist, and it might even be their most precious culmination of work, with densely packed assorted special runes ingeniouslybined together, just observing them made Lis feel dizzy.


    In this half year, Lis could only barely keep the Magic Pattern Array firmly in his mind, let alone analyze and decipher it; he couldn''t even reproduce it.


    Having no other direction, could he only start with this Magic Pattern Array?


    Lis quickly made up his mind.


    In his view, the special Magic Pattern Array was the most precious treasure of this relic, even if he did not pass the trial in the end, seizing the excellent training opportunity in the Dream World to study it was still worth the trip.@@novelbin@@


    Lis quickly resolved himself and threw most of his energy into the process of researching and deciphering the Magic Pattern Array.


    Time, like a heavy p from the God of Dawn brother, flew by in a daze.


    ...


    In the first year,


    Lis could still only barely visualize the Magic Pattern Array at his be, bit by bit exploring each rune, unable to continue the mental exercise for long before needing to stop and rest to recover from the mental exhaustion.


    ...


    In the third year,


    Lis had essentially grasped every Magic Rune in the Magic Array, now exploring the secrets of eachbination within the array. Perhaps it was the prolonged research that made Lis increasingly familiar with this Magic Array; the spiritual power consumed by his mindful visualization became lesser and lesser, making his research ever more rxed.


    Lis was fully immersed in the study of this arcane Magic Array, roaming within the esoteric knowledge left behind by a Legendary Arcanist, which had be a delightful pleasure for him.


    Although the time spent on physical training had greatly decreased, with the nourishment from the Power of Faith and Magic Elements, Lis''s strength had also grown. Under his protection, no Magic Beast dared approach Snow Ridge Town anymore.


    ...


    The tenth year,


    In the temple of the Wisdom God, Lis sat with closed eyes before the Divine Statue. Now in his twenties, his aura seemed ordinary and unremarkable, having lost the spiritedness of his earlier years, rather embodying a demeanor of wisdom refined by the passage of time.


    Throughout these years of analysis and research, Lis had almostpletely prated the secrets of that Magic Array.


    As his research deepened, Lis vaguely sensed a mysterious connection between the Magic Rune at the center of his forehead and the Divine Statue of the Wisdom God in the temple. Experience new stories on empire


    Within the temple, there was a serene quietude, seemingly untouched by the bustle of Snow Ridge Town.


    Lis stood up and opened his eyes, slightly lifting his right hand, just like the statue in front of him.


    Gradually, the Magic Elements in the temple began to converge towards Lis''s right hand, drawn by an inexplicable force.


    A faint five-colored glow emanated, and a multi-colored, translucent sphere appeared in Lis''s right hand.


    Looking at the familiar sphere, Lis muttered,


    "Is this the Magic Array?"


    "I did it!"


    "Yes, you did!"


    A familiar voice sounded from behind. Lis turned around to see Priest Kelly standing behind him, his gaze fixed on the orb in his hand.


    At the same time, Lis noticed that the world outside the ck Temple seemed to be gradually losing its color, finally turning into a pure white space.


    Has the second trial ended?


    Did I pass?


    Lis, looking down, noticed that his body was no longer that of the muscr McKay, but had returned to his own form, yet the colorful sphere in his hand still existed.


    With a wave of his hand, Priest Kelly drew the sphere from Lis''s grasp uncontrobly into his own.


    Examining the sphere closely, Kelly waved it away and looked at Lis in admiration,


    "I only wanted to test you, but I didn''t expect you''d really figure it out."


    "Yes, Master Sphinx."


    Kelly, or rather Sphinx, couldn''t help but shake his head andugh,


    "I didn''t expect you to have noticed, quite perceptive."


    Lis nodded silently.


    Priest Kelly in the second trial''s Dream World was quite peculiar, not to mention your current state��it would be even more absurd not to realize!


    "Congrattions, Lis Kain."


    Sphinx''s young and handsome face smiled, his eyes expressing joy and admiration.


    "You are the third person to pass the second trial, but the most surprising one to me."


    "As a bonus, I''ll give you a small reward. If you have any questions, now is the time to ask me."

 Chapter 242 Tainting the Authority of All Gods

    I thought I had calmed down after spending ten years in the dream, but Lis soon found something amiss.


    The memories of living there for a decade were slowly fading, but the knowledge of the Dragon Power Skill, practical experience, and the study of the special Magic Pattern Array remained vividly in his mind.


    Seeing Lis''s astonishment, Sphinx said with a smile,


    "Feeling a bit odd, huh? After all, it was only a dream. The speed of thought is incessant; you might have spent ten years in your dream, but in reality, not even a day may have passed."


    "Memories from dreams are hard to retain, just like how ordinary people can hardly remember the dreams they hadst night."


    "However, this has its advantages for you. After all, you are still young, and those memories might have affected your mindset. Nheless, I have preserved the knowledge you''ve acquired."


    "Young people should be more passionate."


    Sphinx said cheerfully, appearing to be in his twenties, but to Lis, he felt like facing a Wise Man who had seen the passage of time.


    "Master Sphinx, are you now..."@@novelbin@@


    No longer hesitating, Lis had many questions to ask this Legendary Arcanist.


    "Me? I have long since passed away; this is merely a consciousness I left behind to maintain the legacy."


    Sphinxughed, seeminglypletely unconcerned about this fact.


    "Why did you leave this legacy behind?"


    Lis continued to ask, having mastered that special Magic Pattern Array, he then understood how significant the Legendary Arcanist''s handiwork really was.


    "Of course, to leave behind my legacy."


    Sphinx was smiling, but it gave Lis a profound sense of sadness.


    "All methods have been tried; my lifespan has reached its end. I didn''t want to be a ve to those gods, nor did I want to turn into a Witch Demon and gradually lose my sanity, bing someone else altogether foreign to me."


    "I didn''t want my lifelong efforts to be buried with me in the sands of time, so I left behind this legacy."


    Lis understood that whether one became a follower of the gods or transformed into something like a Witch Demon, they might maintain their nature at the start, but as the power continued to permeate and influence, the holder''s thought patterns would involuntarily shift to align more with the essence of that power.


    Just like a Mage who turned into a Witch Demon might have been a person who cherished Life and had a sunny disposition, but under the influence of the Death Spirit Energy, he would gradually be indifferent, bloodthirsty, and dark.


    The same goes for the gods.


    "Is that Magic Pattern Array you left behind part of the legacy?"


    Lis asked tentatively, unsure whether this eminent figure would disclose information about the legacy since he had not passed all the trials yet.


    Sphinx smiled and replied,


    "It is indeed a part of the legacy, a very small part, but I am surprised you could master it."


    "The second trial was originally meant to be passed by mastering one Divine Art, but you seemed to resonate well with this Divine Art, so I ''slightly'' extended the duration of the trial."


    "Perhaps, you could inherit all of my legacy."


    "However, you need to be cautious."


    "Although the legacy I left behind is not the truepletion, it still touches upon the prerogatives of All Gods, so don''t let Them notice you."


    "If you obtain the legacy, wait until you ascend to Legend before attempting it."


    Lis wanted to ask other questions, but he only saw the great figure turning away, and his consciousness blurred.


    When Lis came to his senses, he found himself seated on a bench to the right side of the ck Temple, and the silhouette of Sphinx was nowhere to be seen.


    Was that all still a dream? The mastery of this great being over dreams was truly astonishing.


    Lis shook his head a bit, clearing his thoughts somewhat.


    "Lis, congrattions on passing the second trial."


    A pleasant, light voice came through, and Lis saw the ck cat squatting on his legs, lifting its head to look at him with its round eyes.


    Seeing that Lis seemed to have awakened, the ck cat''s eyes also shone with delight, jumping onto Lis''s shoulder and licking his cheek with its pink little tongue.


    Feeling the damp sensation, Lis looked at the ck cat curiously and asked,


    "Why are you... suddenly so affectionate?"


    "Because I suddenly realized that you, Lis, are excellent and definitely could be Master Sphinx''s Inheritor."


    As a special being left by the Sphinx, the ck cat naturally knew that Lis had passed the second trial and no longer concealed the true identity of the Wisdom God.


    Moreover, it also knew that the consciousness left by the Sphinx had even conversed with Lis, something none of the previous trial participants had achieved.


    The ck cat felt that it was almost certain Lis would receive the Sphinx''s inheritance, naturally feeling closer to him.


    Of course, most importantly, it was tired of staying here and wanted to leave the relic with Lis.


    "You want to go out with me? Is that possible?"


    Lis looked at the ck cat in front of him, its arrogance and pride crumbling in the face of the temptation of freedom.


    "Of course, it''s possible. Once you receive the inheritance, this ce will no longer have any value and will close off the external entrance, preventing anyone else from inheriting it."


    The ck cat, fearing Lis would not take it along, hurriedly exined,


    "Moreover, I am a gift left here by Master Sphinx for the Inheritor."


    "Hmm?"


    Lis looked at the ck cat skeptically, not seeing anything magical about it.


    "Really!"


    The ck cat, fearing Lis wouldn''t believe it, almost meowed anxiously.


    After hesitating for a moment, the ck cat gritted its teeth and said to Lis,


    "I am the Magic Intelligent Life of Master Sphinx''s Mage Tower; I was brought here because I developed my own consciousness, tasked with managing the operations of the relic."


    "Hmm!"


    Magic Intelligent Life��the term echoed in Lis''s mind.


    What a grand gesture! If it really was a Magic Intelligent Life, that would be incredibly precious!


    Looking at it, this ck cat even seemed more advanced than the one in his teacher''s First Magic Workshop.


    It must have been in this relic for a long time, gradually growing in wisdom, which is why it behaved no differently from a normal ck cat.


    Enjoy new tales from empire


    Lis just knew that his own neglected Sky City desperately needed such a top-tier Magic Intelligent Life to take charge.


    He picked up the cat and gave it a thorough stroking, saying earnestly,


    "Don''t worry, what''s our rtionship? From now on, you''ll be sticking with me!"


    The ck cat, upon hearing this, was touched��this person was someone you could get along with!


    "So, what''s the third trial?"


    Lis asked while petting the cat.


    Although he was quite confident, he was still very curious about the content of the third trial.


    The ck cat did not hesitate and meowed.


    Boom~!

 Chapter 243 Sphinx Ascension Technique!

    The Divine Statue in the center of the temple emitted an endless array of multicolored lights that slowly formed a colorful illusory staircase behind it, and at the end of the hundred steps, one could vaguely see a pure white throne standing there.


    The ck Cat pointed to the throne at the end of the staircase and said to Lis,


    "The third trial is very simple, just ascend the stairs and sit upon that throne."


    Lis surveyed the scene, then continued to ask,


    "So the test is to climb the staircase?"


    "Yes."


    The ck Cat nodded, speaking solemnly,


    "Ascending each step, you will receive a part of Master Sphinx''s inheritance, and only by acquiring all of the inheritance will you be able to sit upon that final throne and receive Master Sphinx''s gifts."


    "What if I don''t pass?"


    Lis asked curiously, wondering if all those who had ascended the stairs before him had received some part of that inheritance.


    Because the ck Cat still needed Lis to leave the temple, its attitude was very good, aplete change from before.


    "Master Sphinx has left behind a special spell in the temple, so anyone who does not pass will forget everything they have seen here, naturally including any inheritance received."


    Upon hearing this, Lis nodded, realizing that there were contingency measures in ce, which was why the information about the ruins had not been leaked.


    "Then I''ll go."


    Lis informed the ck Cat, and then he stepped towards the multicolored staircase.


    The ck Caty on the bench, sping its paws, watching Lis with eyes brimming with anticipation.


    ...


    Lis stood before the multicolored staircase, looking at the steps suspended in mid-air and the distant throne, took a deep breath to calm himself, and then resolutely set his right foot onto the first step.


    Once on the first step, Lis felt the surrounding multicolored lights converge on him and a slight pressure bestowed upon him.


    As the colored light entered his brow, a piece of information appeared in Lis''s mind.


    Is this the inheritance?


    Lis slowly absorbed the information contained in the inheritance within his mind.


    The inheritance was more astounding than Lis had anticipated.


    It was the crystallization of Master Sphinx''s life''s work, as well as his greatest achievement on the path of arcane.


    The Sphinx Ascension Technique!


    What amanding name!


    The inheritance on the first step did not contain specific content��just an overview of the inheritance.


    The Sphinx Ascension Technique was the Legendary Arcanist Sphinx''s way of using arcane to simte the entire process of a legendary strongman''s path to divinity and aspired to achieve the vision of bing a deity through the arcane.


    This!


    Even though Lis had been prepared, he was still shocked by Sphinx''s audacious idea.


    If a follower of a deity were to see Sphinx''s inheritance, they would surely scoff at his foolishness, his ignorance, arrogance, and pretentiousness.


    They actually want to simte the power of the gods through arcane, which is absurdly ignorant and considered an affront and provocation to the divine dignity.


    However, in Lis''s eyes, only deep admiration remained.


    This is what a true Arcanist is like, daring to dream what others fear and aplish what others cannot.


    These are the true pioneers of Mages, the vanguard of spellcasters!


    Lis was somewhat shaken by Sphinx''s boldness and couldn''t help but yearn for it.


    One day, I too will be such a Legendary Arcanist! Exploring the infinite and mysterious unknown.@@novelbin@@


    Once he was determined, Lis began to learn about the details of the "Sphinx Ascension Technique."


    Lis had previously received general information about how normal Legendary Strongmen embarked on the Path to Divinity from his family''s heavyweight, Joyce.


    Generally, a Legendary on the Path to Divinity would establish a sect or a unique organization, spreading his faith and collecting the Power of Faith from believers, gradually gaining Divine Status, igniting the Divine Fire, refining Divine Power, and consolidating a Divine Position, eventually supporting a Divine Throne and raising their Divine Country into the heavens.


    Only after aplete Enthronement Ceremony does one officially be a true god.


    Though gaining Divine Status, igniting the Divine Fire, and refining Divine Power are already quite difficult, they are nothingpared to the difficulty of consolidating a Divine Position.


    A Divine Position is the most important core of a true god, as well as their most fundamental existence.


    Legendaries who onlyplete the first half of the Path of God Sealing are demigods, but many demigods fail to consolidate their Divine Position until their death, and therefore,ck the qualifications of bing true gods.


    For ordinary Legendary Strongmen, embarking on the Path of God Sealing might be their only hope for progress, but for an Arcanist, mastering the Foundation Principles to eventually control andmand the world''sws is the true path.


    An Arcanist who embarks on the Path of God Sealing has actually chosen to give up their pursuit of arcane and henceforth cannot advance an inch further in arcane knowledge.


    A person can deceive others, but never their own heart.


    Your adventure continues at empire


    As beings that can master the world''s Foundation Principles, there are also limits that the world''sws impose on Arcanists.


    Therefore, Lis had not considered the option of Ascension before, but now, the Legendary Arcanist Sphinx has put forward a bold, crazy idea.


    That is to simte the power of the gods through arcane. It seems crazy, but it is not without basis; he has already traveled far on this path.


    The power of the gods originates from the faith of the believers, but in the end, still relies on Gaia Great World.


    Based on the power at the core of the Multi-verse, built upon the world''sws.


    Thus, Sphinx uses the power of the Four Pir Laws he masters to simte divine power, after all, the Four Elements are the foundation of the world and the source of all Extraordinary Power.


    The "Sphinx Ascension Technique" is based on the Four Pir Laws of earth, water, fire, and wind and uses special Magic Runes to construct a virtual Divine Status for the Arcanist, allowing the collection of Power of Faith generated during believers'' prayers and the refinement of special Elemental Divine Power through the Divine Fire of will.


    This is equivalent to an extremely unique arcane, an application of the Four Pir Laws, thus allowing it to bypass the world''s restrictions on Arcanists.


    That is what the "Sphinx Ascension Technique" has aplished so far. As for theter processes of consolidating Divine Position and elevating the Divine Country, Sphinx didn''t have enough time to attempt them because creating the first half of the technique had already exhausted all his energy and time.


    Even so, this Legendary Arcanist left behind spections regarding whates after. The socalled "Wisdom" Divine Position was just his jest.


    Owing to the uniqueness of the "Sphinx Ascension Technique," the refined divine strength is based on Elemental Divine Power of the Four Pir Laws, so one might only be able to gain Divine Domains rted to the Four Elements. However, this is not absolute; Sphinx spected if one could integrate more Power of Law, it might be possible to acquire other Divine Domains, but that exploration is left to the sessors.


    After consolidating a Divine Position, the process of God Sealing and elevating the Divine Country should be smooth sailing without difficulty.


    This is the "Sphinx Ascension Technique!"


    This is the most magnificent treasure left by the Legendary Arcanist Sphinx!

 Chapter 244 The Difficulty of the Third Trial

    ```


    Lis reflected on the information in his mind, marveling at the unparalleled elegance of the Legendary Arcanist, Sphinx. Was this the stature of one who stood at the pinnacle of the Gaia World?


    Shaking his head involuntarily, Lis thought of his teacher, Stephens of the Judgement me. This Legendary Arcanist was also among that rare group of individuals at the very peak of the world. What could possibly be the pinnacle of his teacher''s arcane research?


    Lifting his head to look at the throne not far away, he stepped onto the second tier of the dais, and at that moment, a new inheritance started to flow into Lis'' mind.


    [Sphinx Ascension Technique��Faith Collection]


    This was part of the Legendary Arcanist Sphinx''s research on establishing an exclusive church, conceptualizing Divine Arts, and gathering faith.


    The special Magic Array that Lis had sessfully replicated in the second trial was part of this segment. Although it was a very minor grasppared to the entirety of the inheritance, it was still enough to surprise Sphinx into appearing and conversing with Lis.


    This was the life''s work of a Legendary Arcanist. The fact that Lis could barely grasp a small part of it was already quite remarkable. This was also why Sphinx and ck Cat believed that Lis could attain the final inheritance.


    The general principle of this part of the inheritance was to enshrine the honorable name of the arcane user among the followers. During their prayers to him, an external Virtual Faith Core was constructed using arcane magic to collect the Power of Faith from the believers.


    Sphinx chose to ce the Virtual Faith Core within the Divine Statue in the ck Temple.


    The Virtual Faith Core inside the Divine Statue was designed to have a function that grants core entities to Priests. Those who believed could establish a channel of connection with the Virtual Faith Core through the core entity and imbue Priests with the ability to perform special Divine Arts by using this force-transmitting channel.


    To be honest, the significance of this party not in endowing Priests with the power to use "Divine Arts," but rather as an attempt.


    Through special magical runes of arcane magic, Sphinx had sessfully controlled the Power of Faith, proving the correctness of his approach, and at the same timeying the foundation for various future attempts.


    Lis had already grasped the Magic Rune Sequence of the Faith Core entity. Although he was still in a state of knowing what it was but not why it was, this part of the inheritance was still rtively straightforward for Lis.


    At the same time, Lis also understood where the real challenge of the third trialy.


    It was to memorize all the content of [Sphinx Ascension Technique] and imprint it deep within his soul.


    This was not as simple as memorizingmon knowledge or reciting poetry. Otherwise, countless individuals who had entered the dream trials over many years, and the nine others who had passed the second trial before Lis, would not have all failed at this stage.


    One difficulty was how topletely memorize [Sphinx Ascension Technique], the greatest wisdom of a Legendary Arcanist. Previously, merely ncing at the core characters'' Magic Rune Sequence made Lis feel dizzy, and this was only the simplest part of the Ascension Technique. The subsequent parts, such as constructing the Virtual Divine Core, igniting the Divine Fire of will, and tempering the Elemental Divine Power, wereposed of even more intricate andplex magic runebinations.


    If not a High-level Arcanist, maybe only those with exceptional talent and extremely suitable for the path of arcane couldpletely memorize it.


    Lis estimated that even if he became a Legendary Arcanist, he wouldn''t be able to fully grasp all the content of [Sphinx Ascension Technique] in a short period. At the very least, he would need to wait until he had fully mastered the Four Pir Laws and his will had broken through to the Demigod level.


    And that was just the difficulty of memorizing the content alone. From the beginning of epting the inheritance, Lis felt the soul pressure that came with the memorization process of [Sphinx Ascension Technique].


    Knowledge is power!


    Especially the [Sphinx Ascension Technique], which almostprehends and interprets the Divine Power and authority. Just in the process of memorizing it, Lis had to continually endure the pressure it brought. Your journey continues with empire


    ```


    If Lis''s soul couldn''t withstand this kind of pressure, he would never be able toplete these hundred steps and ascend to that illusory throne!


    This might also be why the Legendary Arcanist Sphinx did not transfer the entire Sphinx Ascension Technique into Lis''s mind all at once.


    If he had done so, Lis''s soul and consciousness might have copsedpletely in the first moment.


    This is also why "Judgement me" Stephens, while teaching Lis in Bright City, did not impart too much high-end knowledge, especially that whiches after bing a legend.


    Knowing too much too soon would not be of much benefit to Lis''s growth but might instead affect his mindset towards progress.


    However, now the situation is different, Lis who has already glimpsed the wonders of the Ascension Technique will by no means give up.


    Is this the difficulty of the third trial?


    Lis looked at the remaining ny-eight steps before him with a serious expression; with each step he took, the pressure on his soul increased, until he would reach the top and fully receive the inheritance of the Sphinx Ascension Technique.


    A slight smile tugged at Lis''s lips��he hade this far, how could he possibly give up now?


    The inheritance of Sphinx opened up a new door for Lis, allowing him to truly understand the secrets at the pinnacle of the Gaia World.


    The delight of mastering knowledge, the fulfilling sensation of wielding power��these held a fatal attraction for Lis, an Arcanist.


    Come on! I want to see whates next!


    With determined eyes, Lis stepped onto the third stair and continued to receive the subsequent inheritance.


    As the inheritance progressed, the pressure on Lis''s soul became greater and epting the inheritance became more and more challenging.


    The first twenty steps of the inheritance that Lis received were about constructing a Virtual Faith Core, establishing a connection with followers, and gathering the Power of Faith.


    This part was rtively easy for Lis, who could fully memorize the content of the inheritance in about a day and imprint it in his soul.


    ...


    From the twenty-first to the sixtieth step, this part of the inheritance involved the process of constructing a virtual Divine Status, which is the most critical and core part of the Ascension Technique and the basis for all subsequent operations.


    Sphinx also made it clear in the inheritance that everyone''s virtual Divine Status is different, just like one''s unique arcane arts, and with ites the control over the power of the Divine Arts. This is no joke: any slight w or deficiency can have disastrous consequences.


    Therefore, in the Ascension Technique, Sphinx not only exined in detail every key aspect of constructing a virtual Divine Status but also recorded his own virtual Divine Status for the benefit of future generations to model upon.@@novelbin@@


    This stage was so difficult that it took Lis three days to barely memorize the inheritance of each step.

 Chapter 245 Ascend the Divine Throne!

    During this phase, the soul pressure Lis was enduring had gradually begun to affect his thought process and memory status.


    However, Lis also discovered to his surprise that as the pressure approaching its limit increased, the strength of his soul and will had also been slowly and gradually improving, much like steel being continuously tempered or a diamond forming under high pressure, slowly bing more resilient.


    Time passed slowly within the dream realm, and Lis had long forgotten the time in the outside world, fully immersed in the inheritance. He was thankful that, in the dream space, the spirit body needed neither food nor sleep, or he would have beenmenting the wasted time.


    ...


    The third stage, from step sixty-one to Ny Steps.


    As Lis moved closer to the end of this stairway, the pressure he was bearing had gradually begun to exceed the limits of his normal cognitive abilities, causing the process of receiving the inheritance to be continuously interrupted by this painful pressure.


    His soul felt like it was carrying a mountain on its back, and the heavy pressure made Lis''s thoughts slow down.


    "Huff~ Huff~"


    Even though he was in the Dream Space, Lis couldn''t help but kneel on one knee atop the stairway, his body trembling slightly, his contemtive and memorizing state shattered over and over again by the pressure on his soul.


    Every time this happened, Lis felt like his soul was painfully about to shatter, crushed into fragments by this overwhelming pressure.


    But even after waking up countless times, Lis continued to resist the pressure and pain brought by the inheritance, never thinking of giving up.


    I won''t fall here!


    With his tenacious will, he forced himself to continue to receive the Ascension Technique''s inheritance time and time again.


    Below the stairs, the ck cat looked at Lis with concern.


    That figure, standing at the Seventy Steps, appeared so resilient in its eyes. Since the ck cat had entered the Dream Space''s ck Temple to protect the Sphinx''s inheritance, countless years had passed, and it had seen the person who made it the farthest in this third trial.


    The strongest person before Lis had only just managed to make it to Level 45 before failing.


    Keep it up, Lis!


    The ck cat could no longer contain its excitement, standing at the bottom of the stairs, gazing intently at Lis''s silhouette.


    Just then, the cat saw Lis''s figure sway, as if he was about to fall.


    Is it still not enough?


    But reaching the Seventy Steps was already quite impressive; perhaps there would be another chance in the future.


    The ck cat''s heart skipped a beat, but it quickly consoled itself, knowing the difficulty of receiving the inheritance.


    Sometimes, the ck cat couldn''t help but wonder if only beings that were also Legendary Arcanists could receive the master''s inheritance.


    However, the ck cat soon noticed something wrong; Lis''s figure had steadied quickly, and he even took another step upward.


    What... what is this situation?


    The ck cat was somewhat confused about the situation, wondering why Lis''s status had suddenly improved, but it didn''t matter, it was better if he could keep going!


    ...


    Lis himself knew very well what had just happened.


    From the sixty-first to the nieth step, the inheritance corresponded to the content in the Ascension Technique about igniting the Will of the Divine Fire and tempering the Elemental Divine Power.


    The Will of the Divine Fire, created by Sphinx, unlike the Divine Fire of divinities, is a manifestation of the Arcanist''s soul and will, the crystallization of the soul''s origin, the ultimate expression of supreme will.


    Undoubtedly, this process demands extremely high willpower from an Arcanist, the bare minimum being that of a Demigod Level.


    Therefore, within the inheritance, Sphinx specially left a spiritual tempering method that not only forges the willpower but also gradually enhances the Soul Strength, named "Sphinx''s Divine Forging Technique"!


    This unique method for tempering spiritual power used by a Legendary Arcanist is akin to the Body Forging Technique used by warriors. However, this is markedly rarer, considered by Sphinx for those who inherit it who might not possess great strength, uniquelybining myriad techniques and his own experience to summarize.


    Lis did not find a simr method for exercising the spirit at the "Judgement me".


    Therefore, as soon as Lis acquired the "Sphinx''s Divine Forging Technique", he eagerly learned the Divine Forging Technique, honing and refining his willpower.


    It was only fitting for the work of a Legendary Arcanist; Lis soon achieved significant improvement from the Divine Forging Technique, continually sharpening his soul and will against soul pressure, resulting in no small breakthrough.


    This allowed Lis, who was close to his limit, to finally take a small sigh of relief.


    Yet, Lis did not stop his pursuit of the inheritance. The time to act is now, not to rest after one sess and not when depleted after two, as the third attempt would exhaustpletely.


    ...


    One year after facing the third trial, Lis was already standing on thest few steps. Find adventures at empire


    Even with the help of "Sphinx''s Divine Forging Technique", the unceasingly intensifying soul pressure exceeded Lis'' limits of endurance.


    Lis now looked pale, his whole body trembling, enduring immense agony of the soul, a pain that could not be described simply as bone-piercing or heart-drilling.


    Lis had no spare consciousness to worry about other matters, barely moving forward on the verge of copse. Besides this fragment of will to pursue the inheritance and remember the Ascension Technique, he had no capacity left for thought.


    Recorded on the steps from ny to one hundred were not theplete details of Sphinx''s Ascension Technique, but his conjectures and experiments about consolidating a Divine Position and exalting a Divine Country in the future��extremely precious wealth. This represents the unceasing research of a Legendary Arcanist even in thest moments of his life.


    However, Lis no longer harbored sentimental thoughts. He appeared akin to a vegetative person,boriously memorizing Sphinx''s Wisdom, one word and one Magic Rune at a time.


    Not knowing how much time passed or where he was, Lis trudged on like a walking corpse, his only thought to persist a bit longer.


    At some point, Lis finallypleted the inheritance of these steps, and his body subconsciously moved onto the next stairway.


    For some reason, no new inheritance flooded his mind, and that soul pressure that had peaked vanished without a trace.


    Lis stood on the hundredth step, his will still tense, and he had not yet recovered his senses, looking around nkly.


    There were no more steps before him.


    He was now standing at the highest point of the hundred steps, facing the Divine Throne that shimmered with a rainbow of lights.


    Only now, emerging from the depths of the inheritance, did Lis gain some lucidity. He tried to crack a smile, wanting to express his joy unrestrainedly, but he found he had no strength left. The will that he had been maintaining till this moment now finally copsed, and an infinite tiredness welled up in his soul.


    He was exhausted!


    But Lis continued, using thest of his will to control his body, to sit upon that most exalted Divine Throne.


    Boom!@@novelbin@@


    Endless rays of multicolored light began to furiously swirl around Lis, who sat upon the Divine Throne, and the entire ck Temple resounded with thunderous roars, as if celebrating the arrival of a new master after countless years!

 Chapter 246 The Gift of the Legendary Arcanist

    Dream Space, ck Temple.


    All the Magic Elements in the temple were jubnt, colorful lights encircling the throne as if weing the birth of the heir.


    Lis, who could sit on the throne, could no longer resist the fatigue from his soul, leaning on the cold back of the throne about to fall into sleep.


    Just as Lis closed his eyes at thest moment, he thought he saw the Legendary Arcanist Sphinx, standing before the throne, smiling at him.


    "Master Sphinx!"


    The ck cat hurriedly jumped up the stairs, step by step, and upon seeing the figure of Sphinx at the top, quickly spoke.


    "It''s been a long time, Antilicia."


    Sphinx, having seen the approaching ck cat, nodded with a smile.


    "I never thought it would take so many years for someone to pass my trial. I apologize for having you wait here so long."


    "Not at all, Master Sphinx."


    The ck cat shook its head, speaking respectfully.


    Continue your adventure at empire


    Born as a Mage Tower''s Magic Wisdom life with self-awareness, it had been brought to this temple by Sphinx shortly after. Therefore, it had very little memory of the outside world, spending most of its time in the temple asleep, knowing only what remained from memories of its time as the Tower Spirit.


    The ck cat did not have many memories of Sphinx, and the rtionship between them was more of respect for its creator rather than closeness.


    Sphinx did not mind and turned his head to closely inspect Lis, who was asleep on the throne.


    He sighed, a mix of joy, nostalgia, and regret in his eyes.


    "Let him rest for a while, Antilicia. I''ll leave what happens when he wakes to you."


    The ck cat did not reply, merely nodding silently.


    It clearly understood the state of the Sphinx before it��a fragment of consciousness left by the Legendary Arcanist relying on a treasure��that would disappear afterpleting the inheritance.


    As a Legendary Arcanist standing at the pinnacle of the world, Sphinx possessed his pride. When his life was nearing an end, he chose neither to be a legendary Witch Demon nor to ept the olive branches tossed by the deities.


    It was well-known that there had been a God System master willing to split part of their Divine Position to have Sphinx serve under them.


    Now, he naturally would not take over Lis''s body.


    Seeming to have fulfilled his final wish, Sphinx''s face carried a smile, but his body gradually faded away, eventually leaving behind a crown surrounded by colorful Magic Light, hanging in midair and slowly rotating.


    This was a silver-white crown, seemingly made from precious metals and gemstones. Designed with smooth andplete circles, divided into four nes, each carved with exquisite stars and World Tree leaves, with small pieces of Magic Gems embellishing them.


    If one looked closely, they would realize the decorative patterns of the crown were not merely for aesthetics, but in fact consisted of myriad Magic Runes glowing with Spirit Light.


    Of course, the most eye-catching were still the four polished gemstones on each ne, each safeguarded by countless Magic Runes and Magic Gems��glowing purely red for the Fire Element, blue for the Water Element, cyan for the Wind Element, and yellow for the Earth Element.


    Merely looking at it, one could feel the pure and powerful elemental power contained within.


    The crown hanging in mid-air, under the control of the Legendary Arcanist''s final consciousness, floated towards Lis on the throne, slowly and firmly settling on his head.


    With that, the trial ended!


    This temple and inheritance that had waited for centuries finally weed their new master.


    The Magic Elements swirling around the throne gradually became calm and stable but continued to converge into Lis''s body, merging with him.


    The ck cat, upon seeing the disappearance of Sphinx''s figure before the throne, sighed.


    With this, even the final consciousness of the Legendary Arcanist had vanished, and the journey of Sphinx had trulye to an end.


    Was Lis ever going to catch up to his pace in the future?@@novelbin@@


    Or even surpass him?


    The ck Cat shook its head, thinking it was still too early to contemte such things, as it could tell Lis was still just a silver-level Mage.


    With small steps, it walked to the throne and lightly jumped onto Lis, coiling up on his thigh and tucking in its tail, entering dreand together with Lis.


    The temple returned to its prior silence and stillness, just as it had been for hundreds of years.


    However, new changes had urred.


    ...


    "Hiss~"


    Lis slowly opened his eyes, looking at the familiar temple and the surrounding Magic Light, still somewhat bewildered.


    He didn''t know how long he had slept, but the overwhelming fatigue and drowsiness had mostly vanished, and his brain started up again slowly, like an engine that had been idle for a long time.


    Lis habitually raised his hand to rub his temple, but suddenly felt something on his head.


    He took it off and looked at it, discovering it was an exquisitely luxurious crown.


    However, this was no ordinary crown, as Lis could already feel the powerful Magic power emanating from it; it was definitely a piece of Magic Equipment, and a very powerful one at that.


    It was far beyond the Teleportation Ring given to him by Mr. Stephens.


    "This is a gift from Sphinx, as well as the most important legacy."


    The ck Cat''s voice came from below, and Lis then realized the ck Cat was lying on him,zily stretching its back and arching its buttocks.


    "So, I''ve passed all the trials, then?"


    Lisughed, looking at the ck Cat in front of him and couldn''t help but reach out to pet it.


    The feel was really good!


    The ck Cat didn''t mind Lis''s petting, and evenfortably nudged Lis''s hand with its head.


    "Yes, you''ve received the final legacy."


    "What about Master Sphinx?"


    Lis asked curiously, as he had thought he might meet the Legendary Arcanist after receiving the inheritance, and he had some matters he wanted to discuss.


    The ck Cat did not hide anything and directly said:


    "Master Sphinx has already disappeared, his consciousness had been residing in this crown."


    "Since you''ve passed all the trials, Master Sphinx voluntarily dissipated his consciousness, also aiding you in fully mastering this artifact."


    "So that''s how it is?"


    Lis looked at the crown before him, feeling somewhat regretful.


    "Is this the core of the inheritance?"


    Lis held the silver-white crown in his hands, carefully feeling it, and asked the ck Cat.


    "Yes, its name is..."


    "[Sphinx''s Wisdom]!"

 Chapter 247 Legendary Accessory [Sphinxs Wisdom]!

    "Sphinx''s Wisdom"?


    Lis silently looked at the crown in his hands, feeling its connection to himself.


    "This is Master Sphinx''s greatest masterpiece in his lifetime, also encapsting all his knowledge inheritance."


    "It is a piece of magic jewelry, a legendary-level essory. However, it doesn''t directly enhance your strength but aids you in the mastery of arcane research."


    "That''s what Master Sphinx told me. I don''t know the specific effects either, and you will have to explore them yourself."


    "After all, I''m not an Arcanist either!"


    The ck Caty sprawled on Lis''s thigh, saying so nonchntly.


    "Logically speaking, with your current strength, Lis, it would be hard not just to use it, but even to control it."


    "Therefore, Master Sphinx sealed part of its power to help you establish a connection with ''Sphinx''s Wisdom''. But you don''t need to worry; the seal will gradually unlock as your strength increases."


    Indeed, it''s legendary!


    Lis had already felt the connection between the crown in his hands and his own soul, filled with emotion.


    This was a piece of legendary equipment, an extremely rare existence.


    Every piece of legendary equipment is a treasure of the world, a crystallization of power and wisdom, a coveted existence by all professionals.


    Even divine artifacts are not necessarily stronger than legendary equipment in essence; the difference in their power lies more in the divine power that buffs the artifacts.


    He hadn''t expected that now, he actually owned a piece of legendary equipment of his own. In his past life, all known legendary equipments had their owners, and no yer had their own legendary equipment.


    All usage records were from plot missions where it could temporarily be used as an item. But it was precisely because of that, yers realized how precious and powerful the contained strength of legendary equipment was.


    The Feis Kingdom, powerful as it was, only had one piece of legendary weapon��that longsword in Ya''er''s hands, also the one etched into the royal family crest.


    However...


    This crown is too conspicuous; it''s not like I can wear it whenever I use it.@@novelbin@@


    Seemingly noticing Lis''s expression, the ck Cat became curious about the reason and thoughtfully said:


    "I remember, ''Sphinx''s Wisdom'' should have the ability to change its form. Master Sphinx never wore it as a crown either; you might want to try it."


    Is that so?


    Lis pondered for a moment, immersing his consciousness into "Sphinx''s Wisdom," and attempted to do so.


    After a moment, the silver-white crown turned into a delicate silver-white circr earring, with its center still iid with those four colored gemstones; however, inparison to the crown, it was much smaller in shape, and the magical runes on it turned into a miniaturized version.


    Amazing!


    This was the first time Lis owned a piece of equipment capable of changing its shape. Legendary equipment was indeed extraordinary.


    Wait a minute!


    These four gemstones!


    Could they be Elemental Origin Gems?


    Lis''s pupils dted slightly as he discovered something he had overlooked before.


    The elemental power that radiated from the four-colored gemstones was much purer than the surrounding Magic Elements particles and far surpassed the power of high-level elemental gemstones.


    Elemental Origin Gems are produced in only one ce in the world��the core origin of the Four Elements ne, an intensely hidden ce where, other than the ne''s master, no one can enter.


    And for massive nes like the Element ne, Shadow ne, etc., there has never been a master of the ne.


    So Origin Gems rarely leave the core origin of a ne, to be obtained by outsiders.


    Simr to the drop of Shadow Origin Power that Joyce gave to Lis before, but one Origin Gem is made of the most purified Origin Power, extremely precious and rare. Joyce had mentioned it when introducing it to Lis, and he had never seen an Origin Gem.


    Unexpectedly, the gems iid in the legendary-level jewelry in his hands were Origin Gems, and not just one, but four corresponding Origin Gems.


    Such a grand gesture!


    No wonder it could be a piece of legendary equipment!


    Lis sighed, casually slipping the earring onto his left ear. His handsome and smart face was framed by the somewhat silvery-white earring, which added a touch of mystery and a noble charm.


    The ck Cat, looking at Lis who was fiddling with the earring, spoke up:


    "Master Sphinx has left the inheritance all here. Just take your time to study it, and there''s something else I need to remind you of,"


    "To prevent the inheritance from being leaked, the Master used hisst bit of power to ce a prohibition on your memory to prevent it from being read. Likewise, you cannot reveal it voluntarily until..."


    "...you''ve reached Legendary status. Once you are there, you''ll have no restrictions in teaching the knowledge from the inheritance to others."


    Is that so?


    Lis nced at the ck Cat in front of him, pondering in his mind.


    The ck Cat always referred to the inheritance without specific names. Perhaps it also didn''t know the details of the inheritance, like the existence of the "Sphinx Ascension Technique."


    It''s safer to be careful!


    The warnings of the Legendary Arcanist,bined with Lis''s uncertainty about the attitudes of divine beings, convinced him to keep this secret buried deep in his heart for now.


    Seeing the ck Cat curled up into a ball on him, sleeping without any further hints, Lis immersed his mind in "Sphinx''s Wisdom," continuously familiarizing himself and synchronizing with this Legendary-level essory.


    At the same time, Lis also summoned the system panel to check his recent gains.


    -----------------


    [You have passed the third trial!]


    [Your special task: [Trial of the Wisdom God Sphinx] has beenpleted!]


    Stay tuned with empire


    [Settling task...Settlementplete!]


    [Task Completion: 120%]


    [Reward Distribution...]


    [You have gained 12,000,000 Experience Points!]


    [You have gained the specialities "Power of Dreams," "Advanced Affinity of Faith Power," "Tenacious Will," and "Soul Ascension"]


    [You have gained the Skill "Awake Dream"!]


    [You have achieved the milestone "Hidden Explorer"!]


    ...


    [You have learned and mastered "Sphinx Refining God Skill"!]


    ...


    [You have obtained the Legendary essory "Sphinx''s Wisdom"!]


    ...


    [You have received a Special Power buff!]


    [You have acquired a new Status "Soul Guardian"!]


    -----------------


    So many rewards!


    Lis looked at the information on the system panel with some pleasantly surprise, silently tallying them up in his mind.


    The gains from exploring this Dream Space were far beyond what Lis had imagined before he set out from Bright City.


    Although he was essentially in a soul-conscious state during this mission, so all the gains were based on consciousness and soul, this was nevertheless the biggest boost for Lis, who was a Mage.


    Especially getting the "Sphinx''s Wisdom," this Legendary essory!


    Lis had already examined it thoroughly; in this essory was stored the entire knowledge and memories of the inheritance left by that Legendary Arcanist.


    It was almost like Lis had fully received the mantle of a Legendary Arcanist!

 Chapter 248 Sphinx Dream Building Skill!

    Lis felt somewhat emotional as he touched the earring that had transformed from the "Sphinx''s Wisdom," and he opened the detailed information in the system to check it out.


    -----------------


    [essory: "Sphinx''s Wisdom"]


    Level: Legendary


    Description: The highest masterpiece of the legendary arcanist Sphinx, a resplendent crystallization of his boundless wisdom, it will unlock for you the treasure trove of knowledge!


    Equipment Effect 1: "Sphinx''s Knowledge Treasure"


    The legendary arcanist Sphinx has ced all of his knowledge within it, allowing you to consult and study at will through your consciousness.


    Equipment Effect 2: "Divergent Arcane Revtion"


    When you conduct arcane research, it enhances the divergency of your thinking. You can think about problems from different directions and perspectives, contemting multiple ways to solve them.


    Equipment Effect 3: "Insightful Arcane Revtion"


    When you conduct arcane research, it enhances the insightfulness of your thinking. You can directly, objectively, and effectively discover the essence of problems and urately find the most efficient research directions.


    Equipment Effect 4: "Creative Arcane Revtion"


    When you conduct arcane research, it enhances the creativity of your thinking. You can discover new ideas through a wealth of associations, thoughts, imaginations, and conjectures, possessing great flexibility. Building on the work of predecessors, you can have new insights, discoveries, and breakthroughs, thus having a strong pioneering nature in the arcane field.


    Equipment Effect 5: Attribute Enhancement (Half Sealed)


    Your Intelligence Attribute +100 points, Mysterious Attribute +100 points, Charm Attribute +50 points


    Equipment Effect 6: Elemental Affinity Enhancement (Half Sealed)


    The Four Elements Origin Gem gives your elemental affinity further enhancement, raising your affinity levels for each element by one tier during the period you wear this essory (effective until Advanced Elemental Affinity).


    (Your Elemental Affinities: Intermediate Wind Element Affinity, Advanced Water Element Affinity, Intermediate Earth Element Affinity, Advanced Fire Element Affinity)


    (Note: Lis originally had Low-Level Elemental Affinities for all Four Elements)


    Equipment Effect 7: ... (Sealed)


    ...


    Equipment Effect 10: ... (Sealed)


    ---------------


    Is this what Legendary-level Equipment is like?


    It''s simply too powerful!


    Even though it is still in a sealed state, the effects have already far surpassed Lis''s imagination.


    The first effect alone, containing all the knowledge of the legendary arcanist Sphinx, represents a huge library at Lis''s disposal for continuous review and search.


    The amount of knowledge held by a legendary arcanist is no less than what''s in the Feis Royal Library, and its value far surpasses it by several notches.


    For Lis, and for any arcanist, this is more precious than another piece of Legendary Equipment, and even more valuable.


    However, for Lis to fully master the knowledge within, there''s still a long way to go. Compared to legendary arcanists, Lis is still just a child learning to read.


    Putting that aside, even just organizing the types of knowledge contained within is enough to keep him busy.


    Perhaps this is a happy trouble!


    ```


    Effects 2, 3, and 4 should be the core oues of "Sphinx''s Wisdom" that enlightened the Arcanist, allowing for groundbreaking progress in arcane research.


    Their magic is indeed worthy of its Legendary-level essory tier.


    At least Lis had never seen simr effects on any other equipment.


    Effects 5 and 6 supplemented Lis''s Attributes and Elemental Affinity, which, although still in a Half Sealed state, significantly improved his somewhat unsightly Elemental Affinity.


    As for effects 7 to 10, they are currently in a sealed state, and even their detailed names and information cannot be seen. Perhaps only when Lis''s strength increases will he be able to further unlock the seals.


    Lis nodded with satisfaction, truly the greatest gain from this adventure.


    Then he began examining his other loot.


    ---------------


    [Specialty "Power of Dreams": You possess the ability to utilize the Power of Dreams, allowing you to explore the most magnificent and fantasy domains of creatures.]


    [Specialty "Advanced Affinity of Faith Power": Special experiences have made your mind more attuned to the Power of Faith, the most devout spiritual force. Faith Power affinity +100%, consumption reduced by 30%]


    [Specialty "Tenacious Will": Your will underwent an extreme tempering, bing resolute and tenacious. Will strength +50%, priority of will checks +3]


    [Specialty "Soul Ascension": Your soul has undergone aplete transformation and ascension. Soul Strength +50%, resistance to soul abnormal statuses +30%]


    [Skill "Awake Dream": After using this skill, you can maintain self-awareness in dreams and have greater autonomy.]


    Your next chapter awaits on empire


    [Landmark "Hidden Controller": You have mastered one of the secrets of the Gaia World. Your mysterious attribute +10%, and you stand a chance to trigger other hidden events.]


    ---------------


    Perhaps due to the high tier of the Dream Space this time, the rewards for the mission are exceptionally powerful.


    These four specialties correspond to the different requirements of the three rounds of trials in the Dream Space, respectively, corresponding to dreams, faith, and will and soul.


    The "Power of Dreams" specialty is a special power to manipte dreams, presumably the same ability Sphinx used to construct that Dream Space.


    Combined with Lis''s acquired skill "Awake Dream", it should save a significant amount of time that Lis would otherwise spend learning to control the Dream World.


    Truthfully, Lis envied Sphinx''s ability to control dreams, which seemed almost magical.


    It is unimaginable for the average person to maintain control and preserve a special Dream Space in the Dream World for an extended period, especially one that contains an extremely realistic trial world.


    And moreover...


    Lis flipped through the "Sphinx''s Wisdom" and found a special legacy in the core section, "Sphinx Dream Building Skill".


    This was something Lis had nced at while browsing through the legacies earlier and had taken particr note of.


    It''s one of Sphinx''s top research oues, aside from the "Sphinx Ascension Technique".@@novelbin@@


    The principle of the "Sphinx Dream Building Skill" is to use the Power of Dreams to achieve various special operations in the Dream World, such as entering others'' dreams and controlling dreams, and so forth.


    The most profound is the method to construct special Dream Worlds, which of course is also the most difficult.


    Although the "Sphinx Dream Building Skill" is highlyplex, entering the basics isn''t that difficult, and with the foundation of both "Power of Dreams" and "Awake Dream", Lis is confident he can initially master this skill.


    No choice, the skill is too practical. One of its uses is to bypass lower-tier bodily restrictions of opponents through dreams, to obtain memory information from their souls.


    There''s no helping it, the legacies left by the Legendary Arcanist are simply top-tier, and ordinary abilities just don''t catch his eye.


    Aside from "Sphinx Refining God Skill" and "Sphinx Dream Building Skill", Lis currentlycks the capability to master other legacy skills, and he''ll have to try them in the future.


    ```

 Chapter 249 Martial Monk Profession Specialty [Proof of Nature]

    "Advanced Affinity of Faith Power," should be the manifestation of Lis''s enhanced soul from the second round of trials.


    As a Priest of the Wisdom Church, Lis spent ten years studying the Divine Arts. His soul was long immersed in the Power of Faith, greatly raising his affinity with it. This change would also be reflected in the outside world through Lis''s spirit.


    However, it wasn''t of much use to Lis now. After obtaining the "Sphinx Ascension Technique," Lis''s goals were no longer limited to bing a Legend.


    Given such an opportunity, Lis even considered giving up the Priest profession specialty he was preparing to acquire in favor of one that would aid the Ascension Technique. But he hadn''t decided which specialty to choose yet, so he would have to n it out slowly in the future.


    As for "Tenacious Will" and "Soul Ascension," they were the most direct and clear upgrades for Lis, and definitely his favorites.


    After the third round of trials, Lis even felt that his willpower and soul strength had broken through the Gold Level, reaching a new level.


    As a spirit body, this was a sensation Lis was quite clear about, and even his body had solidified a lot more than when he first entered the temple.


    Last, the milestone "Hidden Explorer," was a specialty Lis had never heard of before.


    The description in its effects likely referred to Lis mastering the secrets of the "Sphinx Ascension Technique," which surely warranted such an evaluation.


    The effect of enhancing the mysterious attribute was great, but it was the part about "triggering other hidden events" that piqued Lis''s interest.


    He didn''t know whether it was a good or bad thing.


    This exploration had brought too many enhancements for him, not just a boost in power but also showing Lis the grace of the pinnacle of the world.


    Although Stephens and Joyce had exined some of the Legends'' secrets to Lis before, the Ascension Technique excited him even more.


    Although Lis''s power was still far from sufficient and the "Sphinx Ascension Technique" wasn''t perfected, and might not guarantee sess, it had nted a seed in Lis''s heart.


    It seemed like I could also strive for a realm beyond Legend!


    To others, this might seem overly ambitious, but Lis felt with the guidance of his two great backers and now having another Legend''s heritage, bing a Legendary Arcanist wasn''t that difficult.


    Take it slow! One step at a time!


    Having spent a decade in the Dream World, although part of his memory was sealed by the Sphinx, Lis''s attitude had be much more steady over time.


    Lis stroked the ck Cat on hisp, fiddling with its pink paw pads, and said with a smile:


    "Would you like toe with me?"


    Suppressing the urge to swipe at Lis, the ck Cat hummed:


    "Of course, I''ve had enough of staying here."


    "Alright, how do I take you out with me?"


    Lis asked, now feeling that sitting at the highest point of the ck Temple felt quite nice.


    The ck Cat pondered for a moment then lowered its head to lick the back of Lis''s right hand.


    Suddenly, the ck Cat''s figure began to fade and a ck paw print appeared on the back of Lis''s hand.@@novelbin@@


    In a moment, the paw print on Lis''s hand vanished, and the ck Cat reappeared on hisp.


    Lis felt that the ck Cat in front of him seemed to have formed some sort of soul connection with him, bing somewhat more intimate.


    "Now you''re my master, Lis," said the ck Cat, licking its paw, with its amber eyes looking at him.


    "Is that so?" Read exclusive adventures at empire


    Lis said with a smile, pleased with this turn of events. He wouldn''t miss out on this extremely rare and unique Magic Intelligent Life.


    Unless Lis decided to let it go, the ck Cat was now forever bound to him.


    "Pleased to meet you, ck Cat," Lis said with a smile creeping onto his face, then suddenly asked, looking at the ck Cat:


    "ck Cat, what''s your name again?"


    "I''m called Antti... never mind, you give me a new name. I, too, am looking forward to a new start," replied the ck Cat after some thought.


    "Ah... How about Little ck... no, that won''t do, there''s already a Little ck."


    "Maybe Little Little ck... That doesn''t feel right, either."


    "How about Sheriff ck Cat?"


    "Carbon Head?"


    "ck King Kong?"


    "Dark Night Saint Meow?"


    "Wow,ing up with a name is really hard."


    Lis felt some distress, as naming was an extremely difficult task for him.


    The ck cat at his side listened to Lis muttering to himself, its face pitch-ck.


    In the end, with the ck cat resisting with all its might, Lis somewhat regretfully named it "Little Mi."


    "Mi Mi, are you sure you don''t want to be called ''Dark Night Saint Meow''? I think this name suits you."


    Lis shook his head as he looked at the ck cat now called Mi Mi, trying to give it another nickname.


    "I refuse."


    The ck cat''s first impression of its new master Lis was finally cemented.


    This guy is terrible at naming!


    Imagine Master Sphinx, names like "Sphinx Ascension Technique," "Sphinx Dream Building Skill" sounded so good, and its previous name, Antilicia, was also very pleasant to hear.


    So, what the heck is ''Dark Night Saint Meow''?!


    Ignoring the ck cat''s discontent, Lis surveyed his surroundings and asked:


    "Can we get out of here now?"


    "What about this space?"


    "Just leave it here."


    The ck cat indifferently said, it was indeed tired of staying here.


    "After we leave, this space will close, and no one else will be able to enter."


    "If you want, you coulde back in the future, but I don''t see the point."


    Lis nced around and stood up from the ck throne.


    "Let''s go, I have a lot of things to do!"


    The ck cat nodded, just as it was about to shift itself and Lis out, it suddenly heard Lis''s voice.


    "Wait a second."


    Then they saw Lis fumbling around behind the throne, and after some attempts, he sessfully stowed the throne into a space ring.


    After that, they saw Lis clomping down the stairs, trying hard to do something in front of the divine statue.


    "That statue is the core of this space; it''s locked in ce and can''t be moved."


    The ck cat humanely brought a paw to its face, expressing its helplessness.


    It suddenly felt signing a master-servant contract so directly had been a bit rash.


    Is this guy really reliable?


    "Oh, then let''s go."


    Within Lis''s somewhat regretful gaze, he and the ck cat were enveloped by a burst of colorful light, disappearing from the temple.


    This time, the temple really fell into a deep, silent stillness.


    ---------------


    Lying in the inn''s bed, Lis woke up and looked at the ss of water on the table.


    It was the same as before, unchanged.


    Only one night had truly passed.


    Lis marveled in his heart, this was nothing short of a miracle.


    It wasn''t until this moment that Lis slowly became clear-headed from the trance of spending ten years in the trial,


    "Next up is..."


    "The Martial Monk''s basic ss feature, ''Proof of Nature,'' right?"

 Chapter 250 Lis Who Wants to Become a Lord

    Snow Ridge Town, the inn where Lis stayed.


    Lis, who had just acquired the inheritance of the Legendary Arcanist Sphinx the previous day, did not set off immediately, leaving Snow Ridge Town, but instead rested well in the inn for a day.


    Having spent an overly long time in the Dream Space''s second trial, and the third trial putting significant pressure on his spirit, although Sphinx had alleviated his status, the fatigue emanating from deep within his soul still made Lis choose to sleep soundly for an entire day to recover his spirits.


    Little Mi, the ck cat, also left the Dream Space with Lis,ing into the outside world for the first time in countless ages.


    Although its knowledge storage held a vast amount of information about the Gaia World, feeling the fresh air of the outside world once again made it very excited.


    Asking Lis to open the window, the ck cat shot out with a whoosh, jumping onto the roof nearby, then disappeared from sight, leaving behind only a cute trail of paw prints on the snow.


    Lis wasn''t worried about its safety; even though the ck cat''s body, condensed from Magic Elements, had the same strength as an ordinary pet cat, as long as the Contract Seal on Lis''s hand had no issues, it could be revived from within Lis at any time.


    So Lis let it roam free, it seemed the ck cat was very excited about leaving the Dream Space.


    Lis couldn''t help but think of Little Bat, Ang, who had also been very excited when it left the tomb, butter becamezy and gluttonous.


    However, Lis didn''t spend the entire day doing nothing; after waking up, he thoroughly nned his subsequent journey.


    Having been away from Bright City for several months, acquiring the inheritance from Sphinx had certainly been a great gain, but it also made Lis yearn for even greater strength.


    Having witnessed the elegance of those who stood at the pinnacle of the world, Lis''s heart was somewhat restless, and he began to n his future travels with great enthusiasm.


    First of all, was his next Basic Profession specialty, also the Martial Monk''s specialty, the "Proof of Nature"!


    This was a rather special specialty, and it took a long time for Lis to make the choice.


    Martial Monk''s profession specialty "Proof of Nature" �� Endurance Attribute receives a 2x numerical modifier, your will and spirit merge with Nature, obtaining special buffs from your current environment.


    Endurance Attribute receives a 2x numerical modifier, an effect shared by all profession specialties.


    The most important part was the sentence that followed.


    Literally, it meant that the Martial Monks possessing this specialty would be in harmony with the natural environment and could receive buffs from it.


    It seemed ordinary, but was in fact an extremely practical ability.


    Generally, Rangers or Druids, being the professions closest to Nature, derived many of their abilities from Nature''s buffs, and their deities of worship usually had rted Divine Positions.


    But apart from them, there were also simr schools and spiritual practices within the Martial Monks.


    The Martial Monk profession was interesting, it didn''t requireplicated knowledge like a Mage, nor did it need to focus on weaponry like a warrior.


    The distinction of this profession lied in strong perception, exceptional closebat martial arts, a high survival capability, and high resistance. Rtive to other closebat professions, they didn''t depend on equipment or specialties, but the enhancements brought about by equipment and specialties were alsoparatively small.


    They were a profession with distinctly clear features, and most of their strength came from their bodies.


    There were many schools, with the Sandboxing Sect that focused on researching closebat hand-to-hand martial arts, the Shadow Sect adept in dark environments, and the Elemental Sect which mastered Elemental Skills, being the most famous.


    Included among these were also the Drunk Fist Masters who grasped uniquebat techniques and the Eternal Death Sect who deeply pursued immortality, among others.


    And the specialty "Proof of Nature", belonged to the Martial Monks of the Elemental Sect; however, even within the Elemental Sect, few Martial Monks chose this specialty.


    Being able to receive various special bonuses is indeed delightful, but the biggest problem is that this specialty does not provide a significant direct enhancement to the Martial Monk''sbat abilities, but rather boosts various supportive abilities.


    Of course, Lis has his reasons for choosing this specialty.


    First and foremost, the specialty could greatly strengthen Lis'' perception abilities, granting him simr enhancements to perception in the forest like those of Druids and Rangers, but with a wider range of applicability, effective in the ocean, desert, and other environments as well.


    Secondly, the bonuses from the environment are very useful in improving Lis'' overall strength.


    For instance, they allow Lis to receive extra environmental bonuses when using Mage Elemental Magic or additional concealment bonuses when utilizing assassin stealth skills, and so on.


    The most important aspect is the extremely strong supportive capability of "Proof of Nature," which can act as an intermediary for the various professional skills held by Lis, greatly improving his fighting capabilities where they are weakest.


    If Lis'' other profession specialties were different wooden nks, then "Proof of Nature" would be the iron hoop that binds all the nks together to form a barrel.


    This is where the great value of "Proof of Nature" lies, after all, possessing the "All-Purpose" talent means Lis does not have to worry about theck of directbat strength that other Martial Monks may fear upon gaining this specialty.


    However, acquiring "Proof of Nature" is not simple.


    It''s not about undergoing any arduous challenges, but rather it requires Lis to travel for extended periods like an ascetic, experiencing the presence of nature and ultimately receiving the sublimation and blessing of the Power of Nature.


    Of course, it doesn''t have to be as harsh as the ascetic monks practice, or else Lis might truly not be able to do it.


    The transformation required by this specialty needs the assistance of a Soul Comforting Gem.


    Yes, it''s that precious gemstone imbued with soul power that Lis needs to aplish the final breakthrough.


    Lis had not obtained a Soul Comforting Gem in Bright City before, so the n to acquire "Proof of Nature" was actually scheduled for muchter.


    But unexpectedly, Lis obtained one from Count Solo of Northwind City, a truly pleasant surprise.


    Of course, the journey required for "Proof of Nature" is quite lengthy, allowing Lis to pursue other matters during his travels.


    For example, he could stir things up in the Dillon Kingdom or witness the downfall of the Boditch Kingdom.


    These are going to be the most important historical processes on the Fanor Continent in the future, and Lis would not miss them.


    It''s not for the experience rewards of the main storyline, as thosevish experiences for Bronze Level yers seem rather ordinary to the current Lis.


    Lis'' goal is to leverage his grasp of future plot developments to achieve more meritorious deeds, thereby seeking real territorial lordship from the Feis Kingdom.


    That''s right, Lis ns to obtain a piece of noblend for himself!


    This is not a whim; it upies a very important ce in Lis'' future ns.


    And thend that Lis seeks is...


    the Danerluo Port on the eastern coast of the Boditch Kingdom, and the surroundingndparable to a Duke Domain. Your adventure continues at empire@@novelbin@@


    This is one of the threending points on the Fanor Continent for the "Phillips Crystal" that could open the channel to an Otherworldly World in the 3.0 version storyline.


    It is also the ce where the Az Floating City would rise and the most important port in the Star Sea.

 Chapter 251 The Regained Gold Coin

    Star Sea was named for its unique geographical location. Find adventures on empire


    It lies between the Taize Penins and the Luou Penins which jut out from the Fanor Continent into the ocean, making the waters there less turbulentpared to other coastal areas, and the reflection of the glittering stars in the night sky on its calm surface exceedingly beautiful.


    Danerluo Port, located on Star Sea, was the busiest port and the most important point of exit to the ocean for the Boditch Kingdom, boasting the broadest and most suitable deep-water harbor frequented by endless merchant ships and cargo vessels.


    This was also the territory most coveted by the Eastern Border Nobles of the Feis Kingdom.


    However, the special circumstances of Danerluo Port made Lis reluctant to give it up.


    It was known that starting from the 3.0 version, the "Phillips Crystal" from the void would fall into the Gaia World, and its contained special space power was able to long maintain a spatial channel to other Different nes around its location.


    This was indeed a grand event, a feast for the division of explorations in Otherworld!


    Countless precious resources, myriad unique treasures, vast new territories, and more��it was an opportunity that neither natives nor yers should miss.


    Even the high and mighty Church of the Gods, aiming to seize the faith of those Different nes, heavily invested in it.


    Due to the uniqueness of the Phillips Crystal, once it fell, it was locked together tightly with the space of its crash site, so even Legendary Strongmen couldn''t move it, meaning that if Lis held Danerluo Port, he essentially held the greatest advantage.


    Even merely weing the surge of adventurers and yers could bring substantial benefits to Lis, not to mention holding the initiative in exploring Otherworld.


    In fact, Lis could probably even convince King Morton to grant him a territory right now.


    But the particrity of Danerluo Port made it something that the Eastern Border Nobles wouldn''t easily surrender.


    Since Lis had chosen to be a noble and vie for that territory, he naturally had to adhere to the rules of the game among nobles.


    Indeed, relying on his teacher or Joyce could definitively set the matter of the territory, but this would undoubtedly break the tacit understanding among the nobles and attract the hostility of other nobles of the Kingdom, which would be problematic.


    Perhaps it might only result in secretive non-cooperation, impeding the development of Lis''snds, but Lis certainly shouldn''t need to trouble his higher-ups for such a minor issue.


    As long as he earned enough merits in the uing war, there would be no further hindrances.


    Moreover, Lis was also nning to participate in that war to obtain sufficient benefits.


    So next, he would head to the Dillon Kingdom!


    In the process of obtaining the Proof of Nature, Lis nned to take a stroll over the snowy ins, which was one of the strategies he had summarized in his previous life.


    Conveniently, he could also stir up some trouble in the capital of the Dillon Kingdom en route.


    Lis remembered that not long after, a big event was going to take ce in Ice Peak City, the capital of the Dillon Kingdom.


    Ah, what a great opportunity to cause some trouble!


    -----------------


    The next morning.


    Lis packed his belongings and set out from the inn, preparing to leave Frozen Ridge Town today and head north to the Dillon Kingdom.


    ck Cat had been out wandering all day yesterday and hadn''t returned even by this morning.


    Having no choice, Lis used the Contract Seal to forcibly summon back this magic-intelligent life that had been carried away in fun.


    It could be said that the ck Cat, now possessing autonomous consciousness and emotions, was really no different from a true intelligent life.


    After spending a long time, it had grown sufficiently wise, such an existence like ck Cat was really rare; at least in Lis''s past life, he had only heard about such beings in rumors.


    Thinking about it, it really was the perfectpanion for the Floating City!


    Grasping the ck Cat''s scruff, Lis picked it up and was ready to set out.


    The snow on the streets hadn''t melted yet, most of the townspeople stayed snugly at home, as the weather was not convenient for going out, better to enjoy the rare leisure time of the year at home.


    Creeak~ Creeak~


    Lis stepped on the snow, walking step by step out of Frozen Ridge Town.


    ck Cat Little Mi was lying on Lis''s shoulder, looking around curiously, refusing to enter the mark in Lis''s hand; its sense of novelty had not yet faded.


    Moreover, this perspective was a first for it; previously, Sphinx never took it out like this.


    As Lis passed by the central square of Snow Ridge Town, he saw the little boy he had met a few days ago squatting in front of the rudimentary snowman of the Wisdom God, his head down, shoulders quivering.


    Driven by curiosity, Lis walked over, smiling, and asked,


    "What''s the matter, praying to the Wisdom God again?"


    Upon hearing Lis''s somewhat familiar voice, Todd hurriedly wiped his face and tried to act as if nothing was wrong, raising his head to look over.


    But the moment he saw Lis, he felt the tears welling up again.


    "Uncle, the gold coin you gave me was taken by my mom."


    "She said she would save it for me, but I promised to buy treats and share them with Jes and the others."


    Facing loss for the first time made Todd feel ufortable, but what depressed him more was breaking his promise in front of his friends.


    "I see!"


    Lis smiled slightly; these were the troubles of a child, he thought.


    After thinking for a moment, Lis took out another gold coin from his ring and flicked it in front of Todd.


    "I have a favor to ask of you, and if you agree, this will be your reward."


    Todd looked at the gold coin in Lis''s hand, and looking up at Lis, he bit his lip and said,


    "Uncle, say it; you already gave me a gold coin before, I can''t take another one."


    "Oh?"


    Lis watched the somewhat principled young boy before him, a smile curling at the corners of his mouth.


    "Actually... I am a Divine Envoy of the Wisdom God. Could I trouble you to keep praying to my lord in the future?"


    "This is your reward from the Lord of Wisdom."


    Lis gently ced the Feis gold coin into Todd''s palm, smiling as he spoke.@@novelbin@@


    "Uncle, still..."


    As Todd felt the weight of the gold coin in his hand and was about to refuse, he suddenly realized that Lis was no longer in front of him.


    Could this uncle really be a Divine Envoy of the Lord of Wisdom?


    Shocked, Todd quickly stood up and looked around, but all he saw was a white expanse, not a person in sight.


    Seemingly recalling something, Todd quickly crouched down, lowered his head, and silently prayed to the divine statue of the Wisdom God in front of him.


    ...


    From a nearby rooftop, Lis watched Todd''s small figure, his expression somewhat strange.


    Just a moment ago, he had been ready to leave when he noticed a trace of the Power of Faith entering his body.


    Feeling the message within this Power of Faith, Lis had returned to watch this small figure.


    It seemed that because he had received the legacy from Sphinx, the target of prayers to the Lord of Wisdom turned out to be him.


    Moreover, standing on the rooftop, Lis suddenly realized that theyout of Snow Ridge Town''s square was almost identical to that of the ck Temple from the second trial.


    Was this what legacies and time were all about?


    Lis suddenly had a premonition that he mighte back here again someday.

 Chapter 252 West Castle Under Construction

    Luoxue Mountain Range, West Valley.


    The Luoxue Mountain Range was deste in winter, most of the fierce animals and other creatures nowhere in sight, not even the Magic Beasts willing to roam at will.


    The ck mountain ridges were covered in pine forests nketed with heavy snow, leaving only a hint of deep green, with nearly a meter of umted snow on the ridges��the color white almost bing the sole hue of this world.


    West Ridge is a narrow mountain ridge in the Luoxue Mountain estate, and the Luoxue Mountain Range, being a significant range lying between Feis Kingdom and Dillon Kingdom, made it almost impossible for the traders traveling between the two kingdoms to bypass the mountains to reach the other side, hence they had to cross through the range.


    And as West Valley serves as an eastern passage of the Luoxue Mountain Range, although somewhat winding, it avoids the most rugged Luoxue Main Peak and offers the most convenient and gentle terrain route, chosen by half of the traders traveling between the two kingdoms to traverse the mountains.


    Ordinarily, even traders would not choose to cross the Luoxue Mountain Range during winter, not to mention the severe snow and cold, which if apanied by encounters with hungry Magic Beasts, would lead to a do-or-die struggle.


    But here, near the entrance of West Valley close to Dillon Kingdom, where the snow waspletely cleared revealing the dark brown ground, hundreds of people were bustling vigorously, a deep gray castle taking shape nearby, connecting to the narrowest part of the valley.


    The twenty-plus-meter-tall gray castle walls were the first to be erected, built fromrge, carefully quarried stone bricks. Behind these walls, many areas were still under repair, the castle itself still just a frame.


    The busy workers inside the castle, heads down in their tasks, silent among each other, their robust physiques and subtly emanating fierce aura spoke volumes about their extraordinary identities.


    "Mr. Abbas!"


    A deputy in deep ck military uniform of Dillon Kingdom quickly tied the ps of the tent to shut out the cold wind outside and walked over to Clint Abbas, speaking respectfully.


    Abbas did not look up but continued to gaze down at the castle blueprints on the table before him, his brow furrowed.


    "What is it, Frank?"


    As the person in charge of overseeing the construction of the castle located in West Valley, Abbas obviously understood the significance and importance of this castle, which was why his workspace was set next to the construction site, allowing him to monitor the progress at all times.


    Although this proved to be very arduous, even a fire inside the tent couldn''tpletely dispel the cold of the Luoxue Mountains. Yet, in order not to let down Anna''s trust and responsibility entrusted to him, Abbas was willing to stay constantly beside the castle construction site.


    "Thetest batch of building materials has been delivered, now stored in warehouse three, four, and five."


    "Master Tot told me that the main framework of West Castle is now eighty percentplete, and they can now proceed with the subsequent enchantment reinforcements."


    "Good!" Discover hidden tales at empire


    Abbas''s eyes lit up, the best news he had received in days. Although he had always been at the castle, aware of all the progress, every step of construction needed affirmation from Master Tot, the architect. Despite his impatience, he could not rush anything.


    After all, West Castle was being built to the highest standards of a war fortress, unlike any ordinary castle��not only built with more solid stone but also requiring the vast scale magic rune engravings by a Magic Rune Master to give it the capability of repelling magical attacks.


    Thus, the control had to be maintained by Master Tot. Abbas dared not to rush the progress at the risk ofpromising the castle''s build, which was to be a bridgehead for Dillon Kingdom''s advancements.


    The massive cost of construction was such that Dillon Kingdom only nned to build two such castles in the Luoxue Mountains, the other located on Hette High Land in the western part of the mountain range.


    "Then proceed with the n immediately!"


    Abbas turned back to his chair, closed his eyes in thought, and instructed his deputy, Frank.


    "Understood... Mr. Abbas."


    While Frank received the order, he hesitated and didn''t leave immediately.


    "What''s the matter?"


    Abbas opened his eyes and looked towards Frank, who stood by his side.


    "The snow has started again, the weather is too cold, and now sixty percent of the soldiers have frostbite, ten percent have fainted, and three have already returned to the embrace of the Ice and Snow Goddess. Do you think we should... give the castle construction a rest for a day and let the soldiers rest properly?"


    Frank, gritting his teeth, spoke knowing that this might infuriate Abbas, especially since the construction of the castle was so urgent.


    In order not to alert the Feis Kingdom, they had even chosen to begin after the Luoxue Mountain had been blocked by heavy snow.


    Although this made the construction of the castle much more difficult, it was also the safest method.


    The agreement between the two kingdoms was to neither station troops nor construct castles within the Luoxue Mountain range, and Dillon Kingdom''s act of building a war castle in West Valley was evidently a breach of that agreement.


    But Frank felt he had to exin the situation to Abbas, as this was one of Dillon Kingdom''s elite troops, and their loss saddened him.


    Abbas exhaled deeply, usually very strict with his subordinates; this time, he did not scold Frank but said calmly:@@novelbin@@


    "Tell the soldiers to hold on a bit longer, once the castle has its initial enchantmentspleted, they can rest for a day."


    Abbas was well aware of the suffering the cold brought to his soldiers; they were his subordinates, the elites who had charged out with him from herds of ice beasts, and also the guarantee of his current status.


    Even so, he had no choice but to endure until the castle was enchanted enough to have a solid defensive strength, then they could catch their breath.


    "Yes."


    Seeing Abbas''s expression, Frank looked somewhat disheartened but still saluted and left the room to convey Abbas''s orders.


    Abbas stared at the crackling fire nearby, but his mind was already far from the blueprints in front of him.


    He always had this feeling, urging him to speed up the castle construction at all costs, as if some danger was about to arrive.


    Could it be Feis''s army?


    Abbas, who had faced death several times, never doubted his premonitions, which were the guarantee of his current status.


    "Ah, I hope everything goes smoothly..."


    Only a long sigh remained in the tent.


    -----------------


    At that moment, not far from the castle, on a ridge in the pine forest of the valley.


    The falling snowkes disappeared as they passed through this area.


    Lis, who had used the "Advanced Invisibility Technique" and merged his figure with the surroundings, looked at the castle under construction with a grave expression.


    This ce was pointed out by Golden Dragon Sylvester Ludwig, and it was one of the two most important operational centers for Dillon Kingdom in the Luoxue Mountain.

 Chapter 253 Level Up

    "It seems this West Castle has not yet beenpleted."


    Lis surveyed the deep grey castle before him and began to ponder.


    After leaving Snow Ridge Town, he had traveled directly north, crossing the Luoxue Mountains to arrive at this West Valley.


    This was also the ce the Golden Dragon had hinted at before leaving, prompting Lis toe and check it out.


    In fact, based on the location described by the Golden Dragon, Lis had already roughly guessed the situation with the castle.


    The castle was one of two important transit points built by the Dillon Kingdom in the Luoxue Mountains,ying the groundwork for the Dillon Kingdom''s army to invade the Feis Kingdom.


    By the time the castle waspleted and the Feis Kingdom realized what was happening, it was toote to stop it.


    The Feis Kingdom, having dispatched most of its forces eastward, was unable to mount an effective response; it could only send envoys to issue condemnations, while the Dillon Kingdom insisted that the construction was meant to protect passing merchant caravans from Magic Beast attacks, with no other intentions.


    Only a fool would believe that!


    But the Feis Kingdom had no other option. Even aware of Dillon Kingdom''s plot, with insufficient strength and the Northern territory Nobles Lords unprepared, the Dillon army swiftly conquered nearly half of the Feis Kingdom''s northern territories after crossing the Luoxue Mountains. It was only in Count Solo''s Territory that the war was dragged out due to the long and remote supply lines.


    When the Kingdom finally caught its breath, it quickly drove the Dillon Kingdom back north.


    The Dillon Kingdom''s attempt to assimte the Northern Kingdom''s territory came at too great a cost. In the end, the war nearly bankrupted the Dillon Kingdom.


    Lis looked intently at the castle before him, scrutinizing every detail.


    Rather than a castle, West Castle resembled more a strategic pass.


    After driving the Dillon Kingdom back north, theter Feis Kingdom had no strength left to counterattack, so this fortress was not destroyed. Lis was not familiar with the situation inside the castle, only having a general idea.


    "It looks like the walls have not undergone Enchantment yet."


    Lis gazed at the distant wall, and his activated spiritual vision detected no presence of Magic Light.


    A war fortress is usually situated at the most critical border pass and must be enchanted; stone walls alone cannot withstand a barrage of magic.


    However, if the walls had been enchanted with a simple Magic Rune Chain and Magic Array for protection, the defense of the entire wall would be unified, resisting the magic attacks collectively and distributing the force among every section of the wall.@@novelbin@@


    Therefore, breaching enchanted walls head-on, even for a Gold-level Mage, would require a lengthy sustained magic assault without interruption.


    Walls like those of the Royal Pce, with top-level enchantments, could not be broken by a Gold-level Mage as long as the wall''s Magic Arrays had Mana.


    Thus, in wars between kingdoms, capturing a war fortress or arge city cannot be achieved by the Mage Group alone; only with the cooperation of diverse armed forces can there be confidence in sessful conquest.


    Of course, the shy border Nobles of the Boditch Kingdom don''t count; they were like pre-set targets, falling in the first wave of Feis Kingdom''s attack.


    But once they reacted, the Feis Kingdom''s forces could only conquer one city at a time, which noticeably slowed down the pacepared to the beginning.


    Looking at the fortress before him, Lis was ready to try a sneak attack!


    He wanted to see if the people stationed here could react in time. Striking while the walls were unprotected could undoubtedly be a very profitable endeavor.


    After all, Lis had many life-preserving items with him, so his own safety was not an issue.


    Lis, preparing to hit big, opened his system panel and looked at the unassigned experience points section.


    Experience: 0/1M (Unassigned Experience Points [42634396 Points])


    Seeing the more than forty-two million experience points on the panel, Lis couldn''t help but feel sentimental; this was all the experience he had earned recently, which had entirely exceeded his expectations.


    Among these, the Gold-level Task [Blood Battle] from Bright City and the special task [Wisdom God Sphinx''s Trial] a few days ago both provided him with over ten million experience points, ounting for more than half of the total experience.


    But such windfalls couldn''tst forever. These tasks were far beyond Lis''s current strength. The fact that he got so much experience was already an unexpected bonus, and it wasn''t certain that he would get the same opportunities in the future.


    The rest came from a variety of smaller tasks and experience harvested from other yers.


    As the months went by since the yers had entered the game, they gradually became limated to Gaia World, increasingly drawn in by its rich and diverse realms.


    Their levels also began to rise, with most yers reaching Level 10.


    In other games, if yers only advanced ten levels in two to three months, they would criticize the gamepany''s nning as outrageous. However, Divine Revtion was different; when yers had time, they would explore the maps, without the time to worry about leveling speed.


    Of course, the most important factor was that the gamepany of Divine Revtion had never responded to the yers'' voices. Over time, the yers got used to it; as long as the game was fun, that was all that mattered.


    It was also because of this that Lis harvested more and more experience from the yers'' hands. When yers reached the level capter in the version, they would invest even more experience into Lis''s Skill Store.


    Attacking this castle was not a trivial matter, and the Dillon Kingdom might have heavily fortified it, so Lis poured these Experience Points into his own level progression to enhance his current strength as much as possible. Explore more at empire


    -----------------


    [You have spent unassigned Experience Points[40000000 Points]!]


    [Your Personal Level has increased: 50��51!]


    [You have gained Strength +6, Agility +6, Intelligence +6, Charm +3, Mystery +3, Endurance +3]


    ....


    [Your Personal Level has increased: 69��70!]


    [You have gained Strength +6, Agility +6, Intelligence +6, Charm +3, Mystery +3, Endurance +3]


    ...


    Attribute panel:


    Name: Lis Kain


    Race: Human


    Level: 70


    Life Value: 15415/15415


    Mana Value: 45883/45883


    Status: Normal


    Experience: 0/30M (Unassigned Experience Points[2634396 Points])


    Main Profession: Arcanist (Intermediate)


    Secondary Profession: None


    Talent: All-Purpose (Legendary Level)


    Attributes:


    Strength 540 (Attribute Modifier)


    Agility 497 (Attribute Modifier)


    Intelligence 905 (Attribute Modifier)


    Charm 274


    Mystery 266


    Endurance 269


    Luck 4 (+3)


    Free Attribute Points 0


    Specialty: Omitted


    Skills: Omitted


    Milestones: Omitted


    Legend Level: 30 (Realm Level - Court Marquis Legend Level +10)


    Equipment: Jade Wand, Jade Talisman, Concentration Ring, Secret Treasure: Acadia''s Lucky Brooch, Shadow Dragon Skin Gloves, Token: Ludwig''s Dragon Scale, Sphinx''s Wisdom


    Evaluation: Have you grown stronger? Perhaps you have, but you are still weak in the presence of true power!


    -----------------


    Feeling the power that filled his body and became even stronger, Lis took a deep breath, endured the pain that came with bing stronger, closed his eyes, and began to adapt to this newfound power.

 Chapter 254 Sixth Circle Arcane [Liss Blue Flame Nova]!

    Atop West Castle.


    Even as Dillon Kingdom''s most elite soldiers dressed in thick clothes, Abbas''s Snow Wolf Army couldn''t entirely withstand the cold winds and snow of the valley.


    That was the Snow Wolf Army, otherwise ordinary craftsmen or soldiers couldn''t have endured the harsh winter of the Luoxue Mountains.


    The deputy of the Snow Wolf Army, Frank, was inspecting the construction site at the castle, checking the progress of the construction, and promptly attending to soldiers who had passed out in the cold.


    "Lord Frank, Master Max has already arrived at the camp at the valley entrance with the team of Magic Rune Masters and is now heading towards the castle."


    A messenger ran up to Frank in small steps, saluting and speaking respectfully.


    "Very good, follow me to greet them."


    Frank''s eyes lit up, he had finally awaited these people.


    The enchantment of West Castle''s walls was a huge project, and even Max, as a Master of Enchantment of Dillon Kingdom, couldn''tplete this task alone.


    Thus, a team of Magic Rune Masters was needed to assist Max with the subsequent work.


    Such a gesture could only be afforded by a kingdom-level power like Dillon Kingdom.


    After reporting to Abbas in the morning, Frank had immediately ordered someone to notify Max and others who were waiting in a small town outside the Luoxue Mountains.


    The earlier the castle''s enchantment and the magic array werepleted, the sooner Frank could be at ease, allowing his men a chance to breathe sooner.


    When Frank reached the entrance of the valley, he saw a line of tiny ck dots in the snowstorm, slowly making their way through the valley''s umted snow, heading towards the castle.


    After waiting for a moment, Frank saw his lieutenant leading a group of people towards him.


    Frank quickly stepped forward to greet an elderly man who was closely protected within the group.


    "Lord Max, it must have been tough for you toe here in such adverse weather."


    As Frank approached near Max, he felt the warmth emanating from him, as if the harsh cold couldn''t even get close to the old man.


    This must be the effect of a special magic item.


    However, Frank didn''t envy him; the cost of such high-level magic items, not to mention their intrinsic value, was beyond what ordinary people could afford, just in the consumption of elemental crystals alone.


    Not to mention equipping all soldiers with them.


    "Hmm."


    Max nodded his head indifferently, not caring too much.


    Honestly, he didn''t want toe in such weather, but it was a request from the Dillon Kingdom, and as a servant of the kingdom, he couldn''t refuse.


    "Let us start earlier and finish earlier."


    "First, take me to see the castle."@@novelbin@@


    Max looked at Frank and nodded.


    "Ah? But Lord Abbas is currently waiting for you in the tent, do you want to go there first?"


    Upon hearing Max''s request, Frank''s expression froze slightly, hesitatingly suggesting.


    "No need."


    Max shook his head calmly.


    "Without seeing the situation on the ground, talking to Abbaster won''t be productive."


    "This... alright then."


    Frank thought for a moment and agreed, leading the group towards the castle.


    As a request from a Magic Rune Master, Frank had no way to refuse.


    ...


    "This is the under-construction West Castle. Though the main body isn''tpleted yet, the walls are finished; you can start the preliminary work now."


    Frank pointed at the confirmed deep gray walls, introducing them to Max and his team.


    Max didn''t respond but walked forward, touching the deep gray wall and nodding, saying:


    "High-quality Gray Obsidian, the kingdom has indeed spent a great cost."


    Gray Obsidian, is a type of rather heavy and hard stone, of which the high-quality variants are scarce, and specially suited for enchantment operations.


    Therefore, it is also the top material for constructing walls.


    The inherent value of these Gray Obsidian bricks is not low, having been specially refined and transported here from afar at a significant cost of manpower and resources.


    This cost is much greater than simply collecting stones from Luoxue Mountain right at the source.


    Walls built with Gray Obsidian possess extremely strong defense against various physical attacks, the only disadvantage being their low endurance against magic attacks.


    This is why Abbas was so eager to have the Magic Rune Master hurry to perform enchantments.


    Only after the enchantment wasplete did West Castle truly have real defensive capabilities.


    "It troubles you, Lord Max."


    Frank said respectfully.


    "No problem, pull one-third of your people to assist me."


    "Also, have someone send over the materials I need, quickly."


    Once entering the normal work status, Max also became seriously engaged. Continue reading at empire


    "Yes, I understand,"


    Frank nodded his head, prepared to turn around and make the arrangements when.


    "...Lo... Lord Frank!"


    The subordinate squad leader appeared to have seen something terrifying, speaking in a panic.


    "Look at the sky, there''s a meteor flying this way, a meteor!"


    Upon hearing this, Frank quickly looked up in the direction his subordinate indicated.


    Amid the floating snowkes a hundred meters in midair, a giant blue meteor was falling towards the castle, its speed increasing rapidly.


    Wrong!


    This was no meteor!


    This was an enemy''s spell!


    Damn it!


    "Enemy attack! Alert!"


    Frank released strength within his body, his loud voice immediately spreading throughout the entire castle grounds.


    What to do?


    Had Lord Abbas noticed?


    Frank could already feel the threatening presence from the sky; this was no ordinary spell, it was undoubtedly of Gold Level power.


    ...


    Lis, using the "Advanced Floating Technique," rose into the midair, where the heavy snow was intense, but all were kept away from Lis''s body by the shield surrounding him, unable to get close.


    Lis looked detachedly at the Blue me Meteor falling in front of him, heading towards the deep gray castle below.


    Six-Circle Arcane "Lis''s Blue me Nova"!


    This was an arcane that Lis created during his journey through Luoxue Mountain.


    Perhaps it was because Lis had umted too much, thought and tried too many ideas, after obtaining "Sphinx''s Wisdom," and receiving the arcane revtions from the Legendary-level essory, Lis felt as if he had received enlightenment, and many new ideas emerged, breaking through many previous confusions and difficulties.


    He consequently created many new unique arcanes!


    This Six-Circle Arcane "Lis''s Blue me Nova" was one of them.


    Moreover, this arcane was quite unique among all of Lis''s arcanes, released mid-air and gathering enough strength while falling from a high altitude, its speed continuously increasing, under these factors, the power of this Six-Circle Arcane could break through the Gold Level!


    This was also the reason why Lis chose to use this arcane at this time.


    Come!


    Let''s see if there are any powerful beings in this castle.

 Chapter 255 Triggering the Faction Mission!

    Lis hovered high in the sky, watching the descent of the Fire Meteors.


    From this position, casting Spells not only granted them greater power but also ensured a certain degree of safety for Lis himself.


    It would be quite troublesome for warriors, assassins, and other such Professions to attack Lis up in the air.


    Even for other Professionals who wanted to counterattack, Lis would have enough time to react,


    There must be Golden Strong Men in West Castle for sure.


    He just didn''t know how many would be stationed here.


    Lis''s gaze pierced through the fluttering snowkes, firmly fixed on the distant castle.


    Just as the ghostly blue Fire Meteor was about to strike West Castle, a gray figure suddenly appeared atop the castle, leaping powerfully into the air towards the approaching meteor.


    The seemingly slight figure collided fiercely with the Fire Meteor, from which burst a dazzling light of Sword Qi, shattering the Meteor with its piercing brilliance and scattering blue mes like stars across the castle walls.


    With the Fire Meteor''s descent, the figurended on the ramparts of the castle.


    "Lord Abbas!"


    Fran hurried over, eximing with surprise.


    "Frank, order everyone to evacuate the castle immediately, retreat beyond the valley."


    "You must protect Lord Max and the team of Magic Rune Masters, there mustn''t be any problems!"


    "Immediately report the situation to General Austin and request reinforcements."


    "Hurry!"


    Abbas didn''t pause for a moment, directly issuing a series ofmands to Frank.


    "Yes, Lord Abbas!"


    Frank knew now was not the time for hesitation and promptly carried out Abbas''s orders.


    With his hand gripping a snowy white Longsword, Abbas finally let out a sigh of relief, then watched with a grave expression towards the figure in midair.


    The worst case scenario had urred, not an attack by a Magic Beast, but by a Human strong man.


    Choosing this time to attack West Castle, Abbas could think of no other possibility than the Feis Kingdom.


    Feeling the numbness and slight pain from the Longsword in his right hand, Abbas sized up the person above in the sky.


    A Gold-level Mage?


    But that presence seemed not quite there yet, even a distance away from the Silver Peak.


    But what was that Attack Magic all about?


    Was it released through an Advanced Magic Scroll?


    Abbas furrowed his brow, staying alert to his surroundings.


    Could there be just one enemy?


    Or was it that the Feis Kingdom had just found out, realizing that the castle walls were about to receive Enchantments, and it was toote if they didn''t act now?


    But...


    Looking at the distance between himself and that figure, Abbas frowned with a bit of a headache.@@novelbin@@


    Too high, too difficult for his own attacks to reach that far.


    But soon, Abbas no longer had time to worry about these issues.


    Several more blue meteors appeared alongside that figure, plummeting towards his location.


    Damn it, this couldn''t possibly be from a Magic Scroll!


    Who in the world was this person?!


    ...


    Lis looked at the figure who had suddenly appeared and shattered his Spell, showing no sign of surprise.


    Indeed, there was a Golden Strong Man present!


    That familiar figure, that well-known white Sword Qi...


    It was the Golden-level Warrior, the "Snow Wolf Sword Saint" Abbas!


    So it was him guarding this ce!


    This Snow Wolf Sword Saint would be quite active in the northern borders of the empire in the future, but regrettably, during the Feis Kingdom''s counterattack, Count Solo forcefully killed him on his retreat back to the Dillon Kingdom.


    Lis knew quite a lot about this individual.


    Around level 130, a Gold-level Warrior, and one of the scarce Sword Saint Professionals, his Sword Qi was sharp, and just like a pack of wolves on the snow ins, it was endless and relentless, which was the origin of his namesake.


    However, this Sword Saint, despite his strength, also hadmon weaknesses shared by those of the Sword Saint profession.


    First, his defense was not strong, with all his strength primarily maintained in the sword in his hands.


    Second, his attack range was average, and even with the presence of Sword Qi, it was difficult to strike long-distance targets, and his defense range was rather small.


    Even so, Lis did not rush to lower his altitude, who knows whether there might be other strong men hidden in the dark.


    Let''s continue to probe!


    With a wave of his hand, Lis summoned several of the same blue Fire Meteors as before, which appeared beside him and followed hismand towards the castle.


    This time, Lis''s attack target was not locked onto Abbas but was aimed at various parts of the castle.


    Although the arcane "Lis''s Blue me Nova" had an attack ceiling that could break through the Gold Level, it posed no threat to the life of Gold-level boss Abbas.


    But Lis''s target this time was not there.


    Just destroy the castle, right?


    I want to see if Abbas has any other tricks up his sleeve.


    Having made up his mind, Lis operated his Magic Power, adjusted his status, and kept a watchful eye on Abbas''s response.


    -----------------


    [Ding~]


    [Limited challenge task triggered!]


    [Objective: Defeat the Gold-level Warrior Abbas!]


    [Reward: To be determined based on thepletion of the task]


    ...


    [Gold-level Faction Task Triggered!]


    [Objective: Destroy the West Castle, which is under construction!]


    [Mission Introduction: The Dillon Kingdom sent the Snow Wolf Army, nning to build a Solid castle in West Valley. For the Feis Kingdom, destroy it!]


    [Reward: Feis Kingdom Contribution Points increase significantly, main task rewards increase greatly, Special Skill "Siege Master"!]


    ---------------


    I didn''t expect a task to be triggered here.


    Having nced at it, Lis directly skipped the first time-limited challenge task.


    Although the time-limited challenge task rewards were enticing, Lis couldn''t think of any possibility of defeating Abbas.


    If it were an ordinary Gold-level novice Warrior, Lis might still attempt it, but he was far from ready to take on boss-level Abbas.


    However, the second task seemed very likely.


    Just now, Lis had noticed that the blue Fire Meteor shed by Abbas had left traces of special blue me on the castle walls, slowly burning out holes.


    The enchantments protecting the castle were not yetplete, and it seemed that the Protection Magic Array was also absent!


    Before Lis, this Gray Obsidian Castle was like a bashful nobledy, reluctant yet acquiescent, just waiting for Lis tounch an attack!


    Filled with a fighting spirit, Lis stirred the Magic Power within himself, preparing to cast a new arcane spell.


    Abbas on the castle watched the falling five Fire Meteors with an ugly expression, cursing in his heart but not daring to hesitate; he quickly moved at top speed to meet the meteors.


    In the blink of an eye, Abbas shattered four of the Fire Meteors.


    But as Lis purposely spread out the targets while casting the spell, Abbas, despite all his efforts, failed to catch up to thest Fire Meteor.


    The final Fire Meteor, glowing with a dazzling blue light, crashed into a high tower at the back of the castle.


    Boom!


    In an instant, the entire tower was engulfed in blue mes, and the towering structure was split in half, falling with a thunderous copse.


    Readtest chapters on empire


    Damn it! You really deserve to die!


    With eyes almost splitting with rage, Abbas looked at the central tower of the destroyed Magical Array in the castle, then suddenly turned his head to the sky, his eyes filled with cold murderous intent!

 Chapter 256 Slipping Past the Golden Warrior

    Abbas'' face darkened as he watched Lis hovering in the air; with his strength, he could clearly discern the features of the man before him.


    He appeared to be a man in his thirties, d in a pure ck Mage Robe, hisplexion somewhat pale, yet his expression carried a mix of smugness and indulgence.


    "Who are you?"


    "You are provoking the Dillon Kingdom!"


    Abbas spoke in a deep and powerful voice, which clearly reached the ears of Lis.


    The appearance Lis now bore was naturally a disguise; he nned to use this identity to stir trouble in the capital of the Dillon Kingdom.


    "Heh, it''s nothing special."


    "But what brings Lord Abbas, themander of the Snow Wolf Army, to this ce?"


    With a somewhat chilling voice, Lis responded to Abbas while new blue fireballs appeared around him, falling toward West Castle.


    "Stop!"


    Abbas could no longer restrain his fury. West Castle was thebor of love of he and his Snow Wolf soldiers, and it also held great importance in the King''s ns; how could he let this man destroy it!


    Streams of white Sword Qi shed continuously; Abbas held nothing back as the hundred-meter-long Sword Qi directly sliced through the iing blue fireballs from afar.


    However, looking at Abbas'' somewhat pale face, the expenditure of such an attack method seemed terribly extreme.


    "You know me; just who exactly are you?"


    "Are you from the Feis Kingdom?"


    Abbas voiced his greatest suspicion while his eyes intently watched Lis'' expression.


    "The Feis Kingdom? Heh..."


    "I am Moriarty from the Death Secret Cult."


    Lis even bowed to Abbas with a perfect nobleman''s salute, responding to Abbas'' suspicions with a smile that was both mocking and ambiguous.


    Holding the Jade Wand in his hand, Lis once again gathered a new magical light, though different from the spells he had used before.


    The sky seemed to darken further asrge gray raindrops fell, striking both West Castle and Abbas.


    "What is this?"


    Abbas was puzzled; he felt no threat of attack.


    But what was strange about this rain?


    Like a summer downpour, the rain fell on the castle and the surrounding ground, quickly forming puddles of various sizes that flowed everywhere. Amidst the surrounding snow, it appeared particrly ominous.


    The rain was problematic!


    After careful perception, Abbas discovered a faint scent of death and chaos in the rainwater. It posed no threat to a Gold Level warrior like himself, but for ordinary people or Professionals with weaker constitutions, it would be easy for this bizarre aura to infiltrate, assaulting and weakening both body and spirit.


    Lis was well aware of his own creation; this was one of the new arcane spells he had invented, and also a spell with an area effect.


    The Sixth Circle Arcane "Lis'' Nether River Domain"!


    Thanks to a drop of Nether River Essence Lis had obtained earlier, he was able to mimic some properties of Nether River water through arcane, covering a predetermined area through rainfall.


    Although this rainwater was far from the unpredictable effects of the true Nether River Water, it was already significantly potent in weakening Low-level Professionals.


    Since it was magically simted, this rainfall would not freeze due to low temperatures and would seep into every ce ording to the terrain.


    Abbas had already ordered everyone to evacuate, so it seemed that Lis'' spell did not affect anyone at all.


    But this arcane spell had another effect, if Lis didn''t cancel the effect of the spell before the rain disappeared, the weird aura carried by the rainwater would linger in this area, essentially creating a longsting, weakened version of a bizarre domain. This effect was very difficult for priests to cleanse.


    That meant this ce would be affected by this negative effect for years toe.


    This arcane spell was somewhat malicious, and Lis rarely used it.


    Oh, it''s the enemy country, then it''s fine!


    Although Abbas did not understand the effect of the rainwater, he knew it definitely wasn''t anything good.


    If he had been a Gold Level priest, there might have been a way to salvage the situation on-site, but he was only a warrior.


    Giving up on further inquiries, Abbas had already figured out that this unknown mage''s goal was to destroy West Castle.


    Although he had a feeling he couldn''t stop it, Abbas still prepared to fight desperately onest time.


    Taking a deep breath, Abbas suddenly leaped up from the castle, charging directly towards Lis in mid-air.


    Warriors, before ascending to Legend, did not have the ability to fly. Abbas waspletely using his physical strength to attempt to "fly" toward Lis.


    Iron Fools Warrior, but one had to admit that his speed in that instant was incredibly fast, the slow movement speed of [Advanced Floating Technique] simply couldn''t dodge it.


    Lis wasn''t panicked; he was very familiar with this style ofbat, one of the few methods a warrior had to attack aerial targets.


    Ordinary mages could not possibly manage high-altitude flying like Lis, which was abination of the effects of several spells: [Advanced Floating Technique], [Light and Agile Flight], [Persistent Flight], and most importantly, the buffing effect of the [Sphinx''s Wisdom] on Lis''s affinity with the Wind Element, which pushed the effectiveness of Lis''s flying spells to their limits.


    Otherwise, how could a Silver Mage easily elude a Gold Warrior? Read thetest on empire


    Facing the rapidly approaching Abbas and the sharp sword light hidden in his longsword, the corners of Lis''s mouth slightly tilted upward.


    Just as Abbas''s longsword was about to strike Lis, his figure suddenly disappeared from the spot, reappearing directly above West Castle.


    What is going on!@@novelbin@@


    Space teleport?


    Abbas stared in astonishment at Lis''s figure, but his body uncontrobly fell toward the distance.


    Lis floated in the air, smiling as he looked down,


    [Stephen''s Teleportation Ring]


    Equipment Effect 1: [Teleportation Technique], can be used three times a day for the Five-Ring Magic Teleportation spell]


    Three opportunities a day to use [Teleportation Technique], and most crucially, these three uses of [Teleportation Technique] initiated instantly, much faster than Lis using [Teleportation Technique] himself.


    However, up to now, Lis had yet to master the Five-Ring Magic spell [Teleportation Technique].


    But under the buff of [Sphinx''s Wisdom], Lis had been using the ring to teleport recently and was bing increasingly familiar with the Space Element.


    It shouldn''t be long before he mastered [Teleportation Technique] himself.


    Smiling at Abbas, the magic wand in Lis''s hand began to emit a blue-purple light.


    Abbas, whonded on a distant ridge, was desperately rushing back, but it was already toote.


    Six-Circle Arcane [Lis''s Thunder Domain]!


    Boom! Boom~


    Numerous arm-thick blue thunders fell from the sky, striking the deep gray castle. The fine lightning spread along the castle walls and bricks, using the previous rainwater.


    Gray Obsidian, this kind of stone material, simply couldn''t resist the fierce magic attacks, crumbling under the blue-purple lightning, and began to slowly turn to ashes.

 Chapter 258 The Undercurrents of Ice Peak City

    Dillon Kingdom, on a small hill near the Luoxue Mountain Range.


    Lis contentedly shifted his gaze away from the system panel.


    100,000 contribution points from Feis Kingdom, honestly, in his previous life Lis had worked tirelessly on Feis Kingdom''s 2.0 main quest and had never received so many contribution points, implying that he could exchange them for many benefits in the kingdom.


    For yers, contribution points could be exchanged for certain physical rewards from Feis Kingdom, or even for military ranks within the Kingdom Military.


    However, for Lis, those physical rewards had lost all their allure, since he was a man who had even entered the Royal Pce Treasure Vault.


    Contribution points represented the embodiment of Lis''s achievements in the kingdom, and were alsoying the groundwork for obtaining actual sealed territories in the future.


    The rewards for the main quest had increased significantly, but the "Siege Master" specialty was indeed quite impressive and could prove to be extremely effective under special circumstances.


    Lis looked up, gazing at the deste hills before him, all nketed in snow.


    This was also the true state of Dillon Kingdom, whose vast territory was almost double that of Feis Kingdom, but due to the harsh environment and sparse poption, its overall national strength was significantly weaker than that of Feis Kingdom.


    If it weren''t for Dillon Kingdom''sck of threatening neighboring countries, allowing it to focus all its national strength on invading Feis Kingdom, while most of Feis Kingdom''s strength was tied up elsewhere, the warfare in the Northern Kingdom would not have dragged on for so long.


    It should be around January 10th now, and there''s ample time to reach Ice Peak City before March.


    Lis nced northward, toward where the Royal Capital of Dillon Kingdom was located, also the most prosperous city in Dillon Kingdom.


    "I am starting to look forward to that carnage of mutual destruction!"


    The corners of Lis''s mouth turned upwards slightly as he muttered to himself:


    "How could such a major event happen without me, Moriarty?"


    "Let me add more fuel to the fire!"


    As his words fell, Lis''s figure also vanished from the spot.


    The deste hill regained a moment of silence, interrupted only by a small arctic hare cautiously poking its head out from a snow cave, checking to see if the fellow who had copsed its home had left.


    ...


    Several dayster, Ice Peak City, Dillon Ice Castle Pce.


    King Lukar Dilon pressed his right hand against his temple, his eyes closed, leaning back on a plush white sofa, his expression somewhat somber.


    Ding-dong~


    "Your Majesty."


    After a gentle knock, the Minister of Internal Affairs, Anna Sifos, entered and bowed respectfully to Lukar.


    "Anna, you''re here."


    Hearing the voice of his trusted minister, Lukar opened his eyes and handed over two letters to him.


    "Look at these, they are reports from Austin and Abbas respectively."


    "Austin and Abbas?"


    Although Anna found it surprising, he immediately took the letters and began to read them carefully.


    Austin was specifically sent by Lukar to the Luoxue Mountain Range to perform a secret mission, and Abbas was under Austin, who ideally should not be reporting directly to Lukar bypassing Austin.


    But Anna knew Abbas was a covert agent Lukar had ced in the Kingdom Military. Although Lukar trusted Austin''s loyalty, he still needed certain measures to ensure the loyalty of the Kingdom Army.


    "This is?"


    After putting down the letters, Anna sat opposite Lukar.


    "I should have listened to you before."


    Lukar sighed wearily.


    "The castle being built in West Valley waspletely destroyed, ording to Abbas''s report, even thend where the castle stood has been contaminated."


    Anna knew clearly, Lukar had consulted him about this matter before, and he had cautiously opposed it at the time.


    Believing there was no need to specifically build two castles, as it would not be very useful but might prematurely alert Feis Kingdom.


    After that incident, Lukar never brought it up again, but now it seemed that Austin had indeed been sent to the Luoxue Mountains to carry out that n.


    "There''s no need to worry overly, Your Majesty."


    Anna didn''t continue to question, to showcase his foresight from before, which was utterly meaningless.


    "It doesn''t have much impact on our future ns; it just consumed some manpower and financial resources."


    "The attention of the Feis Kingdom is still on the east, as long as no results have emerged there, even if they notice our actions, they won''t have the spare capacity."


    "Hmm."


    Lukar leaned on the sofa, and a servant quickly brought him a nket made from pr bear skin to cover his body.


    After a silence, Lukar asked in a low voice:


    "What has Stran been up totely?"


    Anna also paused for a moment, then said seriously:


    "Duke Ward has been quite active recently, attending many balls in the Royal Capital, quite lively."


    "So far, no special actions have been detected."


    "Hmm..."


    Lukar let out a coldugh, saying somewhat sinisterly:


    "He... has a guilty conscience, what is he trying to hide?"


    "Anna, have the Ice Hidden continue to investigate; I refuse to believe he can keep everything seamless."


    "Yes!"


    Anna inwardly sighed, nodding in understanding.


    In Anna''s view, with so many major movements in the Kingdomtely, what was most needed now was stability.


    Before making a move on the Feis Kingdom, any action that consumed themselves was wasteful.


    But Anna also knew that persuading King Lukar to drop his hostility toward Duke Ward would be like adding fuel to the fire.


    Hopefully... the Duke Ward wouldn''t be so foolish to harbor any small schemes.


    ...


    Ice Peak City, the mansion of Duke Ward.


    This was a gorgeous, delicate vi located in the eastern district of Ice Peak City, unlike themonly seen rugged and bold architecture around.


    Just like the master of this mansion, its style was special, markedly different, not at all like the straightforward and bold Dilon people, but more like those astute people from Feis.


    This made Duke Ward less popr in the Kingdom, but at the same time, he also had a following of his own.


    "Be, our His Majesty the King seems to be plotting something again recently," said the master of the mansion, Duke Ward, as he swirled his ss of red wine and spoke with a lightugh.


    Be Milne, the only female marquis in the Dillon Kingdom, had always been ostracized by the Kingdom''s nobles who advocated for strength above all, which also caused her to tightly band together with Duke Ward, forming a close alliance of interests.


    Others might underestimate this Marchioness Milne, but Duke Ward certainly would not.


    This was a genuinely ruthless person, who would stop at nothing to achieve her goals.@@novelbin@@


    But she was a smart person, and Duke Ward liked to cooperate with smart people.


    "Stran, are you scared?"


    Be, reclining on the sofa, fiddled with her nails, speaking in a nonchnt tone, as if applying nail polish was a far more important matter to her.


    "Scared?"


    Stran Ward turned his head to nce at Be and said teasingly:


    "Yes, I''m scared, therefore I think we need to do something."

 Chapter 259 Old Tons and the New Identity

    In early February, there was a small town called Laninte located two hundred kilometers from Ice Peak City.


    It was more like a tiny settlement rather than a town, with dozens of cottages built beside the main road that led south from the Dillon Kingdom to the Royal Capital.


    It provided brief respite for passing travelers and merchants, and thus, the standard of living for the residents here was somewhat betterpared to other ces.


    Bang! Whoosh~


    The door to the only inn in Laninte Town was pushed open from the outside, with a harsh cold wind rushing into the warm tavern. It sobered up the drunken patrons a little, and they opened their bleary eyes to size up the unexpected guests.


    You see, it was deep winter, and hardly any outsiders would pass through Laninte when heavy snow blocked the roads. Anyone who dared to venture out at this time was courting death.


    The person who walked in was dressed in thick bear skin clothes, looking like a mercenary, with a heavy felt hat that nearly obscured his face. But the fierce aura he exuded signaled that he was a powerful Transcendent.


    Well, that settled it.


    The drunks withdrew their gaze. Although Laninte didn''t have mercenaries stationed there regrly, as a major thoroughfare, it wasn''t unusual to see mercenaries passing through.


    The mercenary who came in was actually Lis in disguise.


    Not in a hurry to travel, he strolled leisurely on the road, moving towards Ice Peak City while continuing his arcane research.


    However, Lis recently felt that the assistance provided by "Sphinx''s Wisdom" was beginning to wane, probably because his previous umtion was nearly exhausted.


    To achieve new progress, Lis needed to continue umting knowledge and delve deeper into research.


    The gains were substantial, particrly during the battle at West Castle, Lis had thoroughly enjoyed the thrill of being a mobile artillery.


    With many top-tier specialties and equipment, Lis''s power far surpassed that of other mages of the same level, especially during the process of slipping past Abbas, which was simply exhrating.


    This was the unique charm of being a mobile artillery mage, not at all less enjoyable than the joy of Lis''s melee flurry.


    But now, Lis required a new identity to move about in Ice Peak City.


    Laninte Tavern was Lis''s destination.


    Lis nced around casually and then walked directly to the bar, speaking to the servant in a ck vest:


    "Tell Old Tons that an old friend, Aiden, hase to see him."


    Old Tons was the owner of the tavern, and the servant, sensing that the mercenary before him was not to be trifled with, nodded quickly and turned to go up the stairs behind him.


    Thest bit of curiosity from the other patrons disappeared as well. As the only tavern owner in Laninte, Old Tons was certainly a cunning fellow with a widework of acquaintances, including mercenary friends.


    Lis sat at the bar to wait and soon saw the servant hastily descending the stairs and bowing to him:


    "Mr. Aiden, the boss invites you upstairs."


    Lis nodded and followed the servant up to the second floor.


    Creak creak~


    Apanied by the groaning of the wooden stairs, Lis arrived at the second floor of the tavern, where the noise of the drunkards was much subdued.


    The servant gently pushed open the door and led Lis inside.


    "Boss, Mr. Aiden has arrived."


    "Oh, damn Aiden, you broke your promise. Why did it take so long toe see this old man?"


    The elderly man sitting on the sofa in the room quickly got up and opened his arms in wee as the two entered.


    "Andre, go have House prepare dinner, the mostvish one, and bring out my elk meat too."


    "Yes, boss."


    The servant bowed and exited the room, carefully closing the door behind him.


    As the servant''s footsteps faded away, the previously overjoyed Old Tons changed expressions as if by magic, his face quickly resuming a solemnity.


    Tons touched his chest in a bow and said respectfully:


    "Wee to your arrival, Lord Lis."


    Lis wasn''t surprised and walked to the sofa in the center of the room to sit down,ughing as he said,


    "You actually know my name. Did Count Solo tell you?"


    "Yes, Lord Solo has instructed us to unconditionally follow your orders."


    Old Tons stated decisively, the previously smooth air about him nowhere to be found, instead revealing a hint of a soldier''s iron-blooded nature.


    Lis nodded, the situation was as he had expected.


    After briefing with Count Solo, Lis had also probed about the secret agents the Feis Kingdom had nted in the Dillon Kingdom.


    In his view, if the Feis Kingdom was ready to handle this matter, the most suitable person in charge would be Count Solo.


    Count Solo didn''t hesitate, nor did he ask Lis what he was going to do; he directly revealed the stronghold of Laninte to Lis.


    "Is there a deployment in Ice Peak City?"


    Lis thought for a moment and then asked.


    "There is."


    After a brief contemtion, Old Tons listed off as if reciting treasures from his household,


    "In Ice Peak City, the highest-ranking secret agents for the Kingdom are Viscount Roy, Finance Officer Kenne Simon, and City Guard Army squad captain Theodore Eddy; the rest are all small fry."


    Damn!


    Lis was somewhat shocked; Viscount Roy and the squad captain of the City Guard Army were no big deal, but Lis truly hadn''t expected that the Dillon Kingdom''s Finance Officer would also be a secret agent of the Feis Kingdom.


    This was already one of the high-ranking officials of the Dillon Kingdom, a position only second to that of the Finance Minister.


    Looking at it this way, the Laninte stronghold was of quite a high level, with control over such core secrets; perhaps this was the core of the Feis Kingdom''s espionage in the Dillon Kingdom.


    "What level of secret agents are they?"


    Lis paused for a moment, then added,


    "If I wanted to use their identities, could I do that?"


    "No problem."@@novelbin@@


    Old Tons didn''t hesitate in the slightest; in his view, these three secret agents existed for this moment.


    Even if all three agents were disposed of, it would still be meaningful.


    Lis nodded, it seemed the Feis Kingdom had a lot of trust in him now; this level of trust was quite something.


    That was only natural, in Count Solo''s view, aside from the position of the King, what else could the Dillon Kingdom offer to move Lis, who stood behind two Legends?


    That level of trust was maxed out, alright!


    Choosing the identity of Viscount Roy meant Lis could get close to the nobles of the Dillon Kingdom.


    Choosing the Finance Officer meant he could start from official Dillon Kingdom channels to approach his targets.


    Choosing the squad captain of the City Guard Army would allow Lis to use the convenience of that identity to set up traps more easily and facilitate his machinations.


    Although Lis could utilise the connections of these three individuals when the time came, there would still be differences in regard to his arrangements.


    After all, the only Legendary Strongman of the Dillon Kingdom was in Ice Peak City, and Lis still needed to be a little more cautious about his safety.


    "Then, let it be this one."


    After inquiring about the detailed situations of these three individuals from Tons, Lis made his decision.


    Ice Peak City, I''ming!


    This time, I''m going to make a big move!

 Chapter 260 Ice Castle Palace

    In the early morning, Ice Peak City, Dillon Ice Castle Pce.


    Ice Peak City was built upon a hill. Legend had it that when the city was founded, the Dillon King of that time discovered thend''s critical location. Due to the unique terrain, the cold winds from the north were blocked by the distant mountain ranges, which meant that even in the depths of winter, this area seldom saw snowfalls.


    Thus, although the architecture of Ice Peak City was simr to other parts of the kingdom, using mostly ck stone, the buildings here were not as low and narrow as elsewhere. It seemed as if the people of Dillon had poured their creativity into these grand and majestic structures that densely surrounded the hill.


    At the very top of the hill stood the residence of the Dillon King, the Ice Castle Pce.


    Unlike the other buildings, the Ice Castle Pce was constructed of a special and precious pale blue-white stone known as Ice Stone. Although it looked as cold as ice, this material was much more solid and insting than ordinary stone, and so it was decreed by Dillon that only the Royal Family could use this material.


    The entire Ice Castle Pce was forged from this Ice Stone, making the summit of the city look like a frozen peak atop a ck mountain.


    The Royal Capital of the Dillon Kingdom, Ice Peak City, was thus named after the pce.


    In front of the Ice Castle Pce, Guards noticed a carriage stopping not far away. A serious-looking middle-aged man with blond hair disembarked from the carriage.


    The senior kingdom official was impably dressed in the familiar red and ck formal attire, his body slightly unsteady as the ck cane he carried supported him. The low atmospheric pressure that enveloped him prompted the pce guards to stand up straighter.


    To the guards'' relief, the dignified man didn''t even nce at them, striding directly towards the interior of the Ice Castle Pce.@@novelbin@@


    Only after the official had entered the castle and a long time had passed did one of the guards sigh with relief and whispered in a voice only hispanion could hear:


    "Lord Simon is still so stern. Every time I see him, it''s like seeing a militarymander."


    Without turning his head and still looking forward, hispanion responded in a hushed voice:


    "What did you expect? Kenne Simon used to be the deputy of the Kingdom''s Snow Bear Army. If it weren''t for his injury during the resistance against the northern Magic Beast tide, he might have be a General of the Kingdom by now."


    "He''s impressive now as well, the Kingdom''s Finance Officer. Could it be that the next Finance Minister will be Lord Simon?"


    "How should I know? But I''ve heard that His Majesty the King ces great trust in Lord Simon!"


    "Where did you hear that? I haven''t heard such a thing."


    "My cousin''s sister-inw''s friend is..."


    ...


    In the Dillon Kingdom, as the Finance Officer Kenne Simon stepped on the soft red carpet, he slowly made his way to his office.


    The Ice Castle Pce was divided into two sections. The lower Outer Court was where kingdom officials worked and handled affairs, and it was also where the Royal Court Guard Army was stationed. Above that, the Inner Court was where His Majesty the King''s sleeping quarters were located.


    Ignoring the small officials d in ck, bowing by his side, Simon paced slowly toward his office from memory.


    Kenne Simon was now thetest identity assumed by Lis.


    After obtaining three identity choices from Old Tons, Lis hesitated but ultimately decided to assume the role of Finance Officer Kenne Simon.


    Although Viscount Roy is one of the Court Nobles of the Dillon Kingdom, to tell the truth, his status is almost the same as that of Viscount Kane before the crossing, both being somewhat expendable figures in the Kingdom, with no special status beyond the ability to attend various noble balls.


    While the identity of a City Guard Army squad captain offered a wide range of activities, the safety and defense around the Ice Castle were under the responsibility of the Royal Court Guard Army, so the City Guard Army''s role was not very significant.


    The core battlefield of that ughter in Ice Peak City was in the Ice Castle Pce.


    That''s why Lis opted for the role of the Finance Officer, whose office was located inside the Royal Pce.


    Walking into the office that belonged to Kenne Simon, the style was simr to other parts of the pce, roughly 70 square meters in area, with a small bedroom for rest in the back. Arge ssic desk was ced in the room with a few scattered documents, a red carpet, and brown pine furniture. The firece had been lit in advance, and the faint fragrance diffusing in the room removed the slightest scent of smoke from the firece.


    The only thing that might have been different in the room was the ck armor in the corner of the wall, bearing the traces of wind, sun, and the intersection of swords, showcasing the valiantbat history of its owner. Strikingly, the armor''s left leg waspletely missing, and it seemed you could still see a hint of blood at the gap.


    Leaning on the sofa, Lis rubbed his temples, contemting his ns for the future.


    During his contact with Dillon Kingdom''s covert operative, Kenne Simon, Lis discovered that his situation wasn''t as good as previously believed.


    Kenne Simon, originally a Silver Warrior from the Snow Bear Army, had been recognized by Duke Quik Garnar, a big shot in the Dillon Kingdom Military, due to his valiant battle efforts andbat prowess.


    He had thought he would continue to work undercover in the military, but fate struck unexpectedly. During a battle against a Magic Beast on the ice ins, he suffered a serious injury from the beast. Although he saved his life, his strength waspletely destroyed.


    He thought that would be the end of it, yet unexpectedly he was informed by Duke Garnar to take up the position of the Kingdom''s Finance Officer.


    Kenne Simon was overwhelmed. Although he was a covert operative from Feis Kingdom, it was because his father was a spy nted in Dillon Kingdom. He himself had never been exposed to higher education and couldn''t make sense of the numerical aspects of financial affairs.


    Thus, upon receiving the position, he waspletely in the dark. However, Duke Garnar had told him to simply act as a figurehead, not to worry about the specifics, and to just follow orders.


    Even so, Kenne Simon found it quite stressful, maintaining an unweing demeanor and a straight face every day.


    After handing over his post to Lis, the Finance Officer immediately left Ice Peak City for Feis Kingdom. His mission wasplete, and now all he had to do was enjoy the warm sunshine andfortable noble life in the south.


    The situation was simple. Duke Garnar needed someone to fill the position of Finance Officer, preferably someone who could be reced at any time.


    The Finance Officer, this position is second only to the Finance Minister in terms of the Kingdom''s finances.


    Lis was very aware of who Duke Garnar was, a heavyweight figure in the Dillon Kingdom''s military, and a close confidante of the King.


    But to grasp the position of the Finance Officer with his own strength wasn''t possible.


    So, was appointing Kenne Simon as Finance Officer the intention of King Lukar?


    Lis pondered in his mind, slowly organizing his thoughts.


    So, where should he start first?

 Chapter 261 The Beginning of Political Confrontation

    Hush~


    At that moment, a knock on the door echoed.


    "Come in,"


    Lis said in a deep voice, imitating the habits of Kenne Simon.


    Now, Lis could take on the appearance of Kenne Simon partly because of the Advanced Disguise Mask Old Tangs provided, and in addition, Lis had used Four Rings Magic "Advanced Disguise Technique" and assassin skills "Breath Concealment."


    With double assurance, it was almost impossible to see through Lis'' disguise.


    As long as Lis did not take action, even the detection and Protection Magic Array of the Ice Castle Pce could not identify his true identity.


    A young man dressed in dark cyan clothing gently pushed the door open and said respectfully,


    "Lord Simon, Lord Ss requests your presence."


    Lis nodded slightly to indicate he understood, the young man, knowing Simon''s temperament, dared not ask further and could only bow and leave the room.


    "Why is this guy looking for me now?"


    Lis wondered, quickly calcting in his mind.


    Gilberto Ss, the incumbent Finance Minister of the Kingdom, has held the position for ten years and has earned great trust from His Majesty the King.


    ording to Kenne Simon, since assuming the role of Finance Officer a few months ago, he had hardly intervened in any specific work, nor had he had dealings with other officials in the department, as solitary as one could be.


    While this was suitable for Lis'' disguise, should any unexpected events arise, there were no past experiences to draw upon.


    s, do I have to y the role of aplete simpleton then?


    Lis sighed inwardly, stood up from his room, and walked toward the Finance Minister''s office.


    Thump, thump!


    Lis knocked powerfully on the door of the Finance Minister''s office; two junior officials discussing nearby looked over in surprise, but quickly averted their eyes upon recognizing the Finance Officer.


    "Is that you, Kenne? Come in,"


    a somewhat deep voice came from within, and Lis, with no hesitation, pushed the door open and entered.


    The room inside bore simr decorations, but was clearlyrger than Lis'' office.


    Of course, the biggest difference was the nearly full desk of papers in front of Gilberto Ss.


    "Hehe, Kenne, have a seat,"


    Gilberto, with somewhat gray hair, gestured toward the sofa by the firece; a side table was already prepared with steaming tea and pastries.


    Lis nodded, strode to the sofa to sit down, and ced his cane aside.


    As Gilberto also sat down across from him, he took a sip of tea,ughing as he said,


    "Kenne, you look much more spirited than before; it seems you''ve been resting quite welltely."


    "Me, on the other hand, have more and more tasks from His Majesty the Kingtely."


    Lis merely remained silent and nodded, didn''t speak, nor did he touch the tea and pastries in front of him.


    Observing Kenne Simon''s cold demeanor, Gilberto understood, not beating around the bush anymore; he took out a badge and a letter from his breast pocket and ced them before Lis.


    Lis stared at the badge before him, Silver Moon Cedar��the symbol of the Duke Quik Garnar''s Family.


    The very military bigwig who had appointed Kenne Simon as Finance Officer.


    After a moment of silence, Lis picked up the letter and read it carefully.


    Consistent with the letter Kenne Simon had provided, it was a personal letter from Quik Garnar.


    The content of the letter was simple, it just instructed Kenne Simon to follow the orders of Gilberto Ss and unless it was a major issue, there was no need to report back to him.


    What connection is there between Gilberto Ss, the Finance Minister, and Duke Quik Garnar?


    Are they both officials from the Royal Faction?


    ```


    After setting down the letter, Lis nodded at Gilberto, who was savoring the top-grade red tea.


    "Is there something you need me to do?"


    A hint of a smile appeared on Gilberto''s face as he nodded and spoke,


    "His Majesty the King has many things to do, and we only need to do our own parts well."


    "Do you know Frue Philip?"


    Lis nodded and briefly said,


    "I know of him, but not well-acquainted."


    Frue Philip, an official in his thirties from the vigorous youth faction, was strong, vibrant, and quite astute.


    Lis immediately recalled the material provided by Kenne.@@novelbin@@


    The official structure of the Dillon Kingdom was not much different from that of the mainstream Human Kingdom, where each facet of the kingdom''s affairs was taken care of by specialized officials.


    In the realm of finance, the most important three positions were the Finance Minister, Finance Officer, and Finance Assistant, ranked by status and power respectively.


    And Frue Philip was the Dillon Kingdom''s Finance Deputy Officer, just ranking below Gilberto Ss and Kenne Simon.


    "There will be some working up that you''ll probably need to interact more with him."


    Gilberto said cheerfully, appearing to be a kind and gentle old man, but Lis saw him as a sly old fox.


    "So, what do you need me to do?"


    Lis spoke straightforwardly, his resolute face betraying a hint of impatience.


    Gilberto didn''t mind, he naturally knew that Kenne had once been a soldier; it was easy for them to charge into battle, butprehending the intricate rules of the bureaucratic game was indeed a challenge for them.


    After thinking it over, Gilberto decided to make it clearer.


    "Frue Philip is Duke Stran Ward''s man."


    "His Majesty the King does not favor Duke Ward, he has been overreaching."


    Gilberto took a sip of his red tea and said lightly,


    "You don''t need to bother with other matters, I will assign some of the responsibilities managed by Frue Philip to you."


    "Don''t worry about not doing well, I have only one request, to make life difficult for Frue Philip, and better yet, to find some issues with him."


    "I understand."


    Lis nodded, his expression unchanging.


    Gilberto continued to instruct,


    "You might not be familiar with some of those tasks, so I''ll have my subordinate Hans help you, you just need to make decisions."


    ...


    Lis returned to his office and leaned back on the sofa, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly.


    This is getting interesting!


    Gilberto''s intention was obvious, have him stir things up, catch Frue Philip''s weak points, aiming to bring down this Finance Assistant, the number three person in the Kingdom''s finance.


    So, is King Lukar preparing to take action against Duke Ward?


    On my side it''s just one aspect, there may already be a silent and invisible confrontation starting in many other areas.


    Looking at it now, the Kingdom appointing Kenne Simon as the Finance Officer was probably because the Finance Minister was getting on in years, to prevent Kingdom finance from being controlled by Duke Ward''s men, a bncing act.


    Don''t find it strange; it may seem odd within the Feis Kingdom, how could a duke possibly contend with His Majesty the King?


    But in the Dillon Kingdom, Duke Stran Ward holds a rather special position.


    His father, thete Joey Ward, was the only Legendary Strongman of the Dillon Kingdom, a disciple of the Legendary Berserker "Northern Fury," Hiti Whitman.


    ```

 Chapter 262 New Galsa Warehouse

    Joey Ward had made great contributions to the Dillon Kingdom and was granted a duke''s title, possessing territories in the eastern part of the Dillon Kingdom equivalent to those of two regr dukedoms.


    The former Duke Ward was also a trusted confidant of the Dillon King at the time, and the old king had considerable trust in this disciple of the Legendary Strongman. Many important departments within the Kingdom were controlled by the subordinates of Duke Ward.


    However, Joey Ward did not betray His Majesty the King''s trust. Under the leadership of this de facto duke, the power of the Dillon Kingdom grew rapidly, earning it the qualification topete with the Feis Kingdom.


    But, as time changes, Joey Ward eventually sumbed to recurring wounds from years of warfare and passed away a few years ago, around the same time as the former Dillon King.


    Now the power in the Dillon Kingdom has been transferred to Lukar Dilon''s hands, and the title and authority of the Duke Ward were inherited by Joey''s eldest son, Stran Ward.


    Lukar felt that since Joey Ward had passed away, it was natural to take back that clearly outdated extra authority; he couldn''t tolerate another influential voice within the country.


    And Stran would definitely not relinquish the power that belonged to him. As a qualified political creature, he would never entrust his fate to the mercy of those in power.


    This was the big backdrop to the unrest in Ice Peak City.


    This was the cause of the "Demon''s Gate" incident in Ice Peak City.


    Lis understood in his heart that the task Gilberto had given him must signify that the conflict between the two parties was irreconcble and about to be brought into the open.


    Lukar, as the Dillon King, was very capable. The future invasion of the Feis Kingdom was pushed forward by His Majesty the King himself.


    Perhaps the opportunity tounch a war had finally arrived, and Lukar could no longer bear it.


    Before the actual war began, he intended to eliminate all potential threats at home.


    To repel the foreign, one must first secure the home!


    Lis had not participated in the entire process of the "Demon''s Gate" incident in Ice Peak City; in his previous life, he was still struggling in Bright City!


    Therefore, he only had a rough understanding of the progress of the incident and was not clear about the specifics.


    Just like now, it must be the initial confrontation between the Dillon King and Duke Ward.


    The question was whether His Majesty the King had any other ns in ce.


    Earlier, Gilberto spoke lightly of it, but if it were so easy to take down the position of Financial Assistant Frue Philip, would he need to send someone to stir up trouble?


    Now Lis was worried that the pretense of Kenne Simon he assumed might be treated as a disposable pawn, to be used and then discarded, in which case his identity was very likely to be exposed.


    s, why did things start off with such troublesome issues!


    He could only watch and see if there were any opportunities to cause trouble during the process.


    Lis sighed and took a light sip of the ck tea.


    Tok Tok~


    A knock on the door sounded.


    "Come in!"


    Lis set down the tall white teacup in his hand.@@novelbin@@


    A middle-aged man who appeared to be in his thirties gently pushed the door open and stood respectfully in front of Lis.


    "Who are you?"


    Lis asked nonchntly.


    "Lord Simon, I am the second secretary to Lord Ss, Hans Cruz. Lord Ss sent me to assist you with your duties."


    "Hmm."


    Lis responded indifferently and then said:


    "Gilberto said you are familiar with the situation. So, where do we start?"


    Hans was startled, not expecting this Finance Officer to be so direct and unceremoniously asking him to start work immediately.


    I''ve heard that he was once a favorite of the Duke of Ghana, so it seems the rumors are true.


    Yet in Hans''s mind, who had navigated through the officialdom for over a decade, many thoughts shed by, but his expression remained unchanged as he began to introduce the tasks entrusted by Gilberto to Lis.


    "Lord Gilberto has already signed an official administrative order,manding a review of all the financial and governmental tasks fromst year by the Kingdom, to be overseen by you."


    "The Finance Assistant, Lord Frue Philip, mainly oversees the collection, ounting, and statistics of the Kingdom''s taxes, the allocation of funds for the construction of Ice Peak City, and the statistical distribution of the nobles'' annuities."


    "Whening here, Lord Gilberto instructed that these areas might require extra attention."


    Lis struggled to suppress a twitch in the corner of his mouth, maintaining his serious status and persona.


    Goodness me, the significant authority of the Kingdom''s tax collection isn''t with Gilberto but in the hands of this Finance Assistant? Doesn''t it mean that half of the Kingdom''s financial power is controlled by this third-ranked official?


    With just a little maniption, arge sum of Gold Coins could end up in Duke Ward''s pocket without anyone noticing.


    No wonder they want to eliminate this guy first.


    Even telling me where to start?


    Lis fell silent for a moment, pretending not to understand too well, and continued,


    "Since Gilberto trusts you, where should we start that would be appropriate?"


    "Of course, the collection ofst year''s Kingdom taxes. Although Lord Philip should have already handled the ledgers, if any tampering has taken ce, it will certainly be detectable."


    Hans spoke with a grave tone, and although his voice still maintained respect for the Finance Assistant, he was ready to directly pin down this high-ranking official.


    "Lord Simon, this is what I have brought, a memorandum of all the work done by Lord Philipst year."


    Hans ced a thick pile of paper documents gently on the table in front of Lis.


    After a brief nce, Lis saw that these documents were organized chronologically, most of which rted to the Kingdom''s taxation; in addition, there were a few other financial documents signed by Philip.


    Suddenly, Lis spotted the name of one document.


    Interesting!


    A slight smile appeared on Lis''s face, which he quickly concealed.


    To be honest, since the Finance Minister and the Duke of Ghana nned to use Kenne Simon as a tool, Lis had intended to just follow the routine, and if he needed to shed his cover, he would change his identity.


    But now it seemed that there was an opportunity to "steal a chicken," making the conflict between the two parties even more heated.


    "Hans, you''ve got a good idea, let''s start with the tax collection fromst year, as you suggested,"


    Lis nodded his head and said in a t tone.


    "However, since Lord Gilberto ces such importance on this matter, looking only at the tax collection work is not quite enough."


    "Lord Simon, what do you mean?"


    Hans was unsurprised. In his view, this Finance Officer was not well-informed about financial matters and was just spontaneously interested in arranging more work, simply wanting to show some initiative.


    As long as the major tasks followed Lord Gilberto''s intentions, such minor matters would not be worth losing face over for this second-in-charge.


    "Let''s go with this!"


    Lis randomly pulled out two documents from those in front of him and threw them in front of Hans.


    "For the tax work, just arrange for someone to verify it; I trust you with that."


    "These two areas,e with me tomorrow, and we''ll investigate what Lord Philip didst year."


    Hans picked up the two documents, one of which was titled:


    [Ice Peak City Royal Family''s New Galsa Warehouse Funding Approval]

 Chapter 263 Duke Wards Invitation

    Galsa Warehouse is one of thergest warehouses in Ice Peak City and also a specializedrge warehouse used by the Royal Family of the Dillon Kingdom, storing the daily consumables of the Royal Household, most of which are transported in from outside the city.


    Galsa Warehouse is located to the due west of Ice Peak City, in close proximity to the Ice Castle Pce.


    The year beforest, a fire gutted arge part of Galsa Warehouse, but thanks to the timely response of the City Guard Army and the Royal Court Guard Army, the Ice Castle Pce was saved from the mes.


    Last year, Kingdom Finance spent a considerable sum of money rebuilding Galsa Warehouse, which also leads to its mention in this document as New Galsa Warehouse.


    Lis remembered clearly that the rise of the "Demon''s Gate" wasn''t at Galsa Warehouse, but during the major incident at that time, one of the locations overseen by Duke Ward''s men included Galsa Warehouse.


    Which means, there must be a problem with this ce!


    Let''s see if I can take this opportunity to find the problem with this ce and exacerbate the conflict between the King and Duke Ward in advance.


    Hans nced at the two documents in his hands, one for the newly built Galsa Warehouse and the other for the repair work of the Ice Peak City Wall��both being among the most crucial construction projects in Ice Peak City.


    Hans didn''t believe that just visiting these two ces would uncover any issues with the Finance Assistant, perhaps Kenne Simon was just putting on a show for the higher-ups.


    Difficult to refuse.


    "I understand, Lord Simon, I will arrange the schedule for tomorrow."


    "Mm, go ahead, start organizing people to check the tax ledgers right away, I leave it all to you, let me know if anythinges up."


    Lis nodded, appearing utterly unconcerned, sincerely prepared to be nothing more than a mascot.


    Hans nodded, having received his instructions from Simon, and left to implement his tasks.


    Everything had already been arranged, including manpower and ledger books; it was just a matter of putting Lis forward as a target.


    As for whether Philip had done something wrong?


    What a joke, the goal wasn''t really to find problems; if needed, problems could "naturally appear."


    Sigh~


    Hans, walking along the corridor of the Royal Pce, took a deep breath, somehow feeling a sense of oppression in the Finance Officer''s office just now.


    Was that the pressure from a former Transcendent power?


    Better be more vignt!


    ...


    After Hans had left, Lis just stayed honestly in his own office, ready for anything that mighte his way at any moment.


    A day passed, and besides a servant who came to deliver lunch, not another soul disturbed Lis.


    "Is this what it feels like to be a mascot?"


    Lisughed to himself, then began cleaning up, ready to return "home."


    Knock knock~


    The knock on the door came at an untimely moment.


    Lis nced out of the window at the darkening sky, curious about who would be looking for him at this time.


    "Come in!"


    The door was pushed open from the outside, and a middle-aged man with a smile appeared in front of Lis.


    This person was very familiar to Lis, the Finance Assistant Frue Philip!


    Lis had obtained this man''s portrait from Kenne Simon.


    Why would hee to find me now?


    Could it be that he has noticed my intention to "make a move" on him?


    "Haha, Kenne, are you heading back?"


    Philip said with a smile, his tone intimate and warm, which to anyone else would appear as though they were close friends!


    But Lis knew that Kenne Simon had no personal rtionship with this man.


    So, what is he up to?


    Find adventures at empire


    Lis heightened his vignce inwardly but showed no change in expression as he donned his red and ck coat and asked with his hand on the palm-rest:


    "Is there something?"@@novelbin@@


    Philip''s smile widened, apparently not noticing Lis''s brusque tone.


    "Duke Ward is hosting a party at his mansion tonight and specifically asked me to invite you, Kenne!"


    Staring at the stern face of Kenne Simon, Lis managed to keep control as his brows knitted slightly in refusal,


    "I''m sorry, please extend my apologies to my Duke, I have some personal matters to attend to tonight."


    Could this be... a test from King Lukar? Was the battle of wits about to begin?


    What a nuisance!


    Lis was very clear that, whether bymon sense or his own preference, he could not ept Philip''s invitation at this time.


    Before entering Ice Peak City, Lis had made up his mind that the lower Kenne Simon''s profile, the better, while Lis''s other identity would be the one causing a stir in public.


    The more decisive the refusal, the more it would reflect Kenne Simon''s stern and conservative nature.


    "Don''t be like that,"


    Philip''s smile remained unchanged as he stepped forward, patting Lis on the shoulder.


    "Duke Ward has been appreciating you for a long time, Kenne."


    "Don''t miss this opportunity!"


    As soon as Philip touched Lis, Lis felt a special spiritual power flowing into his body at the point of contact.


    This spiritual power was very hidden, slowly spreading towards Lis''s mind.


    If Lis weren''t an Arcanist, an ordinary Extraordinary Professional might not even notice this special spiritual force.


    -----------------


    [Special spiritual influence detected!]


    [You are undergoing an "Intermediate Subconscious Suggestion" check!]


    [Checking...]


    [Specialty "Nether River''s Blessing" effect activated! "Solid Soul" status takes effect!]


    [You are exempt from this check!]


    -----------------


    "Intermediate Subconscious Suggestion"?


    Wow, how does Philip have this ability?


    "Subconscious Suggestion" is a very special skill, affecting the target''s subconscious, making them subconsciously make the choice the user desires.


    This skill effect is very covert and leaves no side effects, undetectable by examinations, but it does have its ws.


    That is, its impact is limited!


    For example, if this skill were effective, it could influence Lis''s choice of dinner, but it couldn''t make Lis work overtime.


    This must be the effect of a Magic Item on Philip, touching my body to conceal the transfer of magical power, avoiding detection by the Royal Pce Detection Array.


    This must be the effect of a Magic Item, what does Philip want me to do?


    If it were Kenne Simon who had lost his extraordinary power, he wouldn''t be able to resist the effect of "Intermediate Subconscious Suggestion."


    Seeing Lis silent for a moment, Philip continued to ask,


    "So, how about it, why not join me at Duke Ward''s party?"


    So, all this just to have me meet with Duke Ward?


    "Alright."


    Lis pretended to be influenced by "Intermediate Subconscious Suggestion" and nodded in agreement to Philip''s suggestion.


    "Then let''s be on our way,"


    Philip said with a smile, walking alongside Lis out of the Ice Castle Pce.


    Watching a small official nearby take note of the two, Philip''s smile grew even more triumphant.


    Seeing the two from a distance, Hans''s expression turned somewhat ugly. After hesitating for a while, he headed towards the room of Ss Finance Minister.


    Under Philip''s lead, Lis followed onto a carriage marked with the Duke Ward family crest, heading eastward through the city.


    Lis noticed that there were several other carriages, just like theirs, waiting outside the Ice Castle Pce.

 Chapter 264 Duke Stran Ward

    Ice Peak City, Duke Ward Mansion.


    Looking at the luxurious and grand mansion in front of him, which used the same Ice Stone materials as the Royal Pce, it was said that this mansion was bestowed by the former King because the former Duke Ward married a princess from the Dillon Kingdom.


    Philip had been by Lis''s side the whole time, and the two of them got off the carriage and entered the mansion.


    By this time, Duke Ward''s mansion had already be lively, with many servants bustling about, providing meticulous service to the dignitaries.


    Lis merely nced around and recognized quite a few influential figures in the Dillon Kingdom''s Ice Peak City.


    The presidents ofrge guilds, high-ranking officials of the Kingdom, upper-ss nobles...


    Many of these people had appeared in the main quests of the previous life in the Dillon Kingdom, yet now they had all gathered here.


    It seemed that not everyone here necessarily supported Duke Ward; some, like himself, might have been influenced by "Intermediate Subconscious Suggestion" toe here.


    For instance, the army''smander, Markas Conrad, who was a staunch Royalist, was also present at the party.


    This man, who looked pale, seemed to have realized that something was amiss.


    However, those top-level officials loyal to the King, such as Finance Minister Gilberto and others, were absent.


    Perhaps Ward did not dare to easily use his Extraordinary Ability to influence those people, as they likely had certain protective measures in ce.


    So, was tonight the asion for Duke Ward to demonstrate to the King the extent of his formidable power?


    Quite presumptuous!


    Lis could also understand why King Lukar could no longer tolerate Duke Ward.


    Any normal King could hardly endure a Great Noble who threatened his own power and status!


    Hadn''t King Morton also made his way here through trials and hardships?


    Of course, King Morton''s methods were iparable to those of the current young King of the Dillon Kingdom.


    Fishing in troubled waters, Lis wondered if he could make contact with Duke Ward tonight.


    A slight smile appeared on Lis''s serious face; he had been worried about how to approach the Duketer, but now the opportunity had presented itself.


    Now, he just needed to go with the flow and pretend to be influenced by the suggestion.


    Although the host of the party had not yet appeared, the sumptuous dishes had already been ced on the long tables in the banquet hall by the servants.


    The main focus was on variousrge chunks of roasted meat, including Dillon''s distinctiverge chunks of roasted deer meat and secret-recipe snowke beef, all of which Lis discovered were from bred Extraordinary Magical Beasts��a technology not yet avable in the Feis Kingdom.


    There weren''t many fruits and vegetables at the dinner, mostly cold dishes, but the few green items that were avable looked very fresh.


    All this showcased the wealth of Duke Ward.


    The former Duke Ward had explored a route through the eastern barren mountains of the Dillon Kingdom that led to the sea; although remote and rugged, costly, it had significantly broken any potential trade blockade that the Feis Kingdom might have imposed on the Dillon Kingdom.


    Duke Ward had gained substantial benefits through this trade route.


    Lis simply took some of the Magic Beast meat and began to enjoy it.


    The simple spices highlighted the meat''s inherent deliciousness��tender and juicy, making Lis somewhat unable to stop eating.


    Philip, who had been apanying him all along, also simply joined Lis in eating some of the food, never leaving his side, seemingly as pre-nned.


    "Kenne, it seems you really like grilled meat!"


    Philip casually remarked.


    "Yes."


    Lis responded with equal indifference, he wasn''t in a hurry, but he was curious to see what tricks Philip might try to y.


    "Today, the order signed by Lord Gilberto, Kenne, what do you think of it?"


    After chatting for a while, Philip casually brought up the subject, speaking with a smile.


    "The tasks handed down by Lord Gilberto should just be done well, I don''t care about the rest."


    Lis spoke coldly, his words revealing a trace of respectful distance.@@novelbin@@


    Philip didn''t mind Lis''s tone; in his mind, the former soldier Kenne Simon had always been like this.


    But his words had some underlying meaning.


    "Lord Gilberto might be overthinking it; there were no issues with the workst year, and right now it''s our busy period, but he''s brought up this matter."


    Following Lis''s words, Philip said as he took a deep red wine from a servant beside him.


    Lis noticed the thoughtful look on Philip''s face; he had deliberately spoken in such a way to make Philip think that his rtionship with Gilberto wasn''t very close, giving him a sense of being able to win Lis over.


    "Indeed I''ve been having little to dotely, perhaps because of this, Lord Gilberto handed this task to me."


    "That won''t do, Kenne; you''re so capable, Gilberto really didn''t consider thoroughly this time."


    Philip shook his head, seemingly sympathizing with Lis.


    "How about this, I''ll suggest to Gilberto that you take charge of the foundational work in Ice Peak City, how does that sound?"


    Philip earnestly suggested, seemingly keeping Lis''s interests in mind.


    "Forget it, let me handle the task assigned by Lord Gilberto first."


    Lis gently put down the dish in his hand and gave Philip a look, his stiff face revealing a slight smile.


    This left Philip a bit at a loss.


    This...


    I was ready to make a big sacrifice by giving you this lucrative opportunity, and you suddenly refuse, what''s going on?


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    Did you really utter those words unintentionally before?


    This Kenne Simon has another motive, or is he truly na?ve?


    Stunned by Lis, Philip remained outwardly unperturbed, lifting his ss to sip some exquisite wine to cover his diposure, his mind spinning rapidly.


    It won''t do, I have to try again; if I can really win over Kenne Simon, and even better, Duke Quik Garnar behind him.


    This is a task assigned by the Duke himself; it must be aplished!


    Lis ignored Philip, who was lost in a brainstorm beside him. He wanted Philip to see "Kenne Simon" as a wise man, then to realize he really was "politically naive." Through this flux of self-doubt to self-assurance, Philip might genuinely let his guard down.


    Only in this way, would it be possible to decrease the attention from each other''s strengths.


    This was a tact Lis had used in his past life as a professional leveler, firmly grasping the thoughts of those who were wealthy, feeling that Lis was genuine and would not engage in deceitful tricks.


    At that moment, Lis noticed the main character was making his entrance.


    A middle-aged man, looking about forty, with a smile on his face, walked down from the second floor of the mansion, wearing a simple yet elegant ck formal outfit that entuated his robust muscles beneath.


    His brown hair carefully styled, his deep blue eyes exuding both excitement and sincerity, he continuously greeted the nobles and high officials beside him.


    This was the current Duke Stran Ward, a high-ranking Berserker!

 Chapter 265 Visiting Duke Wards Dream

    "On behalf of the Ward Family, I am honored to invite all of you to this evening''s banquet."


    "Today, I am pleasantly surprised to see many old friends, and I wee the addition of many new friends."


    "Let us raise our sses, to a more prosperous tomorrow for the Dillon Kingdom!"


    ng��


    Unlike the somewhat strict banquet etiquette of the Feis Kingdom, Duke Ward''s seemingly casual few words escted the party atmosphere to a climax.


    With the gathered guests raising their sses together, the soir��e officially began.@@novelbin@@


    Lis, feigning slight difort with this atmosphere, stood holding his drink at the side of the banquet hall, coldly observing the lively crowd before him. Your adventure continues at empire


    He noticed a few individuals not far away, dressed in the same formal attire of senior officials from the Dillon Kingdom, looking somewhat ill at ease.


    Were they, like him, covertly suggested toe here?


    Lis took a few nces; these individuals were all officials from the Kingdom''s internal affairs and legal departments, ranking around the same as his current position.


    Looking at them, it seemed they were still questioning why they had epted the invitation.


    Duke Ward must have expended such effort to sway allegiances and likely also to show his might.


    Regardless of whether these lured senior officials from the Kingdom pledged their loyalty or not, it served as a snareid between them and the King.


    Lis sipped the Muge Wine in his hand, a wine from the Feis Kingdom that cost a fortune. Once it reached the Dillon Kingdom, its value doubled instantly. It was the exorbitant profit of the Feis Kingdom''s monopoly, and also the reason the Dillon Kingdom paid a hefty price to explore new trading routes.


    At that moment, Lis noticed that Philip, apanying Duke Ward, was approaching his direction.


    "So this is our Finance Officer, Kenne. Finally meeting you in person," Stran said with a smile as he greeted Lis.


    Lis bowed slightly in a courteous manner.


    If not for the restrained fierceness emanating from him, Lis might have mistaken him for an old politician.


    "It is an honor to meet you, Duke Ward," said Lis, his words bearing a nuance of respect as he looked up at the Duke.


    "I''ve heard that you, Kenne, were also once a valiant warrior, but you seem to be doing quite well as the Finance Officer. Philip has told me about you," Stran dered with a smiling face, tantly ttering.


    I don''t even know what I''ve done.


    Lis shook his head, stating earnestly:


    "You tter me, sir. I''ve wasted a lot of time not knowing what to do, and now I only wish not to disappoint Lord Ghana."


    "Ghana, hmm, sometimes he doesn''t think things through thoroughly," Stran remarked vaguely about Lis''s benefactor, continuing:


    "With many matters weighing upon the Kingdom recently, should you encounter any troublesome issues, you cane to me for assistance."


    Lis simply nodded silently, without speaking.


    Sensing Lis''s cool response, Stran gestured to silence Philip, who appeared eager to interject, and smilingly said:


    "I''ve heard, Kenne, that you had to leave the army due to severe injuries?"


    "I happen to have ways to heal those wounds. If you ever decide, Kenne, feel free to seek me out for treatment," the Duke offered, observing Lis''s changing expression with a smile. He lingered no longer, lifted his wine ss, and walked toward the other guests.


    He was indeed very busy tonight.


    Philip exhaled, looking at Lis to add:


    "Give it some thought, Kenne. Lord Stran never fails to take good care of his own."


    The stern face revealed a hint of excitement, which was swiftly suppressed. Lis nodded toward Philip and said,


    "I understand, I will give it careful consideration."


    Then he drained the ss of fine wine in his hand and, leaning on his ck cane, walked toward the exit of the banquet hall.


    Philip did not try to retain him. In his view, influenced by Duke Ward''s seduction, the Finance Officer had already wavered, and the rest would be much easier to manage.


    Summoning a servant to follow Lis, Philip also moved toward the other guests.


    The task for the day was aplished; now he could truly enjoy the rare moments of the evening party.


    ...


    Lis, sitting in the carriage leaving the ce, had a calm expression, looking with interest through the carriage window at the brightly lit luxurious mansion.


    Duke Ward''s direct overture meant that he must have sensed His Majesty the King''s hostility.


    Too bad, if you could offer some real treasures, Lis might have been interested in ying the part and joining Duke Ward in some double-agency.


    Healing, forget about it; Lis feared being unmasked!


    However, tonight''s primary goal had already been achieved.


    In that brief exchange with Duke Ward, Lis had memorized the man''s aura; all that was left was to wait for the deep silence of the night.


    ---------------


    Late at night, at Kenne Simon''s residence.


    Perhaps to avoid the leakage of his identity, Kenne Simon had not taken a wife, and the house was simply staffed with a few servants.


    Lying in bed, Lis felt it was time. Duke Ward should have settled into slumber by now, so he waited no longer.


    Special Skill "Awake Dream"!


    "Sphinx Dream Building Skill"!


    Using these two special skills, Lis smoothly entered the Dream World.


    Controlling his Spirit Body to leave his own nk Dream Space, Lis peered into the hazy dreamspace, filled with the myriad bubbles of dreams, each dream scattered like stars in the eager surroundings.


    So this is the Dream World? Indeed very special, where the real and the unreal interweave, blurring the concept of space and the passage of time with a misty sensation.


    It felt as though he was submerged in an ocean of dreams.


    This was the first time Lis had intentionally entered the Dream World; even in his past life''s game, he had never had such an experience.


    Secret realms and quests involving the Dream World were quite rare.


    ording to the records within the "Sphinx Dream Building Skill," this dream was a manifestation of all the living beings in this area, not just humans but insects and animals as well, though their dreams were not as bright and colorful as those of humans.


    "If I hadn''t encountered Duke Ward today, locating his dream would have been far more difficult."


    Lis''s Spirit Body raised a hand, and an aura appeared before him, exuding the same strong sensation as Duke Ward''s.


    "Sphinx Dream Building Skill - Dream Seeking"!


    The wisp of aura transformed into an illusory White Dove, flying directly towards Lis''s left.


    Lis hurriedly followed closely behind the White Dove, leaping from one dream to another.


    The most precious content of the "Sphinx Dream Building Skill" might be constructing special Dream Spaces, but it also contains manymon techniques used within the Dream World, all derived from the exploration and research of that Legendary Arcanist.


    The Dream World is always bizarre; Lis passed dreams where people indulged in gluttony, others being hunted by wild beasts, and he even saw someone hiding outside a window, peeping at a film.


    Tsk tsk tsk, what talent!


    Before long, the White Dove led Lis to the outskirts of a clearly brighter Dream Space, an image of the Ice Castle Pce within.


    This is Duke Ward''s dream!

 Chapter 266 Deception in Dreams

    Lis gently touched Duke Ward''s dream space, and his whole body entered the dream space before him.


    Feeling disoriented for a moment, he appeared in a new world.


    To his surprise, Duke Ward''s dream was the Ice Castle Pce, and it was right inside the main pce of the Ice Castle.


    Unlike the exterior style of the Ice Castle Pce, this ce was entirelyposed of gold and white colors. The pristine pirs and bright red carpets created a uniquely mysterious ambiance, and at the center of the spacious hall was a pale golden throne, encircled byyers of steps.


    The familiar figure of Duke Ward sat on this throne that symbolized the ultimate power of the Dillon Kingdom, his gaze vacant, seemingly lost in thought.


    Lis stood at the center of the hall, hand on his chin, observing Duke Ward.


    Using the "Sphinx Dream Building Skill" to conceal his presence, he went unnoticed by Stran Ward, the master of this dream space.


    Generally, a person''s dreams reflect the deepest desires of their heart.


    So, does Stran Ward truly wish to be the king of the Dillon Kingdom deep inside? To grasp even more power?


    However, today''s trouble wasn''t for the sake of sorting out Duke Ward''s dreams.


    Lis raised his left hand, and a multicolored, dreamy light gathered in his palm, slowly spreading to envelop the entire pce.


    This special light was the "Power of Dreams," the same special power Lis had encountered in the Sphinx Dream Temple.


    As the iridescent light spread, the hues of the tinum Ice Castle Pce slowly dimmed, and the entire dream transformed into a dark, confined space filled with a faint grey mist.


    In the center of this space was a simple Bronze long table, with a Bronze candlestick on it whose me flickered weakly, unable to illuminate the entirety of the space but adding a quiet, eerie atmosphere instead.


    Duke Ward, who had originally been sitting on the throne, seemed still unawakened, his body now seated at one side of the Bronze long table, moved with the change in the space.


    Letting out a sigh of relief, Lis stopped using the Power of Dreams to further modify the dream space.


    It must be said that Stran, as a Gold Level strongman, even the dream space formed unconsciously by his spiritual power was challenging for Lis to override and change.


    However, it seemed to have been effective.


    Upon examining his handiwork, Lis desired to create just such a mysterious and eerie environment to better converse with Duke Ward.


    Lis''s figure blurred and transformed into a middle-aged man, about thirty years old, dressed in a ck Mage Robe.


    Death Secret Cult, Moriarty!


    Lis touched his now somewhat pale disguised face and took a seat on the Bronze chair directly opposite Stran.


    Looking at Duke Ward whose consciousness had not yet awakened across him, Lis curved his finger, gently tapping the Bronze long table in front.


    Ding~ Ding~


    The crisp sounds as if piercing the soul, echoed throughout this space.


    Stran too seemed to be suddenly roused by this noise, opening his eyes.


    ...


    Where am I...?


    The just-awakened Stran was still somewhat bewildered, observing the dark space around him and the ancient Bronze long table before him.


    "Wee, Stran Ward."


    Seeing the pale-faced middle-aged man sitting across from him, Stran quickly realized the peculiarity of his situation.


    "Who are you?"


    Stran asked, then scrutinized the space closely.


    It was dark, and constricted, seemingly shrouded in deep darkness, with faint grey mist drifting in the air, bringing with it a sense of unreality.


    Stran was certain he had never been to this ce before and it did not seem like any normal location.


    "Death Secret Cult, Moriarty."


    "Pleased to meet you, Duke Ward!"


    Stran, facing the man with a sinister smile, did not panic but quickly calmed down.


    "After the banquet, I should have just rested in my bedroom."


    "Someone who can elude my perception and bypass the defenses of the estate."


    "Only a Legend could do that, right?"


    "But if it really were a Legendary Strongman, they wouldn''t need to go through all this trouble."


    "That means some sort of special tactic!"


    "In other words, the mysterious person before me surely isn''t as powerful as he appears, and his actions must also be limited."


    The crafty Stran instantly realized the crux of the problem!


    "It can only be said that Stran''s guess is not wrong, the Dream Space, being a manifestation of each individual''s subconscious, has minimal impact on itself."


    "Perhaps at the stage of Legendary Arcanist Sphinx, one could kill an enemy through dreams, but Lis isn''t capable of that yet, let alone taking action against Stran in a dream."


    "What do you want to do by bringing me to this ce?"


    Stran crossed his arms and looked at the man in the ck robe before him.


    "I would like to discuss a partnership with our Duke Ward," replied the man in the ck robe, tapping his left finger lightly on the bronze table and smiling.


    Stran furrowed his brow, the sound of the man tapping on the table seemed to transmit directly into his mind, making him somewhat ufortable.


    "What kind of partnership? I don''t think you have the sincerity to negotiate."


    Stran''s expression was indifferent, and he did not waver at all but retorted to Lis.


    "This is because the protective forces around Duke Ward are too strong!" said the man in the ck robe with a frivolous tone, seemingly unconcerned about Duke Ward''s question.


    He even managed to pull out a stemmed ss containing deep red wine from somewhere, took a sip, and rocked his head as if intoxicated by it.


    "So confident that I won''t be able to find and counter you?"


    "Interesting!"


    As a Gold Level Berserker, Stran''s strength naturally wasn''t obtained in a hot-house environment.


    He had faced the vicious Magic Beasts of the northern icefields, battled against the cruel and insane Cultists, and stared down the chaotic filth of the Abyss Demons��experiences that forged Stran''s confidence as a strongman.


    But Stran, having already stabilized his emotions, was shocked by Lis''s next words and lost control of his facial expression.


    "Moreover, since Duke Ward, you can coborate with Abyss Demons, I suppose our Death Secret Cult wouldn''t be too bad either."


    "You... I don''t understand what you''re talking about."


    Stran remained expressionless,cking his earlierposed demeanor.


    "Don''t say that!"


    "Shaz Wood will be sad, you know!"


    "How did youe to know this name?" Stran frowned upon hearing the name finally spoken by the man in the ck robe and asked in a low voice.@@novelbin@@


    That name was Duke Ward''s greatest secret, unknown even to his closest ally, Marquis Be Milne.


    How could this man know of it!


    "Who knows?" said the man in the ck robe with a shrug and a smile.


    Shaz Wood, a Gold Level Demon Envoy, disciple of Demon Prince Demogorgon.


    At the same time, he was also the instigator of the great incident in Ice Peak City��Demon''s Gate!

 Chapter 267 Demon Prince Demogorgon

    Demon Prince Demogorgon is one of the most powerful Demon Lords in the Bottomless Abyss.


    His domain lies in the 88thyer of the Bottomless Abyss, Saltwater Swamp, also known as the Demon Stomach, Bottomless Cave.


    Saltwater Swamp is a realm of briny water and rocky protrusions, where flying demons make their nests on these stones. Demonic fish that dwell on the bottom, deep-sea squids, and demon rays wage wars in the deep sea, but all creatures must bow before the strength of Demogorgon.


    Above the waters of the Abyss stand two curved towers, both topped with skull-like spires. Here, Demogorgon utilizes his inconceivable power in an attempt to coax the Bottomless Abyss into revealing its secrets. Most of his pce extends underwater, umting his strength in an eternally sunless, ice-cold dark cave, rarely involving himself directly in blood battles. His intentions are far more profound than this.


    The biggest difference between Demogorgon and other lords is that he is not controlled by the consciousness of the Abyss; instead, he grows stronger by leveraging the power of the Abyss,


    Meanwhile, he is also one of the most active Demon Lords in the Gaia Main World, luring countless people into fallen death, and no one knows what the purpose of Demogorgon really is.


    But Lis knew, in version 4.0, "World Tree Crisis", the World Tree Yggdrasil became corrupted by the power of the Abyss, and the fall of the Elf God System''s Main God, the Elf Creator, Guardian, and Ruler Correlon Larysian, officially started the climax of the era of chaos.


    And the instigator of all these was this Demon Prince Demogorgon.


    No one knows what actually happened in between.


    Why would Correlon, an Elf Main God with strong divine powers, fall?


    How could the power of the Abyss invade the core of the Gaia World?


    What, long term, is Demogorgon''s goal?


    All these secrets had not been unveiled before Lis''s rebirth.


    But Lis could be sure that, during that time, if all the deities of the Gaia World had not united for the first time to resist the invasion of the Abyss, the Gaia Main World might have really fallen into the Bottomless Abyss, bing the most powerful ne within it.


    Perhaps, Demogorgon''s goal was to control the Gaia World after its fall, bing the true master of the Abyss!


    However, those were all still too far from Lis.


    Now, Lis was still a long way from reaching the threshold of legend!


    Demogorgon''s schemes in the Gaia Main World were numerous, and he stood behind many of the demon invasions on various continents.


    Ice Peak City was no different.


    Lis prepared to stir up trouble, yet, he wasn''t too worried about attracting the attention of this bigshot.


    Not for any particr reason but mainly because this bigshot was involved in so many things in the Gaia World that often his followers used his power to stir up trouble themselves.


    And the Demon Envoy, Shaz Wood, had made contact with Duke Ward, stirring up a major incident in Ice Peak City.


    But at present, Duke Ward had not officially gone to war with the King, and he was not yet in such a desperate situation that he needed to struggle to death.


    Duke Ward had not made up his mind to cooperate with the Demon Envoy.


    However... since it hadn''te to that, I might just give him a push!


    After all, by then, if Duke Ward could cooperate with a Demon Envoy, partnering with Death Secret Cult, which seemed much more normal, might not be out of the question, right?


    With a smile on his face, Lis spoke in a rxed tone,


    "It seems you still have your doubts, Stran, so we''ll talk next time."


    "I suspect that by the time we meet again, you will need the strength of the Death Secret Cult."


    Stran had not yet reacted when he saw the man in the ck robe wave his hand, and suddenly his body plunged into endless darkness.


    Whoosh~


    Stran Ward abruptly sat up in his bed, looking at the familiar luxurious bedroom and the slumbering seductive woman beside him, his expression extremely grim.


    Death Secret Cult?


    Moriarty?


    Stran rose from his bed and walked over to the window.


    Gazing out at the continuous houses beneath the night sky and the distant white Royal Pce, Stran didn''t know why he felt so heavy-hearted.


    Could it reallye to that step?


    Although that man who imed to be Moriarty seemed rather ostentatious, Stran could feel that this man, just like the Demon Envoy, concealed deep malice.


    Stran''s grip on the windowsill became firmer.


    Why are these peopleing to me one after another?


    ...


    After Lis kicked Stran out of the Dream Space, he casually retracted his control over the space, allowing it to burst and disappear like rootless duckweed.


    Leave!


    Lis also felt a sense of spiritual fatigue and prepared to leave the Dream World and return to reality.


    It was at this moment, not far away in the densely scattered Dream Spaces that resembled stars, a gigantic spherical Dream Space suddenly emerged.


    If an ordinary person''s Dream Space were like the stars in the sky, then this Dream Space was like the sun at noon, intense and dazzling.


    Lis had only caught a glimpse of it from a distance when he felt as if his eyes were almost scorched by the light radiating from this Dream Space.


    Damn it!


    There''s a big shot!


    The thought struck Lis, and he immediately controlled his Spirit Body to flee frantically from the colossal Dream Space.


    To Lis''s relief, after that special Dream Space appeared, there were no other movements, but the immense pressure he felt through his Spirit Body did not lessen in the slightest.


    Only when Lis had escaped far enough to disengage and return did he nce back at that burning sun, then his figure dissipated in the Dream World.


    ...


    Back in reality, Lis opened his eyes and sat up, wiping the non-existent cold sweat from his forehead, and looked through the window at the snow-white castle atop the distant peak.


    "That was definitely the Dream Space of a Legendary Strongman!"


    "Could it be the ''Northern Fury,'' Hiti Whitman? It''s very possible, given the scorching and masculine strength."


    "So, even Legendary Strongmen dream. Who knew? It''s said in the ''Dream Building Skill'' that this is one in a million."


    "But if that''s the case, it confirms that the ''Northern Fury'' is indeed in Ice Peak City."@@novelbin@@


    "My previous conjecture was wrong."


    "Then why didn''t this Legendary Strongman take action when the ''Demon''s Gate'' incident started?"


    "Although it wasn''t like the Blood Sacrifice Chaos where a Divine Incarnation descended, Demogorgon didn''t take action personally either, yet the damage to Ice Peak City was significant."


    "Strange..."


    Lis''s brows furrowed deeply, his mind incessantly pondering.


    The next steps for action must be more Hidden, even more careful!


    After all, doing something under a Legendary Strongman''s nose really requires extra caution.


    Lis couldn''t ensure that the Legendary hard-headed one would give ''Judgement me'' any face.


    So, tomorrow...


    Let''s start by giving Duke Ward a little surprise!

 Chapter 268 Discussing New Uses for Kamikaze Squad Players

    Ice Castle Pce, Kenne Simon''s room.


    Knock knock~


    "Come in."


    The door was pushed open from the outside, and in came Hans Cruz, the second secretary of the Finance Minister, whom he had just met yesterday.


    "Lord Simon, may I ask when you n to inspect those two ces today, I have already arranged everything."


    "Now!"


    Lis stood up from the chair and said crisply.


    If it were not for the walking stick in his hand, Hans felt he was facing a real military officer.


    "Hans, how is the other work going?"


    Lis put on his coat, tightened his cor, and asked Hans, who was standing at the door.


    "Everything is arranged, please rest assured."


    Hans bowed his head and said earnestly:


    "Regardingst year''s tax investigation, I have arranged for dedicated personnel to investigate, all trustworthy people, please rest assured."


    "There were no conflicts when I notified Lord Philip this morning."


    Although unsure whether this Finance Officer could understand his intentions, Hans still faithfully ryed everything he knew to this "Lord Simon" before him.


    "Only..."


    Seeing the hesitation on Hans''s face, Lis asked unchanged:


    "What is it, is there any change?"


    "No, just that, yesterday afternoon I seem to have seen you and Lord Philip together��"


    After hesitating for a moment, Hans still mustered the courage to voice his doubts.


    He had spent the entire night restless because of this, as the task assigned by Lord Gilberto was exceptionally crucial. If sessful, he could even be the next Finance Assistant, which is why Hans was so proactive.


    Yet, unexpectedly, Kenne Simon, who should have been leading, had departed together with Philip; it was as if, without the battle even officially starting, themanding general had already surrendered.


    Initially, Hans prepared to report this matter to the Finance Minister, but then he decided to inquire first.


    "Oh, Philip took me to meet Duke Ward, don''t worry, Lord Belberto knows about this."


    Lis''s expression did not change, giving Hans a nce.


    This morning, he had already reportedst night''s affairs to that confidant of the King. The identity of Kenne Simon was not meant for frequent changes, hence it was essential to keep the big boss''s doubts at bay.


    Besides, this matter was sure not to escape the notice of those people.


    Just like the carriages bearing Duke Ward''s crest at the pce gates yesterday evening; only a blind man would have failed to notice.


    It was Duke Ward''s show of force. Likewise, His Majesty the King and Gilberto must have noticed it.


    After Lis recounted the relevant situation that morning and specifically mentioned his perplexity about why he agreed to attend the evening party, Gilberto''s expression showed no surprise but instead, he consoled him, advising Lis not to worry too much.


    It seems, the King''s side also has a good grasp of Duke Ward''s tactics.


    There were already sparks, just waiting for the sh to start.


    "That''s good."


    Hans breathed a sigh of relief; it seemed not as he feared. The Finance Officer might have his own ns, and it was good that Lord Gilberto was aware.


    Subsequently, the two of them, apanied by junior officials and attendants, went to inspect the Ice Peak City Wall and the new Galsa Warehouse.


    -----------------


    Afternoon, Galsa Warehouse.


    Having inspected the Ice Peak City Wall construction project and had lunch, Lis then went to today''s main destination, the Galsa Warehouse next to Ice Castle Pce.


    "Lord Simon, please follow me."


    A somewhat portly man in his forties, bending over, walked up to Lis, his face filled with an obsequious smile.


    This man was Talib, the Manager of Galsa Warehouse.


    He was actually a subordinate official of Ice Castle Pce; he didn''t really mind ordinary officials.


    But the man before him, Kenne Simon, was definitely not one of those; this big shot was one of the Kingdom''s senior officials, especially as a Finance Officer controlling great financial authority.


    "This rebuild, all the warehouses use only the finest ck Rock Bricks, and we''ve specifically made fireproof arrangements, with dedicated guards, definitely not to repeat the previous fires."


    "Hmm."


    Lis nodded, looking around meticulously.


    All the attendants watched the big shot touching here, looking there, asionally knocking to listen to the sound.


    What''s this situation, never seen any big shot inspecting so carefully before?


    Talib wiped the cold sweat off his forehead, thinking silently.


    Shouldn''t be noticeable, right? I only used slightly, just slightly inferior materials.


    Talib even silently prayed to the Ice and Snow Goddess in his heart.


    Hans was already ustomed to seeing it; this was how Lord Simon inspected things even this morning at the Ice Peak City Wall, so how could a morning have been enough?@@novelbin@@


    But, to think that Lord Simon worked so diligently; perhaps this is why Lord Gilberto trusted him with this matter?


    Lis was unaware of the extensive mental activity happening beside Hans.


    The thoroughness of his checks was merely searching for Duke Ward''s arrangements at Galsa Warehouse; the morning''s actions at the city wall were merely a disguise.


    Apanied by the warehouse manager, Lis toured all the warehouses but found nothing.


    Lis even used Detection Magic covertly, but found no special areas.


    "Lord Simon, this is thest one, Warehouse No. 8."


    Following the Finance Officer around all afternoon, Talib appeared exhausted, the nerves being tensely stretched for a long time made it hard for him, who had always livedfortably, to walk through all the subordinate warehouses in one go.

 Chapter 269 The Grand "Fireworks" of Ice Peak City

    Late at night, by the outer wall of Galsa Warehouse.


    Four sneaky figures approached, carefully hiding in the shadows and observing the heavily guarded main entrance of the warehouse not far away.


    "There are two guards at the door, and another two inside the room, but they are too far to ascertain their strength."


    "What should we do? Let''s discuss."


    After scouting, [Cherry Little Calves] came back and spoke to the other four.


    "I didn''t even get the task, so why do I have to stay upte with you guys?"


    The warrior, known as [Antenna Short-Circuit Baby],ined in a low voice.


    He was thest of the four dorm mates who hadn''t logged on today. He thought he was in for a pleasant day, but ended up being dragged into working overtime when he got back.


    The worst part was, he was not included when the others epted the task, nor could he share in it, and seeing the rich task rewards, he admitted he felt jealous.


    "You really deserve to die! You scoundrel with friends but without humanity!"


    "We made a pact to spend the four years of college together, whoever gets into a rtionship first is a dog, right?"


    "You have a problem with your dads giving you work?"


    Short Circuit had just finishedining when his three roommates shot back at him.


    Looking at them, if he dared to say another word, they''d be ready to "cut ties."


    Short Circuit knew his brothers had no limits, so fearing a possible physical attack, he immediately raised his hands in surrender.


    "Little calves, can you climb over the wall?"


    Holy Mother turned and asked the Thief, known as Little calves.


    Shaking his head, Little calves replied somewhat helplessly:


    "I tried just now, but there seems to be some sort of restriction, I can''t climb over."


    "After all, it''s Ice Peak City''s most important warehouse, our abilities are a bitcking."


    "After all, it''s a Silver Level task!"


    Short Circuit said sourly.


    Galsa Warehouse indeed had magical prohibitions, which might not stop a Thief Master, but were no problem in keeping out a few Bronze novices.


    "So, what do we do?"


    Holy Mother was a bit depressed, looking at the guards stationed at the distant gate. Explore new worlds at empire


    For such an important location, the patrol team guarding it would surely include Silver Level fighters. It wasn''t realistic to think they could force their way in with their meager strength!


    "It''s not like there''s no way."


    The usually silent [Retired Old Lady Arguer] suddenly spoke up.


    "Arguer, what''s your n?"


    The other three looked over at Arguer.


    Despite the teasing name, Arguer was, in fact, the most academically aplished and knowledgeable among the four.


    However, he was often on the receiving end of idental insults with statements like "Am I the only one who finds xxx easy?" or "xxx is okay, it didn''t take me much time."


    But Arguer didn''t have bad intentions; he was smart, just not good with words.


    So the other three gave him this nickname as a joke, but their rtionship was actually quite solid.


    "The task requires not getting caught by guards, if we die, there will be no problem,"


    Arguer nodded and whispered.


    "You mean..."@@novelbin@@


    "Look at this!"


    Arguer took out a simple map, which they had received from the robed person whomissioned them.


    "This is the main entrance, and this is Warehouse No. 8; the distance between the two isn''t very far."


    Galsa Warehouse was a rectangr area, with warehouses numbered from one to eight from left to right.


    "Didn''t that person give us two bombs?"


    "We all know the power of that bomb. It''s uncertain about the Golden Strong Man, but definitely fatal for the Silver guards."


    "Later, one of us takes a bomb straight to where the guards by the gate are, gets blown to pieces with them -- after all, we aren''t afraid of dying."


    "As I see it, as long as we''re careful about positioning, the bomb should be able to damage both the guards at the doorway and the duty hut."


    "The rest get ready, and once the explosion happens, rush in directly to Warehouse No. 8 and then detonate the other bomb."


    "Let''s not even try to escape; if we get caught, we''ll be at a loss. Let''s just give up a life right here."


    After hearing Arguer''s idea, the other three thought it was pretty good, with a high chance of sess.


    Although "Divine Revtion" had a higher cost of Resurrectionpared to other games, for a Silver Level task, dying once was worth it.


    "Not bad, Arguer, it''s got to be you!"


    Holy Mother patted Arguer''s shoulder and gave him a thumbs up.


    "That''s right, just count on me when you lot can''t figure it out by sunrise."


    Before Arguer could finish boasting, he got pummeled to the ground by the other three.


    Act first, talkter!


    After their little scuffle, the refreshed trio nominated Arguer to undertake the daunting task of "blowing up the gate."


    "As a Mage, you run too slow, and you''re the most familiar with where to ce the bomb, so this task is yours."


    Arguer grumbled for a while but still epted the mission.


    ...


    "Who''s there?"


    A tall guard on duty at Galsa Warehouse noticed a shadowy figure not far away and immediately became alert.


    That figure, upon being spotted, seemed to panic and started running away clumsily.


    "I''ll check it out, you wait here."


    The tall guard told hispanion. They weren''t about to be easily lured away from their post; guarding the gate was their top priority.


    In a short while, the tall guard came back, dragging along a disheartened person.


    "Big brother, I really was just passing by, I didn''t do anything!"


    "I have an eighty-year-old mother at home, and a five-year-old child, please let me off!"

 Chapter 270 Please Fasten the Shit Bucket Lid

    The next day, Ice Castle Pce.


    Leaning on his cane, Lis slowly walked toward the room, asionally noticing people whispering on either side, discussing the incidents from the previous night.


    Although His Majesty the King had not issued any formal orders yet, Lis had already distinctly felt the tension beginning to mount throughout Ice Peak City, especially with the fully armed patrol troops asionally passing through the streets, adding a somber atmosphere.


    This was the effect Lis wanted!


    As an outsider, neither party knew of Lis''s existence, and by striking first and muddying the waters of Ice Peak City, the entire situation would turn chaotic, more suitable for Lis to fish in troubled waters.


    This was also why Lis had given the "Intermediate High Energy Bomb" to a yer toplete the task; there were many bombs received from the teacher, some even more powerful, but the most eye-catching was thisrge "Firework."


    By choosing this, Lis intended to escte the situation, such an evident "Firework" made it impossible to cover up the incident, and eventually, it would bring the conflict between the Kingdom and Duke Ward to the surface.


    However,st night''s events had not concluded yet!


    Lis hadn''t expected the Holy Mother, a group of yers, to work so efficiently; he had just assigned the task to them, and they hadpleted it by the evening.


    As the Finance Officer, Kenne Simon had just inspected the Galsa Warehouse during the day, and it exploded that night.


    If Lis did not react, it would instead arouse suspicion.


    Now was the time to clear himself of suspicion and pin the me for the explosion on Duke Ward.


    Knock, Knock~


    "Enter~"


    A man dressed in ck, Secretary Hans Cook, gently pushed open the door and walked in, bowing to Lis.


    "Lord Simon, I''m here."


    Turning around from the window, Lis looked seriously at Hans; he had instructed the servant to summon Hans to his office upon his arrival.


    "Do you know aboutst night''s incident?"


    Hans nodded, his face looking a bit unsightly as he replied,


    "Yes, the Galsa Warehouse was attacked, there were two explosions."


    Lis sat back down in his chair, his usually stern face looking so grim in Hans''s eyes that it seemed almost dripping with water.


    "We had just inspected the Galsa Warehouse yesterday afternoon, and it was attacked that very night. What does this indicate?"


    "Are you suggesting?"


    Hans was startled and eagerly asked.


    "It indicates that there must be something wrong inside the Galsa Warehouse!"


    "Although I''m not very knowledgeable about financial work, there is also precedent in military matters."


    "Not choosing covert action, but instead using the method of blowing up the warehouse, indicates that there is likely a major problem inside the Galsa Warehouse, so big that they could only choose to do this!"


    Hans was somewhat speechless; he had not expected his superior to suddenly connect the warehouse explosion with their inspection work from the previous day.


    "But, Lord Simon, we clearly didn''t find any problems yesterday!"


    "That is also what I don''t understand."


    "Perhaps because�� they thought we noticed there was a problem with Galsa Warehouse?"@@novelbin@@


    Lis tapped the desk lightly with his left hand, his tone uncertain.


    After a moment of silence, he spoke solemnly,


    "I''m consulting with you on this, as you are more familiar with it than I am." Experience tales at empire


    "Is it possible that this has something to do with Financial Assistant Philip, should we report it to Minister Gilberto?"


    "This..."


    Hans hesitated, his past experience and intuition telling him that there should be no connection, but how significant a mistake would Financial Assistant Philip have made to essentially opt for such drastic action just to mitigate the risk of leakage?


    Keep in mind, it''s the Galsa Warehouse that was blown up, just a wall away from Ice Castle Pce.


    Actually, regarding the matter targeting Philip, Hans didn''t know much.


    Simply following the Finance Minister''s orders, he was unaware of the ongoing game between His Majesty the King and Duke Ward.


    However, at that moment, seeing the deep and serious expression of the Finance Officer, he also began to suspect.


    Could there really be a connection?


    Right, whether or not there is a connection, all I have to do is report the situation, and naturally, there will be someone specifically assigned to verify it!


    The responsibility will definitely not fall on me in the end!


    Realizing this, Hans immediately nodded deeply and said to Lis:


    "You''re right, it is necessary to report this to Lord Gilberto."


    "Then let''s go, hurry up!"


    Lis stood up, took his cane, and walked with Hans toward Minister Gilberto''s room.


    This was also why Lis persuaded Hans, after all, reporting together would always divert some of the scrutiny and reduce the likelihood of being suspected.


    ...


    After a while, Gilberto watched as Kenne and Hans''s figures disappeared outside the room door; his originally calm expression immediately turned serious.


    The news brought by the Finance Officer was indeed significant!


    As they said, was the explosion at Galsa Warehouse rted to Duke Ward?


    This was serious... Just yesterday, he had instructed them to target Philip, and today such a severe incident urred, directly involving Philip and his backer, Duke Ward.


    Thinking of this, Gilberto could no longer sit still.


    As the confidant of the King and a key holder of the Kingdom''s core power, he was well aware of the subtle rtionship and situation between His Majesty the King and Duke Ward.

 Chapter 271 Another Big Firework!

    Lis returned home contentedly after enjoying a grand y in the afternoon.


    Honestly, the sight of the Finance Assistant being dragged away by a group of burly men was indeed amusing.


    Philip knew his fate was sealed and struggled desperately, but under the suppression of the Royal Guard Soldiers, resistance was futile; he could only howl desperately like a dead pig.


    Gilberto had also called Lis over tofort him and affirmed his merits, but Lis didn''t care much about that.


    Hans had temporarily taken over Philip''s position with a joyful expression, but Lis didn''t have high hopes for him.


    If he didn''t quickly realize the friction between the two major powers of the kingdom, whether he could save his life in the uing chaos was uncertain.


    However, that was no longer Lis''s concern.


    He had more important matters to attend to.


    Such as...forting a certain injured Duke!


    -----------------


    Deep into the night, Duke Ward woke up again.


    He found himself once more in that eerie, dark room filled with an unsettling atmosphere.


    The familiar Bronze long table, the familiar dim candlelight, the familiar robed figures!


    "It''s you again!"


    Duke Ward sighed, feeling his heart might not be able to take much more.


    The Demon Envoy, Shaz Wood, had visited during the day, and now in the middle of the night, there was this mysterious Death Secret Cult''s Moriarty.


    Life was bing unbearable!


    However, Duke Ward''s face showed no signs of surprise, instead, he surveyed his surrounding carefully.


    Since hisst outing, he had specifically had someone check his body to ensure there were no issues and had alsoe to understand where he now found himself.


    It had to be that very mysterious Dream World!


    As described by the subordinate Mages, it was a hidden and magical ce, a conglomeration of beautiful dreams that was beyond the reach of ordinary people.


    The Mages had only heard of it and had a cursory understanding of it.


    It was unexpected that the Death Secret Cult could enter and control one''s dreams, indicating they were not to be underestimated.


    Although Duke Ward had made preparations in advance, carrying Magic Items to protect his soul and mind, he remained highly vignt towards this mysterious ce.


    "It''s your second visit, Duke, rx a bit!"


    The robed figure called Moriarty sneered, seemingly mocking Duke Ward for his cowardice.


    But Duke Ward didn''t mind; he had encountered many weird individuals like this one��most of them were insane!


    "What are you doing here again?"


    Ignoring the robed figure''s mockery, Duke Ward spoke calmly, his breath control well-practiced.


    "Hey,st night, I was fast asleep when two big Fireworks erupted in Ice Peak City! They were really pretty!"


    The robed figure spoke in a frivolous tone, but it pierced Duke Ward''s heart.


    "So?"


    "From what I know, Galsa Warehouse is your arrangement, right? This has really put you in a tough spot!"


    The robed figure, as before, pulled out a bottle of blood-red wine and began savoring it casually.


    "Did you do this?"@@novelbin@@


    Duke Ward leaned back in the hard chair, his gaze bing sharp as he eyed the robed figure before him.


    "How could that be?"


    The robed figure raised his ss high, speaking with some flourish:


    "I truly wish to coborate with you. I am always sincere to friends; why would I do something to hurt our rtionship?"


    "Let''s assume that''s true for now."


    Duke Ward lowered his gaze, knowing that out of every ten words this kind of person said, perhaps only one was true��he wasn''t about to easily believe them.


    However, this time, Moriarty did not mention anything about the Demon Envoy, it seems they knew of Shaz Wood''s existence, but they probably did not know about the schemes of the two.


    Even so, it was quite remarkable, considering that every time the Demon Envoy appeared, he did so without leaving any trace, not even finding evidence of himself.


    Yet the Death Secret Cult managed to find that person and now used mysterious operations to manipte the Dream World.


    "Tell me, what exactly do you want to achieve? Why do you want to cooperate with me?"


    Duke Ward said solemnly, the dim candlelight flickering in the darkness.


    "Of course, we want to cooperate with you, hoping you can be the future King of the Dillon Kingdom."


    The man in the ck robe spoke softly, swaying his wine ss in his right hand.


    Duke Ward remained silent. It was his deepest desire, but his reason told him it was an unrealistic delusion.


    If the chance of his rebellion being sessful when Lukar had just ascended the throne was fifty percent, now it might only be twenty or thirty percent, and that percentage was continuously decreasing as time passed.


    So he had buried it deep in his heart, never letting it show. Everything he had done before was to preserve the power in his hands.


    "What''s the matter, did I hit the mark?"


    The man in the ck robe''s words carried a hint of a lightugh, as if the position of the king was not important to the Death Secret Cult.


    "What can you do?"


    After hesitating for a moment, Duke Ward did not deny the im but instead changed the subject.


    He did not even know if this Moriarty was just bluffing, talking big without substance.


    Having never seen the real person, who knew the actual strength of the Death Secret Cult?


    "So, does the respected Duke wish to see our strength?"


    The man in the ck robe put down his wine ss, rested his chin on his hands, and looked at Duke Ward sitting opposite him.


    Duke Ward did not speak but tacitly epted the situation.


    "Haha, very well!"


    The man in the ck robe snapped his fingers, speaking jubntly.


    "That previous fireworks were not satisfying enough. Let us set off fireworks in Ice Peak City again!"


    "Since we are taking action, we will go bigger, add more, and make it more splendid!"


    "Wait! You aren''t going to��"


    Feeling the overt joy and madness of the man in the ck robe, Duke Ward suddenly had a foreboding feeling.


    Was there going to be another major attack in Ice Peak City?


    Damn it! No!


    If it happened again, Lukar might just lead his men to fight him desperately!


    But before he could speak, he was kicked out of the Dream World just like thest time.


    Duke Ward awoke abruptly from the soft bed, and the Gold-level Mage on duty in the corner of the room, noticing his expression, asked:


    "Sir, what''s wrong?"


    "Is there anything unusual, Fayez?"


    Duke Ward shook his head, clearing his mind a bit before asking.


    "No, I''ve been right by your side the whole time."


    The mage Fayez, who had been specially brought in to guard the Duke, said as he shook his head.


    "...Alright, you can go back now, there''s nothing wrong."


    After a moment of silence, Duke Ward gestured with his hand for his trusted subordinate to leave the room.


    The ability of the Death Secret Cult to enter his dreams without rming others made it useless to have someone standing guard.


    Moreover, that damned guy seemed to want to stir up a major event in Ice Peak City!


    Duke Ward felt that matters were bing somewhat beyond his control as his worriestely were indeed too numerous.


    Discover exclusive tales on empire


    So, what exactly did that Moriarty intend to "firework"?

 Chapter 274 - 272: Prelude Before Debut

    Lis emerged from Stran Ward��s dreamworld and looked around, cautious and observant.


    The Dream World was as serene and peaceful as before, with countless mysterious and dreamy stars floating before his eyes, and a light purple stream slowly flowing in his vision, blurring the lines between space and time.


    This time, that terrifying dream of the Legendary Strongman didn��t appear again.


    Lis sighed in relief and slowly drifted towards where he could return to reality.


    Indeed, Legendary Strongmen hardly needed sleep to replenish their energy, so the previous urrence must have been a rare event.


    With this in mind, Lis meandered through the countless Dream Spaces.


    "Hm?"


    Possibly because he hadn��t encountered the Legendary Strongman, Lis felt somewhat more rxed and, as his eyes scanned a nearby dream, he realized this particr Dream Space was replicating the huge fireworks disy from Galsa Warehouse the night before.


    Those gold pirs of light that reached the skies, that massive vibration that spread throughout Ice Peak City!


    "This..."


    Lis suddenly remembered something and began to closely examine the surrounding Dream Spaces.


    As expected, about one-tenth of the Dream Spaces were showing the same or simr scenes fromst night��s "fireworks" disy.


    "Is this the phenomenon of reality reflecting in the Dream Space mentioned in the Sphinx Dream Building Skill?"


    Lis murmured to himself. He hadn��t been mastering the Dream Building Skill for long, and the Dream World was still quite foreign to him, even with the legacy of a legend.


    The Dream World isn��t an independent existence; it is intricately connected to the real world, constructed by the dreams and the spiritual power of all living beings.


    Dreams reflect the instinctual subconsciousness of every creature, thus best representing a person��s thought patterns and psychological state.


    A distressed person will find their dreams are dark and deep, oppressive and ufortable.


    A happy person��s dreams will be flooded with sunlight, lively and vivid.


    Simrly, if an event in reality left an indelible impression, it could be reflected in their dreams.


    This is the reflection of reality in dreams described in the art of dream building, also mirroring the saying from Lis��s past life, "Daytime thoughts be nighttime dreams."


    However, that��s not the crux of the matter. A more important description follows, which is "Dreams influencing reality"!


    And the most representative phenomenon of this theory is the existence of the Dream-eating Rhinoceros.


    Unlike the Main World or the elemental realms, the Dream World isn��t based on the world��s origin but is entirelyprised of the dreams of beings.


    Thus, the Dream World should be different from other worlds, devoid of native creatures.


    But nightmares are an exceptionally unique existence. They are extremely rare, wandering the Dream World, feeding on nightmares, leaving behind pleasant dreams.


    After studying a Dream-eating Rhinoceros, the Legendary Arcanist Sphinx believed that they didn��t originally exist in the Dream World. Instead, people��s yearning for good dreams reflected into the Dream World and consequently brought the Dream-eating Rhinoceros into being.


    In special circumstances, the Dream-eating Rhinoceros could appear in the real world and exercise magical abilities.


    Beyond the Dream-eating Rhinoceros, there are entities like the Illusory Dream Realm and the Sea of Dreams, which are manifestations of the Dream World��s power influencing the real world.


    Sphinx had delved deeply into the studies of dreams, even creating many techniques that utilized the Power of Dreams in the real world, but those were rather advanced for Lis at the moment.


    But now, Lis noticed the dreams affected by Galsa Warehouse��s explosion and suddenly had a concept.


    It was a maneuver recorded in the art of dream building.


    "Dream Refraction"!


    If a region in the Dream World has converging dreams, showcasing a consistent scene, then the Power of Dreams in that area would manifest simrly.


    For instance, after an earthquake, most survivors�� dreams would be immersed in the pain and sorrow it brought, hence, the Power of Dreams would also carry the manifested strength of an "earthquake."


    Generally, unless the manifested characteristic of the Power of Dreams is extremely intense, monopolizing all the dreams in that area, it is unlikely to affect the real world.


    Sphinx noticed this phenomenon and thus created the Skill "Dream Refraction."


    By leveraging the manifestation phenomenon unique to the Dream World, it bridges the gap between the Dream World and the real world, ushering the power of the Dream World into reality.


    Because the Dream World umtes the spiritual and mental power of all beings in that area, even a small portion of that power, umted over time, can be terrifying��reaching beyond the might of Gold.


    As the technique mainly relies on the power of the Dream World, the requirement for the user isn��t too stringent, at leastpared to other top-tier skills.


    "Ten percent, eh... I wonder how many people will dream of Ice Peak City��s ��fireworks�� after tomorrow?"


    Lis��s lips curved slightly upward, the thrill of venturing into fantastic domains was irresistible, and at the same time, it gave him a new n for the final battle.


    "The Sphinx Dream Building Skill is so practical!"


    As he floated through the Dream World, Lis remarked with some sentimentality.


    @@novelbin@@


    Perhaps, this is the most precious legacy I��ve received, alongside the Ascension Technique!


    "I��m curious, what would be ��Judgement me�� teacher��s most treasured creation?"


    Lis knew well that ��Judgement me�� was a Legendary Arcanist no less distinguished than Sphinx, the creator of the Ascension Technique.

 Chapter 275 - 273: Firework Display at the Ice Castle Palace!

    "Waiting for the Ice and Snow Goddess toe and help you?"


    Beughed dismissively, crossed her legs, and ced her ck high heel embroidered with gold thread on the small table in front of her, venting her dissatisfaction.


    You see, after Philip went in, just making up for the previous taxes was arge sum of gold coins, enough to make her heartache.


    Not to mention that group of fair-weather nobles who, knowing she stood with Duke Ward and was increasingly at odds with His Majesty the King, targeted the vulnerabilities of the family��s subordinate merchants crazily, as if to disy loyalty to His Majesty the King.


    @@novelbin@@


    This time, Ward didn��t answer; to be honest, he wasn��t sure himself.


    What exactly does that Moriarty from the Death Secret Cult want to do?


    Duke Ward furrowed his brows; he hated dealing with such unpredictable people the most.


    But for some reason, there was a faint sense of expectation in his heart.


    "Stran, are you listening to me?"


    Be was somewhat displeased. At this time, shouldn��t the two of them be discussing their strategy even more closely? What are you always looking out the window for?


    Night had just fallen, yet the sky had already plunged intoplete darkness.


    The nightse early in winter, and the residents of Ice Peak City were also on their way home at this moment.


    Although Ice Peak City is the capital of Dillon Kingdom, unlike Bright City, the severe cold of winter nights kept those who wanted to go out at night indoors.


    Just then, a slight vibration came, just like the explosion at the Galsa Warehouse a couple of days ago.


    The somewhat distracted Duke Ward immediately perked up, looking out the window, and Be also walked over to stand by his side.


    "This..."


    Before the shocked eyes of both, for an instant, Ice Peak City seemed to turn into day.


    Looking in the distance, it seemed that at the edge of Ice Peak City, three towering orange-red mes were spreading upwards into the sky, apanied by gold columns of light that were no less impressive than the Galsa Warehouse explosion.


    At the same time, closer to the residence and right under Duke Ward��s watch, three huge fireballs like meteors, dragging long red tails, fell from the sky.


    Duke Ward saw it clearly; one of the meteors fell right on the Snow Avenue in the Noble District!


    Of course, what attracted the most attention were the three pure white columns of light rising straight from the civilian district on the other side of Ice Peak City, prating the pitch-ck sky so clearly that even the clouds floating high above were visible under the dazzling light.


    Be fell silent for a moment, then turned her head and stared hard at Duke Ward.


    "Is this what you��ve been waiting for?"


    "What exactly are you trying to do? I��m getting more and more confused about you."


    Duke Ward did not respond, merely watching those three longsting columns of light in the distance, silent.


    -----------------


    In a dark corner near Ice Castle Pce,


    "Is the effect really that good?"


    Lis clicked his tongue, looking at the three pure white columns of light in the sky. Others were okay, but this one was indeed too conspicuous.


    The three pure white columns of light were the result of a Special One-Time Magic Array called "Radiant Light"!


    Lis had also learned about it from Mr. Stephens, having never seen this item in his previous life.


    From the Magic Intelligent Life in the workshop, he knew that "Radiant Light" was a spontaneous experiment by his teacher on amission from Feis Kingdom, who wanted to create a magic item to illuminate and mark locations at night, which needed to be very conspicuous. In the end, due to the high cost, it was not used in actualbat, and only a few remained.


    The teacher indeed created it, but the effect was too good.


    Observing those persistent columns of light and noticing somemotion in Ice Castle Pce, several shadows directly soared through the air, heading towards the scene of the incident.


    This way, some of the pce��s defensive forces had been diverted!


    Next, it was his turn to take the stage!


    A hint of a smile appeared on Lis��s face and gradually broadened.


    ...


    At this moment, the "Snow Wolf Sword Saint" Abbas was at the training grounds in Ice Castle Pce. Even though he had been exercising all day and was nearly unable to hold his sword, he clenched his teeth and persisted in refining his swordsmanship.


    Perhaps only the physical pain could temporarily make him forget the humiliation in the Luoxue Mountains.


    Since the West Castle he had overseen the construction of was utterly destroyed and he, as the highest leader on site, naturally had to bear the me.


    Assessing that the cost of rebuilding West Castle was too expensive, especially the loss of several low to mid-level Magic Rune Masters, the reconstruction was shelved by the king. Abbas��s troops were all transferred to another castle, and he himself received orders from the king to return to Ice Peak City.


    After reporting the day��s events to King Lukar, His Majesty the King did not say much, but repeated the names "Death Secret Cult" and "Moriarty" several times, then dismissed him.


    As a Gold Level Sword Saint loyal to His Majesty the King, even with heavy losses, Lukar had no intention of punishing Abbas, only temporarily having him stay in Ice Peak City to be put on ice for a while.


    Abbas was clearly aware that this exhibited the trust of His Majesty the King; the greater the trust, the more he hated that ck-robed Mage, Moriarty, and the more he hated his own powerlessness at the time.


    The sharp sword gleam directly sliced through the boulder in front of him, cutting the stone in half with a smooth, t surface.


    Abbas��s face was solemn as he withdrew his beloved sword, preparing to end the day��s practice.

 Chapter 276 - 274: Duke Ward Gets Blamed Again!

    Outside Ice Peak City, Lis had prepared an underground hideout with preset spatial coordinates.


    In the originally dim cavern, space fluctuated and twisted as a figure donning a ck Mage Robe abruptly appeared midair, clumsily falling to the ground.


    Lis grimaced, feeling sharp pain from all over his body, deciding it was best to lie down honestly for a while.


    Although he had sessfully bluffed impressively this time, ying a group of Gold Level elites from the Kingdom as a Silver Professional, the price Lis paid was also considerable.


    He was seriously injured, mostly due to the use of energy that exceeded his body��s tolerance, causing great stress and bacsh to his body.


    This was because Lis had a unique Talent; another Mage of the same level might have just exploded and died without aplete corpse under simr circumstances.


    Besides that, the Elemental Origin Power umted over many years in the Legendary essory "Sphinx��s Wisdom" waspletely depleted, and Lis could only wait for it to slowly recover before he fully mastered this Legendary Equipment.


    The Magic Items he used up were another matter, but the system rewards for the missions given to those yers from the Guild of the Holy Mother didn��t bother Lis much.


    For Lis, who had received a generous gift from the Cold Pine Chamber of Commerce in Northwind City, such wealth was nothing much.


    Meanwhile, the goal he had set earlier was achieved, and the impact was considerable. The "Fireworks Show" could be said to have affected the entire Ice Peak City, leaving a profound impression on everyone.


    He could turn back to explore the Dream World, seeing if the predetermined goal was reached.


    However, at least for tonight, Lis didn��t n to return to Ice Peak City.


    One reason was that his body was severely injured, and he needed some time to recover before he could move freely without being affected.


    On the other hand, Lis dared not return to Ice Peak City now.


    When he had used the "Advanced Teleportation Technique" to leave Ice Peak City, he saw the "Top High Energy Bomb" sent to the center of the Ice Castle Pce through a "Teleportation Technique." Though it eventually exploded, creating a huge golden column that even destroyed the Pce��s protective array.


    @@novelbin@@


    But the location of the explosion was not in the target location of the central courtyard but rather above the Pce in mid-air.


    The overall structure of the Pce was hardly affected; only the central towering spire was damaged.


    The cause of this wasn��t the Pce��s Gold Level supporters fighting a desperate battle, but a sturdy middle-aged man dressed in a white robe.


    The "Top High Energy Bomb" was in his hands, and all its unleashed power spread out into the air above.


    That middle-aged man was someone Lis was very familiar with, Dillon Kingdom��s only Legendary Strongman, the Legendary Berserker "Northern Fury" Hiti Whitman.


    In thest moments of teleporting away, Lis had felt hostility from this person. Although it was slight, it had chilled him to the bone.


    Provoking the Dillon Kingdom might be nothing in the eyes of that person, and he may not be interested in dealing with a Professional below Legendary status.


    But facing the peril of the Ice Castle Pce possibly being destroyed by a "Top High Energy Bomb," this important figure had intervened.


    Too terrifying!


    Was that the power of a Legendary Strongman?


    Just the overwhelming presence and hostility made my heart race, feeling like I could meet the Death God the next moment!


    Lisy on the ground in his hideout, his thoughts filled with lingering fear.


    I can��t keep tempting fate!


    Or rather, I can��t dance so merrily in front of this big shot anymore, who knows if he would take direct action next time.


    However, luckily for him, Lis didn��t n to act personally in the ns that followed. Instead, he nned to hide in the shadows and stir up trouble quietly.


    Feeling a slight return of strength to his body, Lis sat up and took out a Healing Potion from his storage ring and drank it down.


    He didn��t even have the Magic Power to use Healing Magic right now.


    However, he could feel that the earring formed from "Sphinx��s Wisdom" was slowly drawing elemental power from the surroundings into his body, gradually soothing his injuries.


    His body was slowly getting better, even feeling somewhat rejuvenated. Lis had a premonition that once his body fully recovered, it might be even more resilient.


    Fortune favors the bold!


    Lis sighed, calling up the system panel.


    He had heard the system notification right after disengaging frombat.


    -----------------


    [You have leftbat status!]


    [You have carried out an unprecedented strike against the Dillon Kingdom - Ice Peak City - Ice Castle Pce!]


    [You have gained the Special Skill "Provoker"!]


    [Special Skill "Provoker": When you provoke an enemy force or opponent (including verbal provocation, gestural provocation, using provocation skills, etc.), the target��s Spirit Resistance slightly decreases, and your own movement speed increases by 30%]


    ...


    [You have reached a new milestone "The Pain of Ice Peak City"!]


    [Milestone "The Pain of Ice Peak City Fireworks": The actions of Moriarty from the Death Secret Cult have made Ice Peak City, which had not experienced turmoil for decades, taste the feeling of pain once again, leaving an unforgettable crazy fireworks disy in everyone��s memory. Kingdom Legend Level +1]


    ...


    [Your identity "Death Secret Cult - Moriarty" has been granted a special status. Whenever you appear in Ice Peak City as Moriarty, the [Dillon Kingdom - Undying Pursuit] status is triggered!]


    -----------------


    Getting a bit of Kingdom Legend Level from the new milestone is quite nice.

 Chapter 277 - 275: The Indecisive Duke Ward

    The next morning.


    Lis, whose injuries had mostly recovered and no longer hindered his movements, silently returned to his home in Ice Peak City.


    Although he couldn��t use most of his abilities to prevent worsening his condition, using the [Stealth] skill to evade the soldiers patrolling the streets posed no problem.


    After quickly getting ready and disguising himself again as Kenne Simon, Lis, leaning on a cane, stepped out of his house and took a carriage to the Ice Castle Pce.


    Last night��s turmoil seemed to have had a significant impact!


    Whoever did it is truly detestable!


    Without any guilt, Lis happily watched the soldiers of Dillon Kingdom dressed in ck armor asionally pass by the carriage window, feeling cheerful.


    Now was the most tense and tightly controlled time in Ice Peak City.


    To avoid suspicions about his identity as a Finance Officer, Lis had rushed back before his injuries had fully recovered.


    At this time, that Legendary Berserker probably wouldn��t continue to pay attention to this matter, Lis thought, considering the Berserker, though strong in directbat, was weaker in other auxiliary ways, unlike a Mage with variousprehensive methods.


    When Lis arrived at the Ice Castle Pce and stepped down from the carriage, he noticed that the entrance, usually guarded by just a handful of soldiers, was now filled with rows of fully armed soldiers, clearly the elite troops of the Kingdom, wielding excellent equipment and a stern aura.


    The entire pce was enveloped in a somber atmosphere, everyone lowered their heads, hurrying along, no longer possessing the leisurely mood of previous days.


    The checks to enter the pce had also be much stricter, and even Lis, a high-ranking official, had to pass the soldiers�� inspection before being allowed inside.


    When Lis returned to his room, before he could even warm his seat, he was summoned by the Finance Minister, Gilberto.


    "Kenne, you��re here."


    Gilberto, seeing Kenne Simon enter with a serious expression, said with a smile.


    "Lord Gilberto."


    Lis greeted him tly, feeling somewhat puzzled inside.


    Why does Gilberto seem much more enthusiastic than before?


    "Kenne, I��ve called you here for a matter."


    Gilberto invited Lis to sit on the sofa and approached him to speak.


    "Please instruct me."


    Lis suppressed his curiosity, sitting upright on the sofa waiting for his superior��s instructions.


    "Philip��s position is now vacant, and Hans is temporarily in charge."


    "But Hans is just a neer, his foundation isn��t stable, both Duke of Ghana and I think you need to take on more responsibilities."


    "Especially since such a big incident urred in Ice Peak City yesterday, we have a heavy task ahead!"


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    Listening to Gilberto��s words, Lis merely nodded.


    This is...


    Clearly an attempt at persuasion, aiming to secureplete control of Philip��s powers for oneself, preventing Duke Ward from meddling further?


    Also bringing up Kenne��s "backer" Duke of Ghana, isn��t this just making it difficult for him to refuse?


    However, if Kenne were truly ambitious, this would be a great opportunity.


    A splendid chance to climb higher!


    If things went smoothly, he might even rece Gilberto as the Finance Minister in the future.


    Unfortunately for Lis, he was merely temporarily assuming this identity and wasn��t particrly interested in such temptations.


    Sensing Lis��s reservations, Gilberto waved his hand and said:


    "If you are worried about not being able to handle this role, it��s okay."


    "Everyone starts from the bottom and learns through practice. Have confidence in yourself! Duke of Ghana and I both think you��re up to it!"


    This... With the conversation reaching this point, any further refusal would just arouse suspicion.


    "I understand, please rest assured, Lord Gilberto."


    Lis could only nod and ept.


    It was also an opportunity to observe how the Kingdom of Dillon was preparing for an uing war.


    Although there might not be many chances to manipte, it was still a good way to gather intelligence.


    It��s ironic, though. Kenne Simon, a high-ranking official of the Kingdom of Dillon, had always been sidelined, never getting the chance to ess any ssified intelligence.


    Probably, it was due to Kenne Simon��s dull nature that made Duke of Ghana and Gilberto trust and use him as a puppet in their control.


    ---------------


    As night fell, Lis returned to his home from the Ice Castle Pce. Stay connected through empire


    Today, he received part of the Kingdom Finance��s duties and powers from Gilberto, pretended to study diligently, and called many minor officials into his room for discussions.


    During the meetings, he acted clueless, asking questions that were both amusing and ridiculous. However, Lis didn��t mind these seemingly embarrassing acts; they were necessary to gain Gilberto��s trust.


    Though Gilberto granted him considerable authority, the core financial matters of the Kingdom remained inessible to him.


    Still, Lis detected some clues in the other duties.


    For example, the Kingdom��s military spending had recently increased significantly, funding for areas near the Luoxue Mountains had drastically risen, and today��s investment in food purchases had heightened.


    These were general data which might go unnoticed by most as they could fluctuate yearly.

 Chapter 278 - 276: The Sudden Conflict

    After returning from Duke Ward��s dream, Lis did not rest, but instead stood up and walked to the window, gazing at the Ice Castle Pce, situated at the highest point of Ice Peak City.


    Lis had thought that tonight would go smoothly and that he would sessfully deceive Duke Ward, but now he was feeling a bit perplexed.


    In his view, Duke Ward had been far too cautious and apprehensive.


    It was hard to imagine that this was the same ruthless man who had boldly opened the Demon��s Gate in the Royal Capital��s Ice Peak City, causing countless civilians�� deaths.


    Lis felt that he had done everything he could: disying his power, offering his support, and even purposely creating the impression that he wanted to rece the Ice and Snow Goddess Church, all to lure Duke Ward into cooperation.


    But Duke Ward was still hesitating!


    He was still hesitating!


    It was less about hesitating to coborate with the Death Secret Cult and more aboutcking the determination to fight a battle to the death with His Majesty the King.


    Oh,e on, big brother!


    With your political wisdom, you must see that by continuing to hesitate like this, it��s like cutting flesh with a blunt knife, and sooner orter you��ll be bled dry by that His Majesty the King.


    How can you still harbor such unrealistic fantasies at this point?


    Lis felt helpless, but he wasn��t worried about theck of cooperation.


    Seeing how things went today, it was only a matter of time before Duke Ward would be willing to work with him.


    But with the way he was now, Lis was already doubting what the final battle would be like.


    So, how exactly had the Demon��s Gate incident in the Dillon Kingdom unfolded in the past life to be so tragic?


    Lis had thought that after grasping the development of the past life��s plot, all he needed to do was fan the mes, but now he seemed to face a fog concealing something.


    This feeling was what truly irked Lis.


    And to be honest, the Demon��s Gate incident in his past life was indeed strange; everything had escted so quickly that many yers didn��t really feel it until the final battle broke out.


    Duke Ward died, and although Ice Peak City suffered a hit, the King still had thestugh.


    All of these things seemed rather odd, especially after Lis became a yer in the game, his insights deepened.


    But soon, Lis adjusted his mindset.


    He was still not careful enough; all of his past experiences and adventures had gone too smoothly, protected by a significant figure, leading him to overconfidence in his abilities.


    As it turned out, the past life��s plot wasn��t necessarily the whole truth; the secrets hidden within the Extraordinary World were too numerous, and he needed to be even more careful.


    No rush!


    His current trip to Ice Peak City in the Dillon Kingdom was intended as a trial. It would be best if he could achieve his goal, but there was no need to force it if not.


    Experience more tales on empire


    Speaking of which, the most intense conflicts weren��t far off at this point in time.


    In Lis��s eyes, Ice Peak City, shrouded in the night, was like a barrel of gunpowder continuously being piled on, just waiting for that final spark to ignite.


    -----------------


    The next day, Lis went about his usual work at the Ice Castle Pce.


    While processing various financial affairs and tasks, Lis also noted any valuable intelligence, which he passed on through Viscount Roy, the spy from the Feis Kingdom.


    This message also confirmed the factual ns of the Dillon Kingdom��s invasion and the extent of their mobilization.


    Starting these past few days, the Dillon Kingdom had begun its pre-war mobilization without any pretense, with the transfer of materials and deployment of troops all underway in full swing.


    As the Finance Officer, Lis also took part in some of these preparations, especially evident from the allocation of materials, which revealed the key focuses and main direction of the Dillon Kingdom��s uing efforts.


    Even so, King Lukar did not mobilize the elite troops stationed in Ice Peak City, and the atmosphere in the city grew increasingly tense.


    Over these days, Lis spent his time busy with work, though he spent most of his time idly meditating, he still had to maintain the appearance of being "wholeheartedly dedicated to work."


    In the evenings, he would enter the Dream World to continueying the groundwork for "Dream Refraction."


    During this process, Lis��s maniption of the Power of Dreams became more skilled.


    The conflict between His Majesty the King and Duke Ward became ever more evident, with rumors circting that they had argued more than once. Duke Ward firmly opposed King Lukar��s n to invade the Feis Kingdom.


    In his opinion, just resisting the invasion of Magic Beasts from the northern icy ins was draining arge portion of Dillon Kingdom��s strength. The Kingdom��s favorable development was built upon the united efforts of the previous Dillon King and Duke Ward.


    Despite this,unching an invasion against the Feis Kingdom, if the situation did not go as nned, could drag Dillon into the quagmire of war, squandering the hard-won situation they had achieved.


    Duke Ward��s views received support from some of the Dillon Kingdom��s Nobles.


    However, King Lukar scoffed at Duke Ward��s perspective, considering it a sign of conservatism and cowardice.


    In his view, for the first time in nearly a century, the Church of the Gods had not intervened in a conflict between Human Kingdoms, presenting a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, especially with the current power vacuum in the Northern Territory of the Feis Kingdom, posing little risk.


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    If they couldn��t even seize such an opportunity, were they supposed to honestly remain trapped in the bitterly coldnds of the north, giving up on future prospects, and hoping for others to mercifully grant Dillon Kingdom and soaked in sunlight?

 Chapter 279 - 277: The Eve of the Decisive Battle!

    Deep in the night, within the Dream World.


    "What aid can you offer me?"


    Duke Ward looked at Moriarty in front of him and asked in a deep voice.


    Still d as the ck-robed figure, Lis was startled. Today was his first time entering Duke Ward��s dream to awaken him, and before Lis could speak, the Duke was directly expressing his intention to cooperate?


    It seemed that Duke Ward was under considerable pressure recently!


    "What kind of help do you need?"


    Lis, intrigued by the appearance of Duke Ward, smiled as he spoke.


    "Naturally, I need your Death Secret Cult to help me restrain the Royal Pce��s Strength, just like that night."


    For this unusually mysterious ck-robed figure, Duke Ward maintained the same vignce he had against the Demon Envoy.


    "Is that all? Are you sure we shouldn��t do more?"


    Lis, changing from his previous madness, now sounded as if he were a salesperson zealously promoting his product.


    "What do you have in mind?"


    Duke Ward didn��t believe that the other party would help him willingly without some sort ofpensation.


    It wasn��t just the dark forces, even the Church of the Gods wouldn��t offer assistance to others unless there was a significant interest involved.


    "For example... helping you to get the Snow Bear Legion and the Snow Eagle Army into Ice Peak City."


    "Hmm?"


    Duke Ward looked at the ck-robed figure in surprise.


    He had only just decided to move those two armies, and now Moriarty knew about it.


    Just like with the Demon Envoy, Duke Ward felt as if all his movements and thoughts were part of their n, as if he were a puppet on strings with no secrets to hide.


    Taking a deep breath, Duke Ward suppressed the anger in his heart.


    Experience more on empire


    How the Snow Bear Legion and Snow Eagle Army would arrive at Ice Peak City indeed posed a major problem!


    Although Duke Ward had instructed both legions to move covertly and be discovered by the Dillon Kingdom Army aste as possible, even with the aid of magic items, they wouldn��t stay undetected for long.


    @@novelbin@@


    King Lukar was bound to have anticipated this and surely had people keeping an eye on the two legions.


    And when King Lukar discovered that the two legions were marching toward Ice Peak City, it would be the moment they openly confronted each other.


    This was the source of Duke Ward��s concerns.


    By then, he wouldn��t be able to stay in Ice Peak City peacefully anymore; he would have to leave the city early to meet with the two armies.


    Essentially, that would mean giving up his influence in Ice Peak City, which Duke Ward was somewhat reluctant to ept.


    Yet, he couldn��t just magically have two armies each tens of thousands strong appear outside Ice Peak City.


    But now, it seemed the Death Secret Cult might have the capability to do just that?


    "If you can manage that, then obviously that would be my wish."


    Duke Ward paused for a moment, then seriously added,


    "But I hope you won��t tamper with them."


    "Of course, I can give you the method beforehand, and you can arrange for someone to take care of it."


    Lis spread his hands, his tone light and amused.


    Though it would cost him two incredibly precious Long-Distance Oriented Teleportation Gates, Lis didn��t n to meddle further.


    Or rather, getting those two armies to Ice Peak City was his objective.


    In a past life, when the Demon��s Gate incident happened at Ice Peak City, Duke Ward��s two legions hadn��t reached the city, which puzzled Lis.


    Why would Duke Ward open the Demon��s Gate before his strongest cards had arrived?


    No one knew, but after Duke Ward was confirmed dead in a past life, though these two legionsunched an attack directly at the Dillon Kingdom Army, they were quickly defeated and absorbed by the King without a leader.


    This also meant King Lukar��s power wasn��tpromised but continued to expand into the invasion of the Feis Kingdom.


    Lis, intending to drain Dillon Kingdom��s resources as much as possible, naturally wouldn��t let this past situation happen again.


    He intended to help Duke Ward realize his dream, to make up for his past regrets!


    Let our great His Majesty King Lukar have a proper face-off with Duke Ward!


    "Then I will await your news."


    Duke Ward stood up, ready to end their conversation for the night.


    This was a critical moment; he had chosen to sleep to make contact with Moriarty; otherwise, he would surely still be organizing various tasks.


    "May the glory of Death favor you!"


    "And ast reminder, watch out for traitors!"


    Lis spoke "devoutly," though to Duke Ward, it sounded rather odd.


    ...


    When Duke Ward awoke from the Dream World, he found himself still in his bedroom, but this time, he held two crystal-clear Crystal Balls in his hands.


    The mysterious light swirling within them immediately made the well-traveled Duke realize these were no ordinary items!


    Was this the secret that would allow two armies to travel thousands of miles to reach Ice Peak City?


    Duke Ward tightly clutched the Crystal Balls, his heart pounding.


    The extents of the Death Secret Cult��s methods were indeed bizarre!


    He hoped everything would proceed smoothly!


    ...


    After sending Duke Ward off within the Dream World, Lis casually used the moment when Duke Ward left the Dream World to ce the two Crystal Balls embedded with Long-Distance Oriented Teleportation Gates into his hands.


    It really was quite the sacrifice!


    The great stuff he had managed to get from the teacher of Judgement me wasn��t used much when he received the legacy of the Sphinx, but had cost him a lot in the Dillon Kingdom.

 Chapter 280 - 278: Divine Weapon Descends from Heaven!

    Outside Ice Peak City, amidst a forest manor.


    The winter in Dillon Kingdom was incredibly cold, and few people chose to move around outside of residential areas.


    The chilly weather and the knee-deep snow made it difficult tomunicate with the outer world. In case of danger or attacks from magic beasts, one would truly be in a desperate situation.


    Thus, these manors outside the city were generally only frequented by nobles and wealthy merchants for leisure and vacation during the summer.


    But at this moment, this spacious and ornately decorated manor was bustling with noise, presenting a scene of busy activity.


    Servants and attendants were tidying up the manor, craftsmen were transforming it into a war fortress, and guards were clearing the snow, diligently patrolling the outskirts of the estate, carefully inspecting every potential danger.


    In the courtyard of the manor, a group of people wearing various mage robes gathered around a tform, engaged in a heated discussion about something.


    Suddenly, many gorgeously dressed individuals emerged from the central house of the manor, the nobles who had arrived through the Transmission Array from Duke Ward Mansion.


    Looking at the greatly altered manor before them, the nobles were somewhat surprised.


    It seemed that Duke Ward had been preparing for a long time!


    Just as one was about to pull over a servant to inquire about the whereabouts of Duke Ward, the Duke himself, d in a suit of silver armor, descended from the second floor, his armor nking heavily with every weighted step.


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    "Gentlemen!"


    Duke Ward stood on the staircase, his indifferent gaze surveying the nobles before him.


    "Since you are all willing to support me, do not hesitate. We cannot miss this excellent opportunity."


    "The Snow Bear Legion and Snow Eagle Army will soon arrive here. Please gather your guards as previously arranged and join me in assaulting Ice Peak City."


    A young noble hesitated before asking,


    "We did not know this was your n previously, your grace. All of our family guards and preparations are within the city... May I go back to make arrangements?"


    Upon hearing this, Duke Ward simply shook his head slowly, speaking with an unquestionable tone,


    "Since you are willing to support me and have followed me here, let there be no other thoughts in your mind."


    "As for the arrangements within the city, you may inform your families through letters and tokens. As for their safety, I presume you were already prepared for that, weren��t you?"


    Looking up at Duke Ward who stood above, the nobles present suddenly felt somewhat ufortable.


    Why did Duke Ward seem so decisive after making his decision?


    However, everyone no longer had other thoughts. Having chosen to follow Duke Ward here meant they were on the pirate ship.


    Choosing to retreat at this point would leave them in a bad situation on all fronts.


    "Gentlemen, you may rest in this manor. Of course, if anyone wishes to fight alongside me, I would not refuse."


    Duke Ward said this with an implied meaning.


    Upon hearing these words, some of the younger nobles�� eyes lit up��this was an opportunity to earn greater merit and noble titles.


    In the Extraordinary World, superior strength was the foundation upon which most nobles built their careers.


    Noble families did not foster a legacy for all sessors tofortably live off the old wealth; each generation of a well-ordered noble family survived by striving through the generations.


    The Fallen of one generation��s head would not greatly impact the family, but after several generations, even the thickest family foundation would be depleted.


    Therefore, nearly all nobles were Extraordinary Professionals, it��s just that due to differences in talent, their strengths varied greatly.


    Interpreting the implications in Duke Ward��s words, it was clear he was giving them an opportunity to prove their loyalty and strength.


    Since they hade this far, many had no way back, and could only headlong rush in this single direction.


    If it was as Duke Ward said, that the two most elite legions of the kingdom could arrive here unbeknownst to Lukar, it would mean that Duke Ward had suddenly turned the tables.


    Looking at the suddenly excited nobles below, Duke Ward simply nodded, entrusting these matters to Jacob while he headed toward the center of the courtyard with his guards.


    Approaching the group of Golden Mages gathered at the center, Duke Ward coughed and inquired,


    "Well, is it ready to be activated?"


    The mages, faces full of excitement, said to Duke Ward,


    "My lord, where on earth did you find this magic item?"


    "It��s absolutely incredible, amazing!"


    "I can only recognize the spell contained within to be a ��Long-Distance Oriented Large Teleportation Gate,�� which can easily transport an army of ten thousand."


    "How was this achieved? It is simply too powerful!"


    The speaking mage, the oldest and strongest among them, with pale hair and magic elements swirling around him, showcased the broadness of his knowledge and insight.


    Duke Ward walked through the path the mages cleared for him and approached the stone tform.


    At the center of the myriad Magic Runes on the tform was the Crystal Ball that Lis had previously handed over to Duke Ward.


    "We have reinforced it, stabilized it, and replenished it with Magic Power, but if I may speak frankly, it seemed unnecessary. This Magic Item is already perfect on its own and does not need us wasting time here." Experience new stories on empire


    "I even believe that it may have been crafted by a figure beneath the Legendary Crown."


    Looking at the old mage, who was utterly obsessed and fervent beside him, Duke Ward nodded silently.


    A Legendary Mage, perhaps?


    Such a precious treasure, and the Death Secret Cult had handed it over so easily, appearing not to be too concerned about it.

 Chapter 281 - 279: The Demon’s Gate Opens!

    As the Snow Bear Legion marched on Ice Peak City,


    Lis, as an Arcanist, had also felt the magical fluctuations from that huge teleportation gate opening. He had quietly left his room and slipped out of the Ice Castle Pce.


    In the past two days, Lis had finished all his preparations amidst attending to his work, merely waiting for the final battle tomence.


    Only after Lis entered Stealth State and carefully left the Ice Castle Pce,


    at that moment, on the eastern side of the city walls of Ice Peak City, a fantastical gate emitting a silver glow appeared there.


    Discover stories with empire


    @@novelbin@@


    Feeling the same kind of magic fluctuation as before, Lis was clear in his heart that this was the second teleportation magic item he had provided for Duke Ward.


    "Not bad, actually cing the teleportation site inside the city, it seems this ��ally�� is quite bold!"


    Lis muttered to himself, then sneaked towards Ice Peak City.


    Honestly, Lis was still somewhat puzzled.


    Because, up to now, he had not yet witnessed any anomalies associated with the opening of the Demon��s Gate.


    Could it be that due to his involvement, especially the existence of the two long-range teleportation magic items, Duke Ward had managed to send his strongest forces to Ice Peak City, so he did not cooperate with that Demon Envoy?


    This...


    Lis felt there was a possibility but thought it was not very likely.


    Because beforehand, there had been signs of cooperation between Duke Ward and the Demon Envoy, like the arrangements in the Galsa Warehouse. Could he have given up on the earlier preparations so readily?


    Lis rushed to the Ice and Snow Square in the center of Ice Peak City, retracted his aura, and hid in the shadows beside a house.


    This was the core area of Ice Peak City, to the westy the Ice Castle Pce, and to the east was the city��srgest gate. The ethereal Teleportation Gate stood tall right next to that gate, and with Lis��s transcendent vision, he could already see countless soldiers d in gray light armor emerging from it.


    A portion of the soldiers formed battle formations, surging towards the city gate, engaging inbat with the frantically responding City Guard Army.


    The City Guard Army of Ice Peak City was the core force of the Dillon Kingdom, and naturally not so easily defeated. One saw teams of soldiers d in ck full-body armor appear near the gate, wielding sturdy shields and longswords, desperately resisting the assault of the Snow Eagle Army soldiers.


    The Snow Eagle Army soldiers attacked differently from ordinary soldiers; they carried all their equipment and weapons with an emphasis on lightness. Each one had a small round shield on their left hand, and the weapons they used varied, including long spears, bows, ils, and so on, with three or four soldiers forming a small squad, cooperating with each other to attack by pulling and stretching the space.


    The City Guard Army had never seen such an array, only barely managing to form a Shield Wall for defense. However, because the Snow Eagle Army��s way of fighting skewed towards flexibility, they had no good solution against such a tough defense like a turtle shell.


    However, as more and more Snow Eagle Army soldiers emerged from the Teleportation Gate and joined the battle, the pressure on the City Guard Army soldiers became greater and greater, and it seemed only a matter of time before the city gate was lost.


    After all, the incident was sudden, and the City Guard Army stationed at this gate was only a small part; it was difficult to resist the attack of the Snow Eagle Army.


    Their only hope was that reinforcements could arrive at this location as soon as possible.


    If they noticed the movements of the Snow Eagle Army, they might fall into despair.


    The gray-armored soldiers emerging from the Teleportation Gate, half of them did not join the battle to attack the gate but quickly formed squads and dispersed throughout the various roads in Ice Peak City, doing their best to obstruct and harass the progress of the support troops.


    If the Snow Eagle Armycked the ability for a frontal assault, then ambushes and harassment were their forte.


    In no time, both the City Guard Army and Royal Court Guard Army reinforcements of Ice Peak City were held back by the Snow Eagle Army at various locations, unable to advance an inch.


    This was a thorough war!


    Both sides were fighting desperately! Not daring to rx even for a moment!


    Under Lis��s gaze, no matter whether it was the City Guard Army or the Snow Eagle Army, every second, soldiers met with a gruesome death, their hot crimson blood and the limbs and flesh umting on the ground dyeing the snow-white Ice Peak City with the red of war.


    All the battle sites had now be a meat grinder, devouring each and every one of the lively, strong soldiers, but neither side had any thoughts of stopping; instead, the stench of blood drove them madder, so the only thought left in the soldiers�� minds was to chop off the enemy��s head!


    Amid the earth-shattering cries of battle andbat noises, there was the chaos and helplessness of the residents of Ice Peak City.


    Although the battle had not spread to the Ice and Snow Square where Lis was hiding, all that met the eye was a chaotic scene.


    All were shocked by this suddenly erupted battle, able only to run towards their homes in a panic.


    Lis watched as the normally orderly, bustling stalls and markets were suddenly empty of people, the grilled meat on the ground still steaming, and the precious fresh fruits now carelessly thrown onto the street with tables and chairs overturned by the surging crowds, instantly left in shambles.


    The shops on the side were already closed, and this time, no one dared to stealthily peek outside.


    The continuous changes left the inhabitants of Ice Peak City without any sense of security, the air thick with the scent of fear and madness.


    Lis suddenly realized something was amiss!


    This almost tangible fear and madness could not be produced under normal circumstances!


    Even on a battlefield rife with mad ughter, it would not lead to this kind of situation. At most, lingering souls and spiritual power would turn the battlefield into a dead zone, giving rise to various Undead Monsters.

 Chapter 282 - 280: A Fight to the Death with the Abyss Demon!

    Is this the "Demon��s Gate"?


    Lis gazed gravely at the terrifying space rift not far away. The door alone was enough to capture one��s soul, let alone the dimly discernible hordes of demons behind it.


    Does the scene beyond this space rift connect to the 88th floor of the Bottomless Abyss, the "Saltwater Swamp"?


    That is the domain of Demon Prince Demogorgon, also known as the Demon Stomach and the Bottomless Cave, and is quite a well-known Abyss ne.


    Lis sensed that there were three "Demon��s Gates" emerging in Ice Peak City, but the space rift in front of the Ice Castle Pce was thergest, meaning that the demons passing through would be the strongest in both strength and level.


    There should have been four "Demon��s Gates" appearing in Ice Peak City, but after Lis secretly destroyed the one in Galsa��s secret chamber, it seemed the Demon Envoy no longer had time to prepare a new ritual site.


    However, Lis��s expression did not ease up a bit; he had witnessed the emergence of the "Demon��s Gate" in his previous life, and he was certain it was nothing as exaggerated as this.


    Perhaps due to the bloody sh between Duke Ward��s and King Lukar��s forces, an overabundance of souls and blood energy in Ice Peak City made the "Demon��s Gate" substantially more powerful, signaling that the Abyss Demons emerging would be far stronger than in his past life.


    Lis had no intention of sticking his neck out. After all, this was an internal dispute within the Dillon Kingdom. Although something felt amiss, seemingly not entirely orchestrated by Duke Ward, he was not the Holy Mother to risk himself so recklessly.


    Concealing his form within the shadows, Lis prepared to watch the unfolding drama.


    ...


    Duke Ward, who had just returned to Ice Peak City, looked at the space rift nearby, the evil aura emanating from it constantly assaulting everyone��s nerves.


    The Duke immediately realized something was wrong!


    Especially that voice, mad yet familiar, he knew it all too well!


    Demon Envoy Shaz Wood!


    "This bastard!"


    Duke Ward felt the world was filled with profound malice against him.


    After much hesitation, he had decided to cooperate with Shaz Wood to open the "Demon��s Gate."


    He knew Shaz Wood had no good intentions, but to counter King Lukar��s military presence in Ice Peak City, it was his only choice.


    However, after negotiating with Shaz Wood, Moriarty from the Death Secret Cult gave him a huge surprise.


    Two extremely precious magic items could directly transport the Snow Bear Legion and Snow Eagle Army into Ice Peak City!


    This could turn around the bnce of power between the two sides at once.


    Now that he had a second option, seeming more sincere cooperation from the Death Secret Cult, Duke Ward made his choice in an instant, abandoning the cooperation with the Demon Envoy.


    After all, given a second option, who would truly wish to collude with Abyss Demons and ravage the Royal Capital that might soon be his?


    But now, the situation clearly indicated that the Demon Envoy had seeded in opening the Abyss Gate.


    Even though he had not provided any sacrifices and he hadn��t disclosed the prearranged ritual site to Shaz Wood, keeping it a secret to control the situation.


    Read thetest on empire


    Yet, the "Demon��s Gate" was still opened!


    What on earth was happening?


    Duke Ward was full of doubts, but the severe situation he was about to face left him no time to ponder these questions.


    Many had heard the Demon Envoy��s words before the sacrifice, casting suspicious nces toward Duke Ward.


    Duke Ward did not exin, now was not the time for that.


    He desperately wanted to go and destroy the "Demon��s Gate," to prevent the Abyss Demons from invading Ice Peak City, but the presence of King Lukar made him hesitate.


    Worried that His Majesty the King would stab him in the back while he was attacking the Abyss Demons.


    The loss of the City Guard Army of Ice Peak City had been only a small part; His Majesty stillmanded the Royal Court Guard Army and a portion of the City Guard, not to be underestimated.


    After much consideration, Duke Ward ordered the soldiers of the Snow Bear Legion to form battle arrays, the Snow Eagle Army to provide support, and stationed them outside the space rift, while also ordering others to quickly evacuate the nearby residents.


    That was all he could do.


    ...


    What Duke Ward didn��t know was that the Ice Castle Pce was now inplete chaos.


    The absence of King Lukar had left everyone panicked, especially with the news that came, making the ministers headed by Anna understand that it was nearly impossible for the Royal Capital��s current strength to withstand the simultaneous appearance of both the Snow Bear Legion and the Snow Eagle Army.


    "Dammit, go find him!"


    "You useless fools!"


    Amang Cardan, the military minister, cursed at the attendants nearby, but his face could not hide the panic.


    @@novelbin@@


    Gilberto and Anna also stood by, looking extremely troubled.


    They had utilized all their resources, almost turning over the entire Ice Castle, yet they found no trace of Lukar.


    Especially facing the surging Duke Ward, this undoubtedly was a massive blow to morale.


    Suddenly, the emergence of the "Demon��s Gate" shocked everyone in the Ice Castle Pce just as much.


    A Sacrificial Mage of the Royal Pce recognized what the space rift before them represented �C an incursion from the Abyss, catching everyone off guard.


    "What should we do?"


    Gilberto looked at Anna nervously, rubbing his hands as he asked.

 Chapter 283 - 281: The Fall of a Legend!

    [World��s Sorrow]!


    Lis watched the various phenomena appearing above Ice Peak City, feeling a dense sorrowing from an unknown ce, and these words shed through his mind.


    This was not a good sign!


    Such a scene only appeared when a legend fell!


    Every legendary strongman was a treasure of the Gaia World.


    Unlike the deities who were restricted by the Gaia World, legendary strongmen almost bore no suppression or constraints from the world, and could exert their strength to the fullest.


    Each legend was a unique existence, and there was a difference of life level between them and gold-level professionals.


    Thus, the phenomena arising from their fall were extremely astonishing, known as [World��s Sorrow].


    It implied that the Gaia World mourned their passing.


    And at this moment, the [World��s Sorrow] urring in Ice Peak City could only mean one of two things: either another legendary strongman hade here and coincidentally died at this ce,


    or it pointed to one person.


    The only legend of the Dillon Kingdom, the Legendary Berserker, [Northern Fury] Hiti Whitman!


    Has His Highness fallen?


    This was an astonishing event!


    That was an existence on the same level as Uncle Joyce and Teacher Sphinx!


    Lis suddenly felt like he couldn��t understand Ice Peak City anymore, as if there was a terrifying abyss lying in wait, its giant maw hidden in the shadows, ready to ensnare its prey.


    With a pinch of his fingers, Lis forced himself to calm his thoughts.


    In the [Demon��s Gate] incident of his past life, [Northern Fury] had not fallen, and even appearedter in subsequent versions of events before gradually fading into obscurity.


    In other words, if things had progressed normally ording to his past life, there should be no cases of a legend falling.


    What was happening now?


    Feeling the raindrops falling on him and quickly turning to ice, Lis furrowed his brows tightly.


    Although he didn��t want to admit it, it seemed the only change might have been his own appearance.


    Or rather, the appearance of Moriarty from the Death Secret Cult.


    Dammit, wasn��t the hurricane stirred up by those butterfly wings a bit toorge?


    Cursing under his breath, Lis began pondering what unexpected event might lead to the fall of a legend.


    The destruction of West Castle?


    That shouldn��t be it. It might be heavy for Abbas, but for a legend, it was a trivial matter.


    The explosion at the Galsa Warehouse?


    That didn��t seem to be it either, as there��d been no movement from [Northern Fury] afterward.


    The attack on the Ice Castle Pce?


    On that night, [Northern Fury] had taken action and appeared to be in a normal state, and did not directly act against "Moriarty".


    The assault of Duke Ward?


    Hmm!?


    Lis suddenly realized a fact, among the several incidents rted to Moriarty, thergest impact came from thisst one.


    With Moriarty��s help, Duke Ward sessfully mobilized the most elite Snow Bear Legion and Snow Eagle Army to Ice Peak City.


    This amounted to an immediate change in the battle situation, and could even have directly affected the oue.


    In other words, although the first three incidents seemed severe, they still hadn��t changed the situation where King Lukar��s strength held the absolute advantage in Ice Peak City.


    But thest change turned the situation around, steering the future into uncertainty.


    If the hidden hand behind all this aimed to ensure King Lukar��s final victory, upon witnessing the reversal of the situation, it was indeed possible that they would intervene to change things.


    Lis rubbed his temples, perplexed.


    But that wasn��t right either. If it was solely for Lukar��s victory to gain full control of Dillon Kingdom��s forces, any existence with enough power to cause a legend to fall would have many ways to change the progression of the situation, wouldn��t they?


    Lis didn��t doubt for a second that they could aplish all this.


    It was a joke, with such strength at least on the level of a legend, they could just step forward and without lifting a finger, Duke Ward might even surrender on the spot, and [Northern Fury] wouldn��t oppose a legend-endorsed King.


    This should have been the normal line of thinking, but the actual situation was theplete opposite.


    So...


    Did the hidden hand think that it was more profitable to kill [Northern Fury] rather than to reveal themselves?


    Lis��s brain began to ache, this being the first time in this life that he had experienced the fall of a legend from such a close distance.


    There��s something wrong with the identity of this hidden hand!


    That was the first thing Lis realized, or to put it another way, the identity of this hidden hand should be key to their killing [Northern Fury].


    Reflecting on his past life, the one who could cause [Northern Fury] to fall, silently stayed in Ice Peak City, guiding it all to happen while avoiding any detection.


    Perhaps it was his own repeated interferences that led to a different choice from the past life. Find more chapters on empire


    Let��s see who this hidden hand really is!


    Lis felt he already had a guess, but he couldn��t be sure just yet.


    ---------------


    Outside [Demon��s Gate],


    Although there was some surprise at the falling rain, no one paid it much mind.


    Unlike Lis, who had memories from a past life, [World��s Sorrow] and the fall of a legend were too distant for them.


    @@novelbin@@


    To normal people, and even transcendent professionals, legendary strongmen were synonymous with mysterious and formidable.


    They seldom appeared before ordinary people, and most legends fell because they exhausted their lifespans, failed to breakthrough, or perished exploring a Different ne, with few records of them falling in front of ordinary people.

 Chapter 284 Extremely Rich Harvest!

    Chapter 284 Extremely Rich Harvest!


    Ice Peak City, Kenne Simon''s residence.


    This former Finance Officer''s home was on the west side of Ice Peak City, so it was not damaged in the recent "Demon''s Gate" incident.


    "Ugh... my head hurts."


    Lis slowly opened his eyes, unsure of how long he had been asleep in bed.


    Although he was still quite exhausted, he could no longer sleep.


    The wounds on his soul had significantly healed, and the rest would have to slowly recover over time.


    As Lis sat up, he suddenly noticed a familiar person standing by his bed.


    He hadn''t sensed any presence and was about to grab his magic wand outright.


    But after seeing clearly who it was, he let out a sigh of relief.


    "Mr. Stephens, what are you doing here?"


    Stephens smiled slightly and nodded as he said,


    "I''ve captured that person, but sadly, his soul was very deft at escaping, leaving behind no useful information."


    "However, it must be that Demon Prince Demogorgon without a doubt."@@novelbin@@


    Lis nodded, not particrly concerned.


    It seemed that although Demogorgon had sessfully infiltrated the Gaia World, he must be facing significant limitations. Surely he was no match for his teacher.


    "I''ve already taken his body back to Bright City, and what''s left here is a fragment of my consciousness."


    "A fragment of consciousness, you mean like Uncle Joyce''s?"


    Lis asked curiously, having not realized until Stephens mentioned it that the person before him was a fragment rather than the man himself.


    "That''s far from it."


    Stephens seemed contemtive, as if he had been studying this mystery recently.


    "Although my consciousness fragment can exist for a long time, it has hardly any strength."


    "Enough about that, I specifically left this fragment here because there are some things I need to entrust to you."


    Seeing Mr. Stephens''s serious expression, Lis promptly sat up straight and respectfully said,


    "Please, teach, speak."


    "No matter which Abyss Lord has possessed Dillon King, it certainly isn''t one mired in madness."


    "In the past couple of days, my cursory investigations have failed to uncover any clues beyond the ''Demon''s Gate.''


    "But something is very wrong here. That being has meticulously plotted all this, surely with far-reaching schemes, it''s just that I haven''t discovered them yet."


    "Moreover, I have some bad premonitions."


    Stephens furrowed his brow as he spoke, Lis noticing for the first time the look of his mentor encountering a tough problem.


    "You''ve involved yourself quite deeply in this conflict!"


    Stephens looked at Lis with a hint of pride in his words.


    The truth was, "Judgement me" had grown increasingly fond of his disciple.


    Composed in crisis, boldly making conjectures, he had shown no hesitation or panic in critical situations and informed his teacher rather than acting recklessly on his own.


    Acting within one''s abilities is the mark of maturity.


    Moreover, Stephens had noticed Lis''s destruction of the "Demon''s Gate" and was naturally quite surprised.


    He immediately recognized that the immense power came from the Dream World.


    But the mysteries of the Dream World were elusive and hard to grasp; though Stephens had some understanding, it wasn''t his area of expertise.


    It must''vee from the inheritance in the ruins of Snow Ridge Town!


    Impressive!


    Nheless, Stephens had no intention of asking Lis for the inheritance.


    At his stage, his umtion was already substantial enough; what he needed was to break through in his areas of expertise.


    "I will, I''ll be more careful next time."


    Lis nodded, acknowledging his mistake.


    To be honest, at the sight of the name "Demogorgon," Lis had broken out in a cold sweat.


    After all, that was a being standing at the pinnacle of both the Gaia World and the Bottomless Abyss. Enjoy new tales from empire


    Counted among the All Gods in Gaia, he was a Main God System of gods; even within the Gaia Main World, killing him wouldn''t be difficult.


    It was a case of being a bit toocent!


    Sinceing to this world, relying on the system, talent, and memories from a past life, Lis had faced rtively smooth sailing.


    In fact, with his Silver Level capabilities, many of his previous actions were akin to walking a tightrope, relying more on the life-saving measures provided by his teacher "Judgement me" and Uncle Joyce.


    It was during this process that Lis had let down his guard, thinking he could control the situation and stir up trouble.


    Most importantly, he had lost his reverence for the unknown.


    This was the Extraordinary World after all, and with his abilities, he couldn''t act so recklessly.


    Constantly relying on those two pirs, without experiencing hardships on his own, would only cause him to miss the chance to reach greater heights.


    From now on, caution was key!


    Lis made a silent resolution to himself.


    Seeing the resolve in Lis''s eyes, Stephens felt reassured and simply nodded with satisfaction.


    A bright student was indeed a joy, only needing a slight hint to catch on. So easy.


    "Since you''ve noticed, I won''t say more."


    "I''ll keep an eye on Demogorgon''s actions, and you should too; after all, he''s an Abyss Lord, and he might be aware of your existence."


    "Yes, teacher."


    Lis nodded, feeling a bit heavy-hearted.


    He had actually considered the connection between Demogorgon and the "Demon''s Gate."


    But having knowledge of past events, he had assumed the instigator was that Demon Envoy, never considering the possibility that Demogorgon could be secretly pulling the strings from the shadows.


    This was also due to being misled by Demogorgon''s long-standing low profile, a point Lis had subconsciously overlooked.

 Chapter 285 Stran Dylon Wants to Cry

    Chapter 285 Stran Dylon Wants to Cry


    Lis retracted the system panel and stood up from the bed.


    The gains in Ice Peak City of Dillon Kingdom were not trivial.@@novelbin@@


    Not only had he greatly improved in experience and strength, but he had also achieved his initial goal.


    In fact, he had exceeded it.


    That was to deplete the power of Dillon Kingdom and diminish its threat to Feis Kingdom as much as possible.


    Although Lis wasn''t clear about the current state of Dillon Kingdom, he thought that King Lukar had perished, the most flourishing areas of Ice Peak City had been destroyed, and several of the kingdom''s elite armies had suffered heavy losses.


    With the threat of Magic Beasts from the northern ice fields, Dillon Kingdom could only try to stabilize its own internal situation and no longer had the strength to threaten the Northern Territory of Feis Kingdom.


    It meant that Dillon Kingdom was eliminated from the chaotic warfare among kingdoms on the Fanor Continent!


    Honestly, before Lis entered Dillon Kingdom, he had not expected such a favorable oue.


    But it also meant that Dillon Kingdom had opened all its internal abscesses in one go, removing the threat of the "Demon Prince" Demogorgon, which was not meaningless for Dillon Kingdom.


    Lis stood in front of the window, looking at Ice Peak City and Ice Castle Pce, which seemed to have regained calm and peace, a slight smile forming on his lips.


    In that case, was it equivalent to Count Solo losing his chance to rise in the future Northern wars?


    But not necessarily.


    Because if Feis Kingdom doesn''t face an invasion from Dillon Kingdom in the future and expends too much of its national power in Northern wars, with the current strength of Feis Kingdom, it''s even possible to control Boditch Kingdom afterward and still have enough strength to participate in other battlefields on the Fanor Continent for more gains.


    That would depend on the thoughts of King Morton.


    Now, Lis''s achievements were already plentiful, his actions in Dillon Kingdom alone were almost enough to earn him the fief of Danerluo Port.


    "Phew~"


    Lis took a deep breath, feeling the fatigue and sting of the soul.


    Although "Dream Refraction" is tremendously powerful, it brings great stress and bacsh to himself.


    During the time his teacher wasatose, he must have checked me over, and since he didn''t mention it, there probably isn''t a big issue.


    Lis pondered.


    It seems that this will only slowly recover with time, especially since there isn''t anything urgent to do shortly.


    Let''s rest a few days in Ice Peak City, taking it easy!


    Lis once again sat cross-legged on the bed, entering meditation, trying to soothe the pain in his soul.


    -----------------


    Elsewhere, within Ice Castle Pce.


    Duke Ward has been incredibly busy these past few days.


    Oh, incorrect!


    He should now be addressed as His Majesty King Stran Dylon!


    Stran, wearing a snow-white ceremonial robe representing Dillon Kingdom''s highest authority and the translucent jewel-encrusted crystal crown, sat on the throne somewhat tiredly.


    After the incident of the "Demon''s Gate" concluded, the kingdom confirmed that Lukar Dillon was controlled by an unknown entity, directly leading to the downfall of "Northern Fury."


    Several days have passed, and it''s estimated that Lukar is noting back; even if he returned, no one would acknowledge him as the King of Dillon anymore.


    Even all his records will be erased from Dillon Kingdom, bing a forboden name.


    Since Lukar is gone and his lineage despised by everyone, Dillon Kingdom needed a new king.


    Thus, Duke Stran Ward was naturally epted by all and became the new King of Dillon Kingdom.


    Even Minister Anna as well as the royal elders did not object but only requested Stran to change his surname back to Dillon.


    Stran did not refuse, as the ancestors of the Ward family were also a branch of the Dillon Royal Family, which meant that the Ward lineage directly became the main line of the Dillon Royal Family.


    These days, Duke Ward has been meeting with all the officials and nobles of the kingdom, trying to calm the emotions of all parties as much as possible. Read new adventures at empire


    All rescue and rebuilding efforts in Ice Peak City have been handed over to Anna and others by Stran.


    He has thrown all his energy into streamlining the kingdom''s new order.


    The oue of the dispute between King Lukar and Duke Ward turning out like this is something many did not expect.


    The group that initially supported Lukar has been uneasy, but under Stran''s calming influence over these two days, they gradually settled down, realizing that the former Duke Ward won''t purge them, and actively engaged in the rebuilding work of Ice Peak City, thereby offering their loyalty to the new King of Dillon.


    The nobles and officers who originally supported Duke Ward, of course, are very excited, imagining a bright future.


    However, among them, there was one person who was rather troubled and not as jubnt as the others.


    "Your Majesty, you called for me!"


    Viscount Jacob Bites knelt on one knee respectfully in front of King Stran, bowing his head and speaking.


    He was thest noble summoned by Stran in these two days; others had already been summoned before him, even many whose noble titles were lower than his.


    This made him increasingly nervous.


    Having secretly betrayed to join Lukar, he now wished he could travel back in time to the night he decided to betray and punch himself.


    If it weren''t for that moment of decision, he would now be one of the two most powerful supporters in Duke Ward''s camp, sharing the richest rewards with Be Milne.

 Chapter 286 The Journey Ahead

    As the former Duke Ward and the current King of Dillon, Stran was somewhat helpless too.


    The Kingdom of Dillon did possess Legendary Equipment, but it was on "Northern Fury," not found on his corpse.


    It might have been taken by that Abyss Lord or by that Legendary Strongman from the Death Secret Cult.


    Regardless of who took it, Stran had no intention of demanding it back.


    Besides, Stran could not think of any other treasures precious enough to impress the man before him, Moriarty.


    Regrettably, the Kingdom of Dillon was rather poorpared to the flourishing kingdoms in the south, almost to the point of embarrassment.


    There were somemon treasures and goods, but Stran did not believe they would impress Moriarty.


    After all, this was someone who could destroy the Demon''s Gate in one strike, the terrifying golden light of which Stran could not forget.


    Even if that was his trump card, possibly at a great cost, Stran also believed that this man must be peering into the Legendary Realm from the pinnacle of the Golden Rank.


    For this reason, Stran could not help but show some respect.


    Taking a deep breath, Stran said solemnly,


    "Mr. Moriarty, on behalf of the Kingdom of Dillon, I wish to form a coboration with the Death Secret Cult and seek the protection of a Legendary Strongman."


    "What would I, or the Kingdom of Dillon, need to offer?"


    Lis''s face also revealed a slight smile; this development was within his calctions.


    Honestly speaking, the Kingdom of Dillon had taken a huge loss through this conflict, and even controlling the kingdom''s internal bnce had be challenging.


    And now was an excellent opportunity!


    It was a chance for Lis to gain greater benefits for the Kingdom of Dillon.


    Despite its location at the northern end of the Fanor continent and extremely inconvenient transportation,


    to the north were the unpopted Extreme North Icefields, to the west, the perilous Ter Mountain Range, more treacherous than the Luoxue Mountains, difficult for ordinary people to cross, and to the east, a wastnd of hills.


    Before the roads through the eastern wastnds were opened by Duke Ward, the Kingdom of Dillon could only trade with the Kingdom of Feis for goods and food.


    This near-monopoly ced the Kingdom of Dillon in an almost entirely disadvantageous trading position, Your journey continues with empire


    meaning rich minerals and leathers of Dillon could not earn the benefits they deserved.


    This amounted to the Kingdom of Feis exploiting the Kingdom of Dillon, bleeding it dry.


    This was why many in Dillon harbored hatred towards the Kingdom of Feis.


    If it were before, Lis wouldn''t care about these issues�� at most, he would just take a piece of the pie.


    But now things were different; Lis knew there was a Floating City submerged in the Treasure Pearl Sea to the east of the continent.


    Although that Floating City could still function normally, after so many years, it definitely needed substantial repairs and reinforcement.


    Besides, there were the daily operational demands of the Floating City.


    As one would know, a Floating City is equivalent to arge-scale magic factory, its consumption of magic power could be sustained by Mise''s Core, but the resources required had to be sourced externally by the City Lord.


    This was also a crisis once faced by the previous Az Floating City.


    Lis naturally had to n early.


    The Kingdom of Dillon was an excellent choice.


    Of course, Lis was not a devil!


    He wouldn''t exploit like the merchants from the Kingdom of Feis; it was just a matter of taking what was needed!


    I really am a good person!


    "What can you offer?" the robed man incarnating as Moriarty said with profound meaning.


    The one who makes the initial proposal is always at a disadvantage, especially now that Lis held all the initiative.


    Stran fell silent; honestly, at this moment, he could hardly think of what the Death Secret Cult might need.


    After all, in his view, the Death Secret Cult did not seem to need the faith of the kingdom''s people like the Church of the Gods.


    "Hehe~"


    Lis chuckled lightly, interrupting Stran''s thoughts.


    "I understand what you''re thinking, obtaining protection from those under the Legendary Crown is not easy."


    "I believe you are also prepared for this."


    "I will convey your wishes to those great ones, and regarding the final result, I will inform youter."


    Stran silently nodded, momentarily at a loss for words.


    Several�� under the Legendary Crown?


    This might even be more powerful than some churches with Weak Divine Power or Gods with lesser Divine Powers.


    Could what Moriarty said be true?


    Even Stran, who had seen the Legendary forces of the Death Secret Cult in action, now began to doubt.


    Lis, of course, noticed this slight change in the expression of the Dillon King but he did not care.


    He indeed had the capital to act tough!


    ---------------


    Feis Kingdom, Bright City, Kane Mansion.@@novelbin@@


    "Little Lis, are you sure about everything you''ve said?"


    Dressed in a ck butler''s outfit, Joyce stood by the window, looking down at Ashley fiercely training in the garden below, yet his expression revealed a hint of surprise.


    In his hand was a Communication Crystal Ball specially made by Mr. Stephens, naturally allowing him to contact Lis.


    But the matters Lis spoke of had surprised him.


    Wow!


    The battle at the Demon''s Gate, the chaos in the Kingdom of Dillon, the fall of a legend, the emergence of the Demon Prince Demogorgon...


    With such a grand scale, and Little Lis, only at the Silver Level, was already involved?


    And it seemed he yed a significantly important role.


    "Yes, Uncle Joyce, I have invited Mr. Stephens over, and the teacher also suspects it was Demogorgon!"

 Chapter 287 Mithril and the Ascetic

    Lis disregarded Stran''s expression and focused all his attention on the precious materials before him.


    After arranging everything with Uncle Joyce, Lis was ready to leave Ice Peak City.


    But since he hade all this way, he couldn''t leave without some form of reward.


    Lis didn''t n to ask for any of Dillon Kingdom''s magic items, thinking that even the collection of the Ice Castle Pce couldn''tpare to that of the Judgement me Magic Workshop''s warehouse.


    Therefore, it seemed better to let Stran prepare some metallic materials characteristic of Dillon Kingdom.


    Stran had prepared so many!


    There was no presence of ordinary metals at all.


    Well-forged cold iron blocks emitting a faint glow, Star Sand with its vivid shes, and the brightly colored, pure Red Copper, among others.


    These were all rtively precious special magic metals, more esteemed than ordinary copper and iron mines, having a higher affinity for extraordinary power and extensively used in the forging of low to middle level magic equipment and even in top-tier forgings.


    These materials filled more than half of the cases.


    Although there were many, the most valuable items before Lis were not these, but treasures stored in other distinctive iron boxes.


    Lis opened a wooden box ced at the very top, lifting the lid to reveal a standard rectangr piece of silver metal.


    He gently picked it up, finding this silver metal weighed only half as much as iron of the same volume.


    Applying some force with his fingers, Lis only left a shallow mark on the metal.


    The magic flowed smoothly within this silver metal, almost feeling no resistance or obscurity.


    It was indeed Mithril!


    Mithril, as a highly precious magic metal, appeared silver-white and was a metal firmer than steel yet light as a feather.


    It was said to have been discovered and named by Dwarves, meaning "mysterious silver."


    This was because, apart from divine artifacts and some unique existences, Mithril had the highest magic affinity of all metals.


    Almost all high-level magic equipment includes some Mithril to enhance the equipment''s magic affinity.


    Beyond forging magic equipment, Mithril was also an indispensable material in many magic studies, used in high-level magic puppets, magic arrays, and more.@@novelbin@@


    While having such wide applications, the production of Mithril was quite rare, only found in a fewpanion mines of magic metals.


    This was why Mithril was so precious, rarely traded for Gold Coins; people usually bartered it for treasures of equivalent value.


    Typically, adding a few grams of Mithril during the crafting of magic equipment greatly enhances its magic affinity and is foundational for high-level magic equipment.


    However, the piece of Mithril in Lis''s hands weighed a whole pound.


    Beyond the piece he held, there were two more wooden boxes filled with Mithril before him.


    There were several other magic metals of the same rank.


    Radiant-blue Refined Gold, heavy and extremely solid, significantly enhancing the sharpness and hardness of weapons, positioned alongside Mithril as a top-tier magic metal.


    Dragon Pattern Iron, naturally formed in patterns resembling dragon scales, was the best material for forging shields and armor, also possessing certain magic properties enabling it to absorb magic elements and self-repair.


    The dusky Star Steel, twinkling faintly like stars, was said toe from beyond the Gaia World, known for its excellent malleability and high inclusiveness, making it one of the best forging substrates.


    Beyond these, there were many magic gemstones flickering with colorful lights.


    Lis looked at his harvest with great satisfaction, storing everything into his Space Ring, his gaze towards Stran grew much kinder.


    It wasn''t that Liscked resolve; it was just that the other party had given too much.


    Offering so much valuable magic metal, even the mineral-rich Dillon Kingdom must have needed many years to umte such wealth.


    "I wonder if Mr. Moriarty is still satisfied?"


    Watching the hooded man pack away all the valuables before him, Stran didn''t even blink.


    No matter how precious, to Stran, they were currently just a pile of useless stones.


    Trading them for protection was his primary concern.


    Even though he had requested support from the Ice and Snow Goddess Church, Stran also hoped to receive ndestine protection from the Death Secret Cult.


    The situation of Lukar being controlled by an Abyss Lord and forcibly upying his body had quite an impact on him.


    There was much he needed to do, and Dillon Kingdom needed him; nothing untoward could happen now.


    "Hmm, not bad." Read exclusive content at My Virtual Library Empire


    A hint of a smile appeared on Lis''s face, probably the best mood Stran had seen this enigmatic man in.


    "That person has agreed to your request, and they wille to see you in a few days," Lis said, smiling at Stran.


    "Whether you obtain their approval depends on you now."


    Hm?


    Stran was a bit surprised. So soon?


    Could the Death Secret Cult trulymand several legends, being able to have one meet me so swiftly?


    Lis tossed a grey spherical gemstone to Stran.


    "This is that person''s token; just keep it safe," he said.


    Catching the gemstone, Stran held it in his hand.


    He sensed an extremely covert yet distinctly formidable and sharp presence within it.

 Chapter 288 Im Definitely Getting This Bear Paw!

    -----------------


    ...


    [Due to environmental factors, you are in a [Frostbite] Status]


    [You suffer 101 points of cold damage!]


    [Your resistance to cold has slightly increased!]


    [Your specialty [Low-level Cold Resistance] has been upgraded to [Intermediate Cold Resistance]!]


    [Specialty [Intermediate Cold Resistance]: Significantly increases your resistance to cold. When you receive cold damage, each instance of damage will be reduced by one hundred points, and your resistance to negative statuses like freezing and hypothermia is improved.]


    ....


    [Due to environmental factors, you are in a [Frostbite] Status]


    [You suffer 1 point of cold damage!]


    -----------------


    "Huff~"


    Looking at the information scrolling on the system panel, Lis let out a long breath, a touch of color returning to his face.


    He finally got the specialty!


    Continue your journey with My Virtual Library Empire


    It was worth enduring the cold for so many days.


    As his body continuously resisted the cold, Lis''s resistance to it was correspondingly increasing.


    The effect of [Intermediate Cold Resistance] was already enough for Lis to have a certain level of resistance to ice-based skills inbat.


    Reducing damage was secondary, the primary benefit was the resistance to the negative effects of ice-based skills.


    Just like death spirit skills, the most troublesome aspect of ice-based skills is not the damage they inflict, but the various negative effects.


    Even a slight slowing due to cold inbat, where battles are decided in an instant, could have a significant impact.


    However, this was already his limit.


    Acquiring [Advanced Cold Resistance] was not something he could simply achieve by enduring the cold.


    It was only possible to obtain such high-level specialties through richly rewarding quests.


    This was also the reason why Lis no longer gained cold resistance after taking cold damage.


    Lis did not hesitate any longer and took out a thicker piece of clothing from the storage ring to put on.


    Although his cold resistance had increased, his body was notpletely unaffected by the cold; there was still a chill to contend with.


    Now that he had acquired [Intermediate Cold Resistance], Lis did not need to continue torturing himself.


    After donning a thicker garment, Lis moved his somewhat stiff hands and feet.@@novelbin@@


    Fresh blood circted warmth from his torso to his limbs, and Lis felt as if his body hade back to life.


    He looked up at the eastern horizon,


    Above the forests scattered across the ins, undting hills could vaguely be seen.


    Even without a carriage or a sleigh, Lis''s pace on foot was not slow.


    He was nearly through the central ins of the Dillon Kingdom and into the eastern Corea Hills.


    It was from the east that magic beasts and extraordinary creatures gradually became the protagonists of thatnd.


    Some humans lived in the Corea Hills as well, but generally, their situation was very difficult, facing the threats of magic beasts and extraordinary creatures.


    In that area, snow wolves and ice storm bears were not umon, and even frost giants and white dragons made their presence known.


    Without the protection of powerful professionals, it was difficult for humans to withstand those dangers.


    The Dillon Kingdom once tried to conquer the Corea Hills, but gave up thend due to the great losses inflicted by the magic beasts.


    Before Duke Ward, who is the current Dillon King, opened the trade routes, the Dillon Kingdom had essentially ignored this area.


    This is the current predicament of the Dillon Kingdom; although the territory it upies is vast, not much of it is suitable for human habitation.


    Lis shook his head, he wasn''t a citizen of the Dillon Kingdom, so there was no need for him to worry about it.


    After Duke Ward ascended to the throne of the Dillon Kingdom, he chose to open the trade routes through the Corea Hills, extending all the way to the coastal city of Ward.


    Ward City was a city built from scratch by Duke Ward, one that had been flourishing increasingly over recent years.


    His Majesty the King of Stran also had his reasons for initially restricting the trade route to other merchants: it was to keep all the benefits of this trade route within his own family.


    But things are different now; he is the King of the Dillon Kingdom.


    The entire kingdom is essentially his private property.


    What he wants to do, what he needs to do now, is to rejuvenate the whole Dillon Kingdom quickly, to recover from the shadow of the Demon''s Gate at Ice Peak City.


    King of Stran''s decision to open the eastern trade routes indeed excited many people.


    Even in these frigid times, there were still people who took sleds eastward.


    Apart from exploring the trade route, Lis couldn''t think of any other reason that would make those people choose to head east in such cold weather.


    Lis gathered his thoughts and immersed himself back into arcane research, his figure gradually disappearing in the snowy wind.


    -----------------


    In the Corea Hills, among the forests.


    After entering the hills, vast expanses of forest seaposed of cold pine and fir trees connected the low hills.


    Giant goose feather-like snowkes kept falling, piling up thickyers of snow upon the pine trees.


    In the world where only the ''swish'' of snowfall could be heard, the silence of nature was even more profound.


    "Roar!!!"


    Suddenly, a furious roar ripped through the hills, as if the sound itself turned into a special vibration, spreading out in all directions and causing snow on the pine trees to fall in different patterns.


    A white silhouette burst out from the forest, mming into the hillside with great force.


    The snow scattered like an explosion, and the whole hill trembled slightly under the ferocious impact.

 Chapter 289 A Somewhat Strange Druid

    Corea Hills, the cave where Lis was located.


    As the sound of Lis''s words faded away, light footsteps sounded, and a figure appeared at the entrance of the cave.


    "Sorry for the intrusion."


    "It''s indeed a bit presumptuous, but I smelled the aroma from a distance and couldn''t help bute over."


    A clear male voice spoke, and a young man appeared in front of Lis, looking somewhat embarrassed.


    He was quite a handsome youth, around his twenties, with neat and tidy brown short hair, dressed in a gray linen casual outfit.


    This type of attire appearing in Corea Hills during the snow-closed season indicated that his strength was certainly not weak, and he was quite confident.


    However, Lis didn''t pay too much attention.


    He had already raised his alertness when he noticed this approaching person.


    But upon sensing the rich nature''s scent and the friendly spiritual power emanating from him, Lis invited him in instead of drawing a weapon.


    "My name is Isidore, may I ask how to address you?" Discover hidden content at My Virtual Library Empire


    Isidore, with a smile on his face, walked in familiarly and sat down by the campfire.


    But his eyes were fixed on the bear paw sizzling with oil and emitting a tempting aroma over the fire.


    "Lis."


    Lis turned the bear paw over the fire and casually asked,


    "Isidore, you are a druid, aren''t you? Interested in this roasted bear paw?"


    Isidore looked up at Lis, nodded, and said,


    "I am indeed a druid. I''m not like those old stick-in-the-muds; how could I miss such a delicacy?"


    Lis''s words were not without aim.


    The nature''s scent emanating from Isidore was different from the feeling from those of the Elf n with extraordinary professions.


    This Isidore didn''t appear to be from the Elf n either.


    That''s why Lis recognized Isidore as a druid at first sight.


    Truth be told, although there are many druids, most of them are distributed around the vicinity of the Navia Great Forest and in the deserts west of the Jianuo Mountain Range.


    Most druids in the Fanor Continent gather in those two ces because of their beliefs and professions.


    Druids are nature''s darlings and its caretakers.


    They gather around the Navia Great Forest to protect that Elf Forest and maintain the operation of nature.


    The Endless Desert west of the Jianuo Mountain Range has a legend that long ago it wasn''t a desert but was a very fertilend, nourished by the snowmelt from the Jianuo Mountain Range.


    It is said that in a divine war, the center of the battlefield was located in thatnd, which consequently became deste and uninhabited.


    Affected by the residual divine power, thend has been unable to recover to its original state for many years.


    As a result, that vast stretch of yellow sand produced many gruesomely mutated magic beasts, creating a harsh environment that became a no-go zone for humans.


    However, beneath the endless sands also lie remnants of an ancient civilization, with relics asionally reemerging due to the shifting dunes.


    The treasures hidden within these relics have attracted countless adventurers to enter the desert topete and struggle.


    But the druids gather there not for the treasures beneath the sands.


    They are there to restore the desert back to what it once was.@@novelbin@@


    Generations of druids have congregated there, bit by bit clearing away the effects of the residual divine forces, guiding water veins, and nting trees.


    Through the efforts of numerous druids, specks of oasis have begun to emerge in the desert, providing hope to those traversing it.


    Though it is still far frompletely restoring the desert, anyone who sees that hint of green amidst the desert sands cannot help but respect those druids.


    Of course, apart from those two regions, there are still many druids wandering across the Fanor continent.


    However, it is really rare to see a druid appearing in the northern ice fields.


    When the scent of the roasted bear paw reached its peak, Lis took the bear paw off the fire and passed one to Isidore.


    Isidore carefully took the bear paw, blew on it, sniffing the enticing smell of the fatty aroma, his face full of contentment.


    The bear paw was roasted to perfection, tender and delicious like jelly, and melted in the mouth with just a slight press.


    "Here."


    Lis took out a silver spoon from his storage ring and handed it to Isidore.


    "Thank you so much."


    Isidore received the silver spoon, thanked him again with a smile, and then started indulging in the delicacy without any hesitation.


    The slight gamey taste waspletely masked by the spices. Without the need forplex preparation, the slippery fat and the firmness of the meat filled his mouth, its deliciousness leaving nothing more to be said.


    Lis, after tasting the first bite of bear paw meat, also nodded in satisfaction.


    Savoring delicacies was indeed one of Lis''s pleasures and rxation during his time away from training.


    Watching Isidore relish the meal without any scruples, Lis knew enough now.


    Although druids are not strictly vegetarian like the elves, some do have that tendency.


    Or rather, among the druidmunity, there are some who are quite extreme and stubborn.


    They believe that vegetarianism is the best way to embrace nature, and they have always done so.


    If that were it, it would be fine, but they don''t only practice this themselves; they also demand that others do the same.


    They do not permit the hunting of animals, they persist in vegetarianism, and through this extreme method, they aim to protect nature.


    This is their belief, and also why, apart from fallen druids, they are the most disliked group.


    In his past life, Lis also stayed away from such people; they were simply unreasonable.

 Chapter 290 Hunting the White Dragon

    Inside the Dragon Nest,


    Lis''s hand viciously thrust the dagger into the lower abdomen of the White Dragon, and scalding Dragon Blood spurted out from the wound.


    Without the slightest mercy, Lis twisted the dagger in his hand to slice open the abdomen of the White Dragon as much as possible, knowing that a mere superficial cut would be quickly staunched by the Dragon n''s formidable healing abilities.


    The White Dragon Tobias couldn''t grasp at all what had happened; his mind went nk.


    However, the intense pain from his belly made his body subconsciously start to react: his sharp dragon ws ferociously reached forward, and at the same time, his body twisted trying to shake off the stealth attacker in front of him.


    Seeing that his stealth attack had seeded, Lis had no intention of engaging in a closebat brawl. With a swift move, he dodged the White Dragon''s w strike.


    The dagger in Lis''s hand was coated with the scorching crimson blood of the White Dragon, causing a slight burning sensation when it dripped onto the back of Lis''s hand.


    This was the corrosive effect of Dragon Blood power; if one could fully withstand it, it was akin to undergoing the process of "Bathing in Dragon Blood," significantly enhancing one''s physical strength.@@novelbin@@


    Although it wouldn''t make one invulnerable to des and spears as legends suggest, it would substantially increase bodily resilience and defensive capabilities, slightly boosting magic resistance.


    Honestly, the dagger Lis used in his stealth attack was the same one he used in the fight against the Ice Storm Bear. Logically, the White Dragon''s scales should have offered stronger defense than those of the Ice Storm Bear.


    But this time, Lis''s attack smoothly prated the White Dragon''s defenses.


    This was because before the attack, Lis had first enchanted the dagger with the Four Rings Magic known as [Advanced Magic Weapon] rather than an elemental Enchantment, focusing instead on a high sharpness buff.


    Also, during the attack on the White Dragon, he used the Skill [Shadow Raid].


    [Shadow Raid] allowed the user''s attack to be supplemented with Shadow Power, possessing a prating effect against the target''s defense.


    He targeted the rtively weaker part of the scales at the abdomen of the White Dragon, ensuring a sessful strike.


    In the series of interconnected attacks just now, Lis seemed to grasp a certain feeling.


    In battle, the coordination between different Professional Skills isn''t arbitrary; it requires urate selection to achieve an effect where 1+1 is greater than 2.


    The synergy between different Professional Skills often resulted in unexpected effects, and Lis felt he could possibly achieve the same level of coordinated teamwork as a squad of Extraordinary Professionals.


    All these thoughts shed through Lis''s mind in an instant, with his attention refocused on the White Dragon in front of him.


    Although severely wounded in the abdomen, White Dragon Tobias was still a True Dragon. His massive body meant that the injury wasn''t instantly fatal, retaining his mobility for the time being.


    Logically, the attack should have alerted him to the grave danger.


    This man in front of him was powerful enough to threaten his life.


    But Tobias couldn''t care less, as the pain from his body incessantly stimted his nerves, intent on killing this "petty" person in front of him. Your next read is at My Virtual Library Empire


    Roar!!!


    The White Dragon pped its wings and took flight, but regrettably, this Dragon Nest, recently found and barely modified, was quite cramped.


    Tobias didn''t mind, soared into the air, and bellowed as he opened his mouth full of sharp teeth.


    A conical stream of white frost sted towards where Lis was.


    [Cold Ice Dragon Breath]!


    Lis''s body stiffened, and with a flicker, he retreated backward.


    He certainly did not want to endure the attack of Dragon Breath with his body.


    As one of the strongest powers of a True Dragon, each Dragon Breath varied in nature and effects among different True Dragons, but they all shared the immense power of Dragon Breath, almostparable to a Shape Changing Magic of the same level, and they were instantaneous attacks.


    Seeing this, the White Dragon adjusted its head to continued "spitting" at Lis.


    Lis wasn''t rushing either, leisurely circling around with the White Dragon within the confines of the nest.


    For the experienced Lis, the preparatory movement of the White Dragon''s head before spitting Dragon Breath was quite evident, making dodging quite manageable.


    Besides, the Dragon Breath was not infinite.


    The substances forming the Dragon Breath were stored inside the White Dragon''s body, not created by magic, naturally running out over time.


    Seeing that his usually unassable Dragon Breath had no effect on the detestable stealth attacker infuriated White Dragon Tobias even more.


    Halting the Dragon Breath, he flew around twice, then suddenly charged at Lis.


    This was one of the preferred hunting methods of a young dragon, diving to increase speed, carrying immense force; this was the most effective way to leverage the formidable physical advantage of the Dragon n.


    Lis was, of course, well aware. He chose not to meet the charge head-on, instead, his figure shed, instantly disappearing from the White Dragon''s sight.


    Assassinbat technique [Forced Stealth]!


    This was a skill Lis had learned from the esteemed Joey, precious and rare, only attainable when one''s affinity with the Shadow ne reached a certain level.


    Staying hidden was the strongest advantage of an assassin, but it vanishes after the initial attack.


    If one couldn''t gain a significant advantage in the first strike, a normal assassin in directbat wouldn''t be able to measure up to other Professionals of the same level.


    Of course, those assassins who followed the [Sword Master] path and loved invincible rampages were exceptions.


    Which method was truly the best for an assassin, and whichbat style was the "Assassin''s Soul," were topics without a consensus among assassin yers since Lis''s reincarnation.

 Chapter 291 Bathing in Dragon Blood

    In the Dragon Nest, Lis was happily at work.


    He used a spell to gather all the dragon blood flowing on the ground, a rather precious material.@@novelbin@@


    Beyond using it for "baths", it also served as a fundamental ingredient for many high-level potions.


    Such as [Dragon Blood Potion], [Dragon Power Potion], and so on.


    Lis carefully collected all the White Dragon''s blood into vials. The lightly glowing white dragon blood was somewhat pretty and didn''t have a strong bloody smell.


    He forcefully cut through the skin beneath the white dragon scales and reached into the White Dragon''s body, extracting its heart after a moment''s search.


    Carefully slicing through the outer muscles of the White Dragon''s heart, he meticulously collected the blood inside.


    This was the essence blood of the White Dragon, even more useful and precious.


    After collecting all the dragon blood, Lis decisively prepared to start organizing the other materials from various parts.


    Dragon teeth, dragon horns, dragon skin, dragon scales...


    Under Lis''s skilled hands, this young White Dragon quickly vanished from sight, turning into a stack of neatly organized special materials.


    Even the dragon meat and bones were not wasted by Lis��all were neatly divided and stored inside his Storage Ring.


    Having multiple storage rings was simply such indulgence!


    In his previous life as a leveling champion, Lis detested the wasteful act of not gathering materials. He always prepared extra storage rings topensate for theck of space in yers'' backpacks.


    This time, before departing from Bright City, Lis naturally did not forget that there were several enormous storage rings in the storeroom of Judgement me; he monopolized them all.


    However, this was only a temporary solution. Once Lis advanced to the Golden Rank, he would be able tomand advanced space spell [Dimension Pocket], which would eliminate storage limits for a mage.


    The only downside was that the space created by [Dimension Pocket] was bound to the user; upon the user''s death, it would copse immediately, and the items inside would be lost in the ensuing space storm.


    Therefore, if a high-level mage died unexpectedly, besides the equipment they carried, there was usually not much loot to be found.


    The richest high-level mages umted most of their wealth within their Mage Towers and Dimension Pockets, especially the Mage Towers. Numerous Thief Masters even prided themselves on sessfully exploring one.


    It is known that the challenge level of a Mage Tower is not onlyparable but often exceeds that of a giant dragon.


    Firstly, generally only mages of Gold Level have sufficient wealth to establish their own Mage Towers, which house most of their treasures and collections.


    On the other hand, to protect their wealth, mages set up numerous trap-triggered mechanisms and counterattack magic arrays inside their Mage Towers. Many more powerful mages even host magical sentient beings and magical constructs within.


    There''s a saying that only mages with their own Mage Towers are consideredplete.


    Simrly, mages within their Mage Towers can disy their strongest capabilities.


    No professional would dare provoke a mage residing within his Mage Tower, not even a Thief Master.


    That''s not exploration; that is courting death! Stay updated with My Virtual Library Empire


    Thus, this is also why a Floating City holds such a strong allure for mages.


    Even for Legendary Level mages, it is the same.


    After all, even Lis''s own teacher, Judgement me, didn''t possess a Floating City after important manufacturing methods, including the [Core of Mise], were lost.


    While Lis''s mind was busy nning these things, his hands didn''t slow down as he finished organizing all the materials from the White Dragon.


    Although the materials from this White Dragon were quite valuable and a top choice for crafting magical weapons and equipment, Lis had no ns to use them to craft his own equipment.


    After all, it was only a young White Dragon, and the equipment made from it would soon be outdated, even if Lis could use it for a while.


    Rather than searching for a craftsman to make equipment, it was better to save materials for magical research.


    Truth be told, every piece of equipment on Lis was top-grade.


    The [Jade Mage Set] was already decent equipment within the Gold Level, and the [Shadow Dragon Skin Gloves] had special bonus effects.


    [Stephen''s Teleportation Ring] and [Shadow Talisman] were small divine artifacts for Lis now, crucial for survival.


    [Acadia''s Lucky Brooch] and [Sphinx''s Wisdom] were coveted top-grade equipment that would y a significant role in the future.


    Lis used [Mage''s Hand] to dig a pit in the floor of the Dragon Nest,rge enough for a person to lie down in.


    He took out the White Dragon blood he had collected earlier and poured it into the pit on the ground.


    The only regret was that this White Dragon had not fully grown up, so the dragon blood Lis obtained was not abundant.


    Already, the amount Lis used had consumed half of the collected dragon blood.


    Casually dropping about ten drops of the even more precious White Dragon essence blood into it��the essence of the White Dragon''s lineage even had the potential to create Dragon Descendant Mages.


    Beyond this, Lis also added many materials to strengthen the body.


    This was a special method known from Lis''s past life, and he also had lots of these materials stored in his storage ring.


    Watching the dragon blood pool gradually begin to emit a misty hue, Lis felt an eagerness to try it.


    Bathing in dragon blood was one of the few opportunities for directly enhancing all body attributesprehensively.

 Chapter 291 Bathing in Dragon Blood_2

    326 Chapter 291 Bathing in Dragon Blood_2


    Lis didn''t dy, for the power contained in the Dragon Blood would quickly dissipate into the air if not properly stored; he had to act fast.


    Stripping off his clothes, Lis''s figure was exposed to the icy air of the Dragon Nest.


    The White Dragon preferred to live in a cold environment, which is why their nests were built on chilly mountain peaks, and the aura emitted by the White Dragon itself naturally covered the nest in ayer of frost.


    Therefore, the temperature inside the Dragon Nest was even colder than outside, to the point where ordinary people could hardly endure it for long.


    However, for Lis, who had obtained the specialty of Intermediate Cold Resistance, it was bearable.


    Stripping off his garments, Lisy his entire body into the White Dragon Blood.


    The heroes in the legends who bathed in Dragon Blood often ended up with certain parts of their body not enhanced by the Dragon Blood, which eventually led to their deaths for various reasons.


    However, that was just a myth; Lis knew that once his body bathed in the Dragon Blood, the power of the Dragon n would naturally spread throughout his body.


    In other words, the parts of the body not bathed in Dragon Blood wouldn''t remain as weak points like in those legends.


    Lis submerged his entire body in the Dragon Blood, solely to speed up the absorption process.


    The crimson blood covered Lis''s entire body, and specks of white light gradually converged upon him.


    He felt a slight burning sensation as the Dragon Blood invaded his skin, but Lis paid it no mind and instead quietly experienced the process of his body being enhanced by the power of the Dragon Blood.


    The power of the Dragon n was always domineering, especially the power contained in the True Dragon Blood.


    Even if the White Dragon was looked down upon and considered the "disgrace of the Dragon n," it was still a genuine True Dragon, and the power it contained was real.


    Some Lucky individuals, after enhancing themselves with Dragon Blood, even had the chance to inherit a trace of the Dragon n''s bloodline.


    That meant there was the possibility of them bing one of the strongest among Magicians��the Dragon Descendant Mage.


    This was one of the reasons why so many were eager to y dragons.


    Lis felt a numbness and burning sensation all over his body as the White Dragon''s power slowly entered into his skin, muscles, and bones, visibly toughening every part of his body considerably.


    "Phew~"


    About an hourter, the Blood Pool at the center of the Dragon Nest hadpletely lost the glowing white luminescence it once had and was left with only useless impurities and waste.


    Lis sat up from the Blood Pool, and without needing to wipe off, Magic Power radiated from his body, using the Cleaning Skill to cleanse himself thoroughly.


    -----------------


    Ding~


    [You have bathed in White Dragon Blood, your body has been strengthened, and you have gained the specialty Bathing Dragon Blood��White Dragon!]


    [Bathing Dragon Blood��White Dragon: You have been baptized by the bloodline of the White Dragon, your body has been strengthened, All Attributes +100 points, you are immune to Spells and simr Skills of the Second Circle and below and also immune to 10% of cold attribute damage.]


    -----------------


    Oh wow~


    Actually gained the ability to be immune to magical damage!


    Lis looked at the information shed on his panel and felt pleased.


    After all, there were many aspects to the Dragon n''s strength, and the enhancements possible from bathing in Dragon Blood were multifaceted.


    Aside from the definite increase in All Attributes, there was also the chance to increase the body''s toughness, strengthen Strength, enhance Anti-Magic Ability, and other various abilities.


    The acquisition of Anti-Magic Ability was a rare opportunity, and it was a considerable enhancement to Lis''s practicalbat strength.


    After all, being immune to Second Circle Spells and those below didn''t mean it was ineffective against more Advanced Magic.


    The improvement in Anti-Magic Ability was set, which would also reduce the damage from Higher Level Spells on Lis, giving him more leeway in battle.


    As for thest part about being immune to 10% of cold attribute damage, that must be an enhancement derived from the White Dragon Bloodline.


    If it had been Red Dragon Bloodline, the immunity might have been to Fire Attribute damage.


    Not a bad haul!


    After dressing, Lis prepared to leave the Dragon Nest, but then remembered something, and began to search carefully within the Nest. @@novelbin@@


    After looking around, Lis finally found several luminous white gems under the ice bed where the White Dragon rested.


    Upon system identification, most of these were Low-level Frost Gems, with only one being an Intermediate Gem.


    "What a poor Dragon!"


    Lis curled his lips, this could be considered the poorest Dragon Nest he had ever explored.


    However, he could understand, after all, it was a newly independent White Dragon.


    Considering that the dragon had already sacrificed itself, Lis didn''t press the matter further.


    "May your soul find peace," Lis murmured to himself.


    Then again, a dragon soul is actually a rare material, especially for a Necromancer, as it forms an essentialponent in creating the strongest Undead Creatures��a Bone Dragon.


    If it wasn''t for the fact that Lis presently had no means to collect dragon souls, he certainly wouldn''t have passed up this skin-ying opportunity.


    Seeing that he had thoroughly looted the Dragon Nest, there really was nothing left behind.


    Lis left the abandoned White Dragon Nest.


    "It''s really nice, I hope things like this happen more often."


    Perhaps it was a curse from the White Dragon or perhaps the bnce of fate, but in the following period, Lis never encountered such good fortune again.


    However, the fruits of Lis''s ascetic training were still evident, granting him several fundamental specialties rted to physical strength.


    -----------------


    [Specialty [Trained]: Increase Strength by 20 points, increase Endurance by 20 points, increase agility attribute by 10 points]


    [Specialty [Strong Body]: Extra Life Value increases by 1000 points, resistance to negative Status +5%]


    [Specialty [Close Combat Expert]: Closebat attack power +5%, weapon Block sess rate +5%]


    -----------------


    These three specialties were all fundamental for closebat Professionals, and could be considered essential for any closebat Professional through training and growth.


    The ability of closebat Professionals was reflected in this multitude of basic specialties.


    Lis still had much to catch up on in this area, and now was more about identifying and filling the gaps.


    But Lis''s "ascetic journey" wasing to a temporary close.


    Upon climbing thest peak in the Corea Hills, the vast and endless blue sea, along with the somewhat bustling seaside town, came into his sight.


    Ward City, here we are!


    ...


    After traveling through the wilderness for nearly three months, Lis''s pace was actually not slow.


    After all, he had crossed the Corea Hills almost in a straight line, saving quite a bit of time.


    Lis stood on a high spot, overlooking Ward City below.


    But many traveling traders had already arrived in Ward City, and this small town reliant on the port was bustling with activity.


    Ward City hadn''t been built for long; its walls and houses still looked quite new, and numerous construction sites for building houses were scattered in the town and by the port, buzzing with vitality.


    This was the achievement of His Majesty the King of the Dillon Kingdom; he even deployed troops to sweep the trade routes to Ward City, ensuring the safety of the traders as much as possible.


    Furthermore, he had invested significant energy and resources into thisnd of hope, giving Ward City a distinctly vibrant and thriving feel, unlike Ice Peak City.


    The port area was no different; it was perhaps the busiest part of Ward City.


    Lis could already see severalrge merchant ships waiting to set sail, with many figures hustling aboard, moving goods for trade and supplies needed for long voyages.


    Near the shipyard by the port, piles of sturdy logs were amassed, and several merchant ships were under construction, with the workers busy in a scene of industrious enthusiasm.


    This was because the Ward Family had been operating here for a long time; they had almost mastered the majority of the maritime port''s procedures and had cultivated a group of rted personnel.


    Otherwise, faced with the influx of Guild members and travelling traders, they would probably have been thrown into chaos.


    Lis didn''t mind and headed toward Ward City.


    The City Guards charged Lis a silver coin as an entry tax, which was indeed a bit expensivepared to other ces.


    Nevertheless, it was understandable; it could be considered a concession opened by the Dillon King to various domestic powers, also serving as a way to collect certain fees.


    Not paying much attention to these details, Lis made his way to the Mercenary Guild in Ward City.

 Chapter 292 Invisible Show Off, Most Deadly!

    By the seashore of Ward City, a somewhat warm sea breeze brought a slightly moist sensation.


    During the time Lis crossed the Corea Hills, winter in Dillon Kingdom was almost over. Ward City, being located by the sea, naturally had a slightly higher temperature than the Corea Hills.


    Most of the snow within the city had already begun to melt under the warm sunshine, leaving a somewhat damp feeling.


    Aside from the main thoroughfare of Ward City, which was made of bluestone bs, the other roads were dirt tracks that had be muddy under the pressure of carriages. The pedestrians passing by no longer bothered to avoid the mud, as their shoes were already dirty.


    The location of Ward City was at the upper right corner of the Fanor Continent, adjacent to the Luo Ya Sea, with the Endless Ocean to the east and the Treasure Pearl Sea to the south.


    Duke Ward had established Ward City and its port here because it was a rare non-freezing harbor, which was quite crucial for Dillon Kingdom, where the climate was cold for half of the year.


    Lis walked on the main thoroughfare of Ward City, heading towards the Mercenary Guild.


    Pedestrians on the street were numerous, including operatives fromrge Guilds and itinerant merchants, and there were also quite a few people dressed as mercenaries.


    This was because many caravans had hired mercenaries to travel across half of Dillon Kingdom to get here, and those mercenaries did not leave after arriving.


    After all, it was not easy to get here, and as an emerging location in Dillon Kingdom, Ward City also had numerous opportunities waiting for these mercenaries.@@novelbin@@


    The most numerous tasksmissioned to mercenaries were [Escort Merchant Ships].


    Merchant ships departing from Ward City generally traded materials with ports in the Boditch Kingdom.


    Faring to other countries on more distant routes had not yet been developed; currently, only this route was rtively safe.


    But even so, this route did not mean there were no dangers.


    The Extraordinary Magical Beasts in the ocean were no fewer than onnd and even posed a higher threat.


    If a merchant ship was damaged by those Extraordinary Magical Beasts, even an Extraordinary Professional would find it hard to survive in the ocean far fromnd, not to mention ordinary people.


    Therefore, the most urgent issue for the major powers in Ward City was to explore the technology and techniques of long voyages. To ensure that they could bring back valuable sea route information, they spared no expense in hiring mercenaries for long voyages.


    Beyond the generous pay, the opportunity to travel to other countries was more enticing for the mercenaries of Dillon Kingdom.


    After all, navigating through the Luoxue Mountain in the southern part of the kingdom was quite challenging; it might be better to try reaching the Boditch Kingdom by sea.


    The emergence of Ward City had brought a unique vitality to Dillon Kingdom.


    And a new hope!


    Lis walked on the bustling streets of Ward City, which were brimming with life.


    Ward City was not veryrge; half of the area consisted of docks and rted facilities.


    And the Mercenary Guild was also situated on the western streets of the city.


    It was evident that Ward City''s mercenary guild was converted from a warehouse, looking quite ordinary from the outside.


    However, when Lis pushed the door and entered, unlike the slight cold outside, inside it was bustling with warmth.


    Countless mercenaries from Dillon Kingdom converged here; almost all the tables were upied by mercenaries, who were toasting and drinking merrily.


    Unlike what Lis saw in the Mercenary Guild of Ice Peak City, where preserved meats dominated the tables, here they were reced with fresh sashimi.


    Many mercenaries looked tentative, cautiously tasting the somewhat exotic food.


    Many others no longer cared; theyughed loudly at the neers for their timidity, chewing on the fresh sashimi as if they had forgotten their own initial fears.


    ...


    "I heard several Guild merchant ships have already returned, bringing back quite a few goods from the Boditch Kingdom." Discover more stories at My Virtual Library Empire


    "Sigh~ those are some good items, and can you believe it, they''re more than half cheaper than the goods brought in from Feis Kingdom!"


    "Damn Feis Kingdom, those merchants deserve to have their brains chewed out by Little Inferior Demons."


    "Selling this stuff in Ice Peak City, wouldn''t that make a fortune!"


    "Profitable yes, but also dangerous. I''ve heard about many merchant ships unfamiliar with seaways capsizing, hitting reefs, getting attacked by Magic Beasts��few survive!"


    "Hey! Charles, didn''t you go to the Boditch Kingdom with Ward Commerce? Tell us about it."


    "Exactly, I''m also setting off with Blue Frost Commerce in a few days, Charles, share some experience; let everyone gain some insight."


    Amidst the conversation, many people turned their gaze towards a middle-aged man at one side of the tavern, whose leather armor revealed bulging muscles and whose hands carried the calluses of an experienced and strong mercenary.


    Charles looked around at the expectant eyes of the gathering mercenaries, his gaze carrying a hint of pride.


    He didn''t speak but instead poured thest bit of barley wine into his mouth, gently setting the ss on the table.


    Some perceptive mercenaries immediately understood, shouting loudly to the servants:


    "Bring our respected Charles a Cold Barley Wine and a seafood tter, fast!"


    Charles nodded, a look of ''that''s more like it'' crossing his face.


    For him, an exceptionally outstanding mercenary, it wasn''t really about the cost of a drink, but the respect he demanded.


    Otherwise, what''s the point if you can''t show off when you are constantly on the edge of life and death?


    Under the expectant gazes of everyone, Charles slowly began to speak:


    "Actually, many things you''ll understand once you experience them yourself, but I''ll mention the most important ones."

 Chapter 293 The Strange Little Beggar

    Ward City, within the Mercenary Tavern.


    After a moment of silence, the murmurs of the onlooking mercenaries gradually began to grow louder.


    In the eyes of some mercenaries, this "somewhat" handsome young mercenary might just be selling the harvest for his team, and perhaps his strength wasn''t that formidable.


    But many experienced old mercenaries didn''t think so. Stay connected through My Virtual Library Empire


    They knew that selling Magical Beast Materials at the Mercenary Tavern would result in being lowballed, if it were really a Mercenary Group, they would never specifically arrange for someone to sell materials in the Mercenary Tavern.


    Such an enormous amount of materials really only suggested one possibility.


    It was that the man in front of them didn''t care about the profits and just wanted to handle these materials more quickly, to save trouble.


    This was also the convenience of selling Magical Beast Materials to the Mercenary Guild.


    After all, the prices offered by the Mercenary Guild, though not high, were basically fair, without any deliberate underquoting involved.


    This strange mercenary, couldn''t he be a young scion out for training from somerge family?


    ...


    Gradually, many mercenaries retracted their gazes and continued to brag with friends, but they kept a watchful eye on the direction of the bar.


    Lis didn''t care about the stares of others; it wasn''t like when he had just arrived in Ice Peak City and needed to hide his identity.


    This was also Lis''s way of disying his own strength, useful for his next n.


    Moreover, Lis truly didn''t care much about these Magical Beast Materials.


    The most precious gains from his long journey, such as the materials from the White Dragon and the gemstones he had found in a cave, were not brought out by Lis.


    Those were really good stuff, and Lis nned to keep them for himself.


    As for the other materials, Lis kept only a small portion, nning toter bring them as gifts for friends in Bright City.


    "What''s wrong?"


    Looking at the servant Theodore in front of him, Lis knocked on the table and reminded him.


    "... Sir, you have too many Magical Beast Materials, and I don''t have the authority to handle them."


    Theodore said immediately after a brief pause.


    After all, he was just a servant, and though his job did involve buying Magical Beast Materials from mercenaries, the materials he had dealt with before were not expensive, with each transaction never exceeding a hundred Gold Coins.


    But what this person in front of him brought out was not only numerous but also of quite good quality, with some very expensive items among them.


    Theodore had just nced briefly and seen two intact, snow-white Ice Storm Bear Skins.


    Those were really good stuff, and they were among the best-selling items in the Boditch Kingdom, one such Bear Skin was worth over a thousand Gold Coins.


    Seeming to fear that Lis would change his mind, Theodore quickly said,


    "I will find the Manager right now, please wait a moment."


    Although he felt a bit distressed, Theodore did not n to hide the fact and not report it.


    Reporting it to the supervisor meant lessmission for himself, but given the astounding quantity in front of him, even a portion of themission was enough to make him rich.


    If this mercenary were to change his mind because of him, it would be disastrous.


    Recalling a reminder from his senior, Theodore didn''t dare dy and hurried upstairs of the tavern.


    Lis didn''t mind and asked another servant to serve him a ss of Cold Barley Wine, sitting in front of the bar and slowly sipping it.


    He didn''t wait long before he heard hurried footstepsing from the stairs.


    A skinny man dressed in ck formal attire descended the stairs with Theodore following behind him.


    As soon as he came down, he noticed the pile of Magical Beast Materials stacked high in front of the bar, and his eyes paused for a moment.


    However, this man was clearly different, quickly regaining hisposure.


    With just a nce, he walked towards Lis sitting in front of the bar.


    "Hello, I am Rude, the Manager of the Mercenary Tavern, and I am pleased that you have chosen to sell your Magical Beast Materials here."


    "I will arrange for someone to help you inventory the materials you wish to sell. Why don''t youe with me to the luxurious guest room on the second floor and rest for a while?"


    Manager Rude said respectfully, regardless of who the person was, anyone bringing such arge business was an honoured guest to him.


    Lis nodded and followed Rude to the luxurious guest room on the second floor.


    Unlike the tavern''s main hall on the first floor, which still bore traces of its conversion from a warehouse, this second-floor luxurious guest room wasvishly decorated. The deep red silk sofa was patterned with gold, and the brown cold pine wood floor had been meticulously polished, exuding a faint, pleasant smell of pine resin.


    Following behind Rude, maids brought up high-quality Cold Barley Wine and some snacks.


    Thin condensation formed on the edge of the clear ss, making the deep yellow wine inside look especially tempting.@@novelbin@@


    The snacks mostly consisted of sashimi from various types of fish; outstanding Knife Skill had sliced the fish into pieces of varying thickness ording to their texture, ideal for pairing with wine.


    Lis was familiar with these; they were fish like cod, swordfish, and Golden Knife Fish.


    The colors of the fish flesh varied, and pieces wereid atop several green vegetable leaves, looking quite attractive through such meticulous ting.


    A small bowl next to it contained a ck sauce.


    Seeing Lis look somewhat interested, Rude said with a smile,


    "These were all caught by the fishing boats at the port. While many people are not used to eating fish, this way of consumption is rather novel, offering a different vor."


    "This sauce is a special condiment brought by the Guild from the Boditch Kingdom, you might want to have a taste."

 Chapter 294 The Future Pirate King!

    Lis looked at the bratty kid in front of him, his face showing a hint of inquisitiveness.


    Common sense suggested that if he felt a sense of familiarity, it was very likely an important NPC from his past life.


    If it were a child, it could be someone like Joyce''s disciple Ashley, who had not yet grown up.


    However, unlike Ashley, no matter how hard Lis racked his brain, he could not recall who this little beggar might be.


    The beggar''s face was dirty, but it was still clear that he was rather good-looking. Enjoy new tales from My Virtual Library Empire


    After some thought, Lis used "Mage''s Hand" to ce the little beggar on the ground.


    The little beggar seemed to be aware that he couldn''t escape from the grasp of this Professional, and didn''t struggle, just watched Lis warily.


    "What''s your name, and why are you here?"


    Lis squatted down, looking at the bratty kid eye-to-eye as he spoke:


    "What''s your name?"


    The bratty kid didn''t speak, his wariness very apparent.


    "Tsk, still just a bratty kid."


    Lis, somewhat helplessly, took a piece of fruit cake out of the storage ring, the snow-white cream topped with luscious strawberries.


    The sweet aroma spread around, making the little beggar swallow his saliva.


    "Want some?"


    Lis said, smiling as he waved the cake in front of the little beggar.


    It was a dessert he had prepared in advance in Bright City, kept in the Space Ring.


    Unlike hot dishes, these desserts could be stored in the storage ring for a long time.


    Smelling the sweet aroma, the beggar''s stomach growled loudly.


    It had been a long time since he had eaten anything decent, wandering in Ward City, surviving on scraps and leftovers.


    The reason he stayed by this inn was in the hope of finding some food in the trash.


    It wasn''t that hecked the knowledge to beg, but most people in this city just didn''t have the patience, always in a rush.


    While there were kindhearted mercenaries, most were bad-tempered, and he was often chastised by those who had drunk too much.


    He was still bruised from it!


    That was why he wanted to run away at first sight of Lis, dressed as a mercenary.


    In this new city, there were few who would stop to care about him.


    Yet this good-looking mercenary before him seemed different from the others.


    Even the mercenaries who pitied him would just give him some food and leave, never standing so close, speaking to him so kindly.


    After all, he didn''t smell good.


    Looking at the cake in Lis''s hand, the beggar wiped his hands on the cleaner part of his clothes before courageously taking the cake.


    He whispered a faint "thank you" before carefully taking a bite.


    The fragrance of the bread, the sweetness of the cream, and the freshness of the fruit convinced the beggar that Lis wasn''t mocking him, and he started eating eagerly.


    It had been so long since he had such a delicious cake; ever since his parents died...


    Lis didn''t mind and did not continue to ask questions, simply squatting beside him, watching as he devoured the small cake.


    Seeing him looking somewhat unsatisfied after finishing it, Lis offered him another piece of cake and a small bottle of milk.


    The beggar didn''t hesitate, epted them, and quickly finished them off.


    His gaze towards Lis still held a longing, but Lis shook his head, not offering any more food.


    "You''ve been hungry for too long, you can''t eat too much."


    The beggar nodded, and with his spirit lifted after the meal, he stood up and looked at Lis.


    "What''s your name?"


    Lis looked back at him, repeating the question he had asked earlier.


    "I''m... Evans."


    The beggar spoke in a somewhat clear voice, less resistant than before.


    It seemed he was beginning to trust Lis.


    Evans...


    Lis furrowed his brow, racking his memory; in his past life, there was no important character named Evans.


    Could it be another case like Risa, who had changed her nameter on?


    Lis suddenly felt something was off, a sense of disharmony, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn''t recall.


    No solution...


    Now it was just a kid, and there was a big difference between his current and future appearance; it might not be possible to confirm his identity anytime soon.@@novelbin@@


    A hassle, indeed; there was still a significant amount of time until the plot involving those NPCs, which brought some trouble for Lis.


    A headache, indeed; should he keep the child close by for now?


    After some thought, Lis decided to go ahead and take him to the Boditch Kingdom.


    In time, after getting to know him better, he would be able to confirm his identity.


    Lis had a feeling that this might be an important plot NPC.


    Are you kidding me?


    With such a beggarly start, what else could he be if not the Child of Destiny?


    Don''t disdain the young for their poverty, seriously!


    The little beggar Evans watched as Lis fell into deep thought; was there something special about his own name?


    However, he did not disturb Lis''s train of thought, staying quietly by his side.


    Having decided on his course of action, Lis looked at the skinny form of the beggar and asked with a smile:


    "Would you like to go with me to the Boditch Kingdom?"


    Hearing the name of the Boditch Kingdom, a look of nostalgia and pain flickered in Evans''s eyes, but his tone remained unchanged as he said:


    "Okay, I understand."


    "Hmm? Howe you''re willing to go with me just like that?"


    "Aren''t you suspicious of me? What if I sold you?"


    Lis asked, somewhat curious, smiling.


    "If you wish to," Evans replied.

 Chapter 295 "The King of the Sea

    Pirate Queen [Mad Helen]!


    Lis gazed at the tiny head probing out of the bathtub withplex emotions.


    This...


    Only after clearly seeing Evans''s face, especially the blonde hair and vaguely familiar features, did Lis recognize her.


    He had thought the little beggar Evans was a boy, but it seemed he had taken too much for granted.


    She was certainly not forting!


    If she hadn''t been stripped by him, he would never have known she was a little girl.


    Previously, he had only thought of male NPCs, indeed overlooking this aspect.


    However... Explore hidden tales at My Virtual Library Empire


    Lis remembered that formidable and mad pirate standing on the bow of the [Blood Whale] pirate ship, her dashing figure brandishing a sword with a lone arm.


    Among the yers, [Mad Helen] was also a fairly famous plot NPC.


    Of course, it wasn''t just her formidable strength, but also her beautiful face and the vastness of her heart, as wide as the ocean.


    Recalling the small and ttened chest of Helen just now, Lis couldn''t imagine what she had eaten to develop so "outstandingly" in the future.


    The future [Mad Helen] was not to be underestimated, and although she hadn''t broken through to the Legendary Realm, she was in the top tier just beneath the Legendary echelon.


    Her strength was simr to Golden Lion Knight Commander Bevis.


    But if Bevis fought Helen at sea, Helen would definitely win.


    Because she had a special advanced ss for warriors, [Sea Favored].


    With the ocean''s strength as her buff, she could control terrifying storms, huge waves, and lightning.


    At sea, her powers could be significantly terrifying, almostpletely suppressing equally ranked strongmen and standing almost invincible.


    But simrly, Helen''s power onnd was much weaker inparison, a case of pros and cons.


    However, Lis remembered something.


    That was after the [Az Floating City] emerged and became the actual Controller of the Treasure Pearl Sea, the Pirate Queen joined the [Az Floating City].


    Her pirate group also became a subordinate force of the [Az Floating City].


    And Lis knew that Az, the Legendary Mage from the [Az Floating City], was actually the girl Risa living in his own Library.


    By that calction, Helen was indeed "one of the family."


    Realizing this, Lis underwent a small change in mindset.


    Since she''s family, there''s no need to mince words.


    I''ve got your back, and now I dere you the captain of the first fleet of the navy of the Floating City!


    Nodding his head in a ceremonial conferment of title, Lis picked up Helen along with the bathtub and ced her in her room.


    Since she was a girl, Lis wasn''t bold enough to help a little girl take a bath.


    After doing all this, Lis sat on the couch in the room and began to ponder.


    Honestly, encountering the future Pirate Queen here took Lis by surprise.


    In his former life, Helen''s rise was quite abrupt, no one knew from where she had grown.


    But when she appeared in the eastern seas of the Fanor Continent as a pirate, she already possessed considerable strength.


    It was unthinkable that Helen would have been so feeble in Ward City; seeing that pitiable look, one couldn''t tell how she had survived here.


    Moreover, judging by Helen''s behavior of concealing her name earlier, it seemed that her identity was not simple, and she was no ordinary person.


    Interesting!


    Lis was just about to head to Boditch Kingdom and the Treasure Pearl Sea when he encountered this youngster.


    Who knows what surprises might await him on the future journey!


    While Lis was mulling over this, the door to the room was knocked.


    Lis opened the door to see the servant from before, holding several garments of fairly good craftsmanship.


    Lis took them and saw they were indeed clothes for a little boy to wear.


    This showed that mistaking Helen''s gender was not his fault!


    After a thought, Lis gave the servant five Gold Coins and said,


    "Go and buy me some clothes for little girls, some nice-looking ones, the same size as before, got it?"@@novelbin@@


    "...Yes, sir."


    The servant was stunned for a moment, then hurriedly agreed.


    Running errands for such benefits, the servant was willing to be Lis''s personal servant.


    As for why he was buying clothes for a little girl?


    Hey! He had seen these big shots y their games before.


    Not strange at all!


    Not noticing the somewhat odd expression on the servant''s face, Lis threw the clothes he had in his hands into Helen''s room.


    In any case, with the current simrity in their sizes, temporarily wearing them wouldn''t be a problem.


    Casually taking out some pastry and cing it on the table, Lis moved into his own bedroom.


    He needed to carefully consider the future path ahead.


    Lis sat cross-legged on the ship, recalling pirates active on the eastern seas of the Fanor Continent in his past life.


    Most of the Gaia World''s surface area was water, with many trades within continents and between continents conducted through maritime transport.


    Because of this, piracy also appeared.


    Although the coastal Kingdoms were constantly mping down on pirates, the ocean was simply too vast; once pirates hid in the deeper ocean, it was difficult for anyone but Legendary Strongmen to find them.


    Each sea area had different active pirates; however, the strength of pirates in the Treasure Pearl Sea paled inparison to those in other areas.


    This was due to the full-force crackdown by the Boditch Kingdom.


    The existence of pirates threatened maritimemerce, and while the upper echelons of Boditch Kingdom were corrupt and Fallen, they still acted decisively when their Guild''s interests were at stake.

 Chapter 296 Boarding and Setting Sail!

    Ward City, seaport.


    Although the temperature had begun to warm up, the seaside breeze still carried a chill, and farther out at sea, one could vaguely see snow-white ice blocks that had drifted over from afar.


    Many ships had already stopped at the port of Ward City, and in thest two days, two more merchant ships had sessfully returned from the Boditch Kingdom, bringing goods that were hard to find in the Dillon Kingdom, or to put it another way, could only be purchased at a high price from the Feis Kingdom.


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    Ever since the trade route through the Corea Hills could be safely traversed, major powers had been transporting supplies and goods from various parts of the Dillon Kingdom to Ward City, as well as preciousmodities from the Boditch Kingdom to ces like Ice Peak City.


    Nowadays, after several days of adjustment, Ward City had gradually gotten on the right track.


    Besides the once dominant Ward Family, more and more nobles families of the Dillon Kingdom hade to truly appreciate the hidden immense benefits of this maritime trade route.


    Rather than struggling across the Luoxue Mountains and suffering exploitation from the avaricious merchants of the Feis Kingdom, it was better to invest more resources in Ward City.


    Before they came to truly understand the danger of the swarming pirates, the nobles of the Dillon Kingdom wouldn''t have any hesitation.


    On the gray-white stone docks, the hustle and bustle of sailors and merchants made the docks originally built by the Ward Family seem somewhat narrow and inadequate.


    However, the new docks being constructed not far away were soon going to make a significant contribution to the explosively growing "business" at the port of Ward City.


    The servant Theodore from the Mercenary Tavern was leading the way in front, guiding Lis and Helen toward the designated merchant ship.


    After a few days of rest and replenishing nutrients, little Helen''splexion had improved greatly, her face gaining a bit of color.


    Her body was still slender, but she was no longer as unsteady on her feet as when Lis had first met her.


    Dressed in a beige thick cotton coat with a cute bunny hat on her head, Helen''s delicate and fair little face looked exceptionally lovable.


    Helen timidly followed behind Lis, looking at the brawny sailors passing by and the merchant ships in the distance hoisting their sails, her eyes hiding a trace of fear, but she still closely followed Lis without deviating.


    "This is it, Lord Lis."


    Theodore bowed respectfully to Lis and said.


    "Captain Loren Deer of the Mermaid merchant ship has already made arrangements; you can board directly."


    "Good."


    Lis nodded and looked at the Mermaid merchant ship docked at the pier in front of him.


    It was a sharp-bowed schooner about forty meters in length, made of dark brown teak wood, with a silver mermaid figure on the bow, adding a touch of mysterious elegance.


    Lis was quite familiar with schooners, as this type of merchant ship was alsomon in the Boditch Kingdom.


    With its fast speed and strong maneuverability, it was widely used for coastal trade ships, but it still couldn''t endure the instability brought by the huge waves of ocean voyages.


    The Boditch Kingdom, for all else, had invested quite a lot in the technology tree for maritime trade, to the point where they could construct giant merchant ships capable of crossing the Endless Ocean to other continents.


    But the construction methods and technology for such ships were not something that could be sold to the Dillon Kingdom.


    However, for the Dillon Kingdom, which chose coastal navigation, the schooner in front of them was more than sufficient.


    Stepping on the nk extended from the ship, Lis, holding Helen, walked firmly onto the Mermaid.


    Seeing strangers board the ship, a sailor who was arranging the sails came over immediately, looking at Lis and Helen with some wariness, and asked:


    "Who are you?"


    "I''m a mercenary, ready to embark, and I''ve already confirmed with Captain Loren."


    Lis put Helen down on the deck, nodding as he spoke.


    "Okay, please wait a moment, I''ll go ask the captain."@@novelbin@@


    The short, stocky sailor, seeing that Lis had mentioned the captain''s name, dropped his guard, instructed them to wait, and went into the cabin.


    Lis didn''t mind and looked over the Mermaid merchant ship.


    Looking at the many bustling sailors and a number of mercenaries lending a hand, chatting andughing, the atmosphere seemed quite good.


    It appeared that the merchant ship was preparing to sail, with heavy boxes of cargo being moved by sailors into the deepest part of the hold, along with plenty of easy-to-store food, fresh water, and wine.


    For a fleet setting out on a long voyage, alcohol made from grains and fruits was an indispensablemodity.


    Alcohol could effectively alleviate the crew''s monotonous and tense spirits, and the variety of nutrients in the wine could effectively supplement any nutritional deficits due to the monotonous diet on the merchant ship.


    This was basic knowledge in the midst of ocean voyages, on which Ward City had invested much thought, sending people to learn in-depth in the Boditch Kingdom and then bringing it to the Dillon Kingdom.


    This was the main reason for the rapid improvement in the maritime technology and capacity of the Dillon Kingdom.


    "Hello, Mr. Lis."


    The sailor who just went to inquire with the captain came back, now without any hostility, but instead smilingly said:


    "Mr. Lis, I''ve confirmed with Captain Loren, and he has instructed me to show you to your quarters."


    "I''m Third Officer Mans of the Mermaid, if you have any problems you cane to me."


    "I''ve heard you''re quite skilled. We should have a chance to exchange some moves, haha."


    Mans said heartily, showing his goodwill before leading Lis toward the cabin.

 Chapter 297 The Storm and the Siren

    The waves rippled, and the sun shone brightly.


    The "Mermaid" had set sail and had been sailing south for two days.


    Under the blowing of the northern wind, the speed of the merchant ship wasn''t slow, and Lis, standing on the deck, could feel that the sea breeze brushing his face had warmed up a lot. Readtest stories on My Virtual Library Empire


    Since the route to the Boditch Kingdom had not been fully developed, all the merchant ships and sailors of Ward Citycked deep-sea sailing experience, so the "Mermaid" mainly progressed southward not far from the coast.


    asionally, the distant horizon faintly revealednd.


    However, the regions within sight were mostly uninhabited wildernesses, devoid of human habitation, and served as a paradise for various Magic Beasts and Extraordinary Creatures.


    Only when absolutely necessary would the "Mermaid" choose to dock.@@novelbin@@


    Helen, who had stayed in the cabin for two days, couldn''t resist anymore and cautiously followed Lis to the deck to rx.


    Seeing Helen''s demeanor, Lis had already formted some guesses.


    Perhaps Helen had previously arrived in Ward City via some merchant ship, but her somewhat fearful appearance seemed to indicate that it hadn''t been a pleasant experience.


    Lis chose not to ask Helen; time would heal all wounds, until Helen emerged from her pain and chose to openly share her feelings with Lis.


    In these days of travel, although Lis hadn''t initiated much conversation with others, he had roughly gotten to know the key figures on the "Mermaid."


    It goes without saying that Captain Loren was one of them. Being the most trusted person of the Milne Commerce, he had once served as the guard captain of the Milne merchant convoys, possessing considerable strength, and had crossed the Luoxue Mountains to the Feis Kingdom multiple times, naturally gaining considerable understanding of foreign conditions.


    The First Officer, Rad, was a serious-looking man, tall and thin with somewhat pale skin, a genuine Dilon person, rumored to have traveled to both the Feis and Boditch Kingdoms and had some experience in sea voyaging.


    Last time during the voyage to the Boditch Kingdom, this First Officer yed a significant role, being the most skilled and experienced in sea voyaging among all the crew members of the "Mermaid," which also proved the value of Milne Commerce''s high sry recruitment.


    The Second Officer, Navin, was a smiley, good-natured individual. Mans mentioned that the former second officer had died identally during thest voyage, and Navin was specifically appointed by the Milne Commerce as a neer. His background was unknown, but with his amiable attitude and willingness to learn from others, he quickly blended in well on the ship.


    Third Officer Mans, whom Lis had met on his first day on the ship, was quite enthusiastic, especially after a small "friendly match" with Lis on the first night, his attitude became even friendlier.


    He had once been a mercenary and chose to join the "Mermaid" during thest voyage, iming that life in the Dillon Kingdom had been too dull and the limitless secrets of the ocean fascinated him.


    Besides that, the ship also housed many low-level sailors, carpenters, physicians, and chefs, making it a rather well-equipped merchant ship.


    If there were times without sea breezes, some sailors would also be needed to row, so the total number of sailors on the ship was not small.


    Naturally, in the world of Gaia, there were more advanced magic ships avable, which could operate normally with just a few people, but those were beyond what Ward City and the Dillon Kingdom could presently ess.


    Before the proliferation of Self-Charging Magic Patterns, those ships were too magic power intensive, unless a Legendary Mage was avable to open and stabilize a portal to the Four Elements ne to acquire the necessary magic power.


    Otherwise, merely absorbing the magic power from the surroundings was utterly insufficient to meet the consumption of a magic ship.


    The number of mercenaries on the "Mermaid" was not many; after thest voyage, Captain Loren concluded that most low-level mercenaries weren''t very useful, instead consuming a lot of supplies��bringing more sailors was far more practical.


    Aside from a few Silver Level and High-level Bronze mercenaries led by Charles, Captain Loren did not hire any other mercenaries.


    However, there was one particrly unique presence, that of the mercenary Evar.


    Mans mentioned that this Evar was a local mercenary hired by the captain in Dan Port, possessing rich experience in sea voyaging, and he was also a follower of the Lord of Storm, endowed with some simple but practical special abilities.


    Lis looked towards the small figure sitting on the ship''s bow; his figure was somewhat majestically shrouded in a sacred aura.


    Not a priest of the Lord of Storm, but yet possessed the divine aura of the Lord of Storm.


    It seemed that this Evar had special divine abilities, although they were somewhat weak.


    At the railing on one side, Charles was chatting and joking with some resting sailors and Lis heard clearly��it was either about which ce had good drinks or which establishment had stunning beauties.


    Beyond that, it was just some unimportant boasting about his past adventures.


    Curiously, those sailor crew members all enjoyed listening; after all, experiences on the vast sea could be exceedingly dull, and this was one way to find some entertainment.


    At first, Charles kept his distance from Lis, but when he realized that Lis hadn''t actually done anything to him, understanding that his fear was entirely self-induced, he rxed and even asionally greeted Lis.

 Chapter 298 The Island in the Mirage

    The white light produced by the [Group Human Immobilization Spell] spread out from the wand in Lis''s hand, enveloping the entire [Mermaid].


    Apart from Lis, a special white light appeared on everyone else, as they all became as still as wooden figures, frozen in ce.@@novelbin@@


    The ordinary sailors, of course, need not be mentioned, for they were naturally powerless against the Siren''s song and were slowly moving their feet in the direction from which the song emanated.


    Even after being controlled by the immobilization spell, their faces twisted in a grimace, struggling to break free of the control and continue forward.


    It was as if something incredibly temptingy ahead of them.


    Crew members and mercenaries of Silver Level strength could not be immune to the effects of Lis''s spell either. However, since they did not need to spend mental effort to control their bodies, they could focus entirely on resisting the Siren''s song.


    Among those present, aside from Lis, only the mercenary Evar from the Boditch Kingdom seemed unaffected by the Siren''s song.


    He too was immobilized at the bow of the ship, but with his vast experience, he immediately realized that this was not an enemy''s spell effect, but rather, meant to prevent the crew from being lured by the Siren into jumping overboard.


    Therefore, he did not resist at all, but instead gave Lis a meaningful look with his eyes.


    Lis nodded at him, then cast [Flying Technique] on himself and flew towards the direction of the song.


    The Siren''s song was equivalent to a wide-ranging control skill. It was meaningless for Lis to help individuals break free of control alone.


    Lis had not learned any priest''s skills,cking the ability to purge control and enhancerades'' Spirit Resistance on a grand scale.


    Truth be told, when Lis was alone, he hadn''t felt it was necessary. But now he thought about it, the priest''s skills were indeed quite practical.


    Lis still decided to resolve this emergency first; otherwise, he wouldn''t be able to steer the [Mermaid] by himself.


    Sirens were a particrly special ss of Extraordinary Creatures that lived only in the sea, luring passing creatures with their song as heavenly as the muses'', to be their meal.


    They were one of the less desired encounters by ships and sailors.


    Because their song naturally carried a Charm, and could spread far and wide, appearing quite suddenly.


    If one wasn''t prepared in advance and failed the mental check, the death of the sailors could be dered.


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    Sirens were also known as sea witches or femme fatales.


    They were Transcendent Creatures with human faces and either bird bodies or half-fish bodies. Unlike harpies, Sirens had delicate and beautiful appearances and graceful figures that conformed more to human aesthetics.


    Although their methods were more insidiously lethal.


    But Sirens did have a weakness, which was that aside from their song, they had no other special extraordinary abilities.


    As long as one could resist their song, against an opponent of the same level, they were fish on the chopping board.


    Lis didn''t have to fly far before he found his target.


    On a reef not far from the shore,y several gorgeous-looking girls.


    If not for their bodies being the form of a fish from the belly downward, their lovely visage might lead anyone who saw them to think they were noble girls in distress.


    Their wet, light blue hairy draped in front of them, and besides that, not a single thing obscured them, "generously" disying their allure.


    As they sang, they also noticed Lis''s figure in the sky.


    But they didn''t show a hint of fear, instead they looked up at Lis with surprise and delight.


    Reaching their hands towards the sky, the Charm contained in their song grew much stronger.


    Even though Lis had passed the consciousness check and was immune to the [Charm] effect, listening to the Siren''s song from so close still made his head a bit groggy for the first time in a while.


    "Such a generous hospitality, but I''m pressed for time!"


    Lis said somewhat helplessly to the few "beautiful girls" below him staring at him.


    To be honest, he found the Siren''s song rather interesting.


    The Sirens before him were just a bit above Silver Level in strength, but when they sang in chorus, the charm in their voices was integrally boosted, reaching the power of LV67.


    If hundreds of Sirens sang together, he wondered what the effect would be like.


    If Lis possessed the Floating City now, he might consider capturing a few for research.


    In Mr. Stephens''s Mage Tower was a Half-ne connected to it, which was the teacher''s territory and home to many precious species that the teacher had captured for research.


    Even a pair of Red Dragons...


    Seemingly realizing their song had no effect, panic finally shed across the Sirens'' faces, and they ceased their singing, plunging like fish into the water, ready to flee.


    "Hey, why the rush?"


    A deep blue light shed on the Jade Wand Lis held in his hand.


    Six-Circle Arcane [Thunder Domain]!


    Numerous thick bolts of thunder were called down from mid-air straight into the sea, and the blue-white lightning spread rapidly through the water.


    The speed of the lightning far surpassed that of the Sirens!


    Countless stunned and bewildered fish surfaced from the depths, drifting with the waves.


    Soon after, the fleeing Sirens also floated up, eyes rolled back, though it seemed they were only temporarily stunned.


    After all, the power of the Sixth Circle arcane spell had been greatly dispersed by the vast sea, and what was left was not enough to kill the Sirens outright.


    Lis descended, manipting the Water Element to freeze thergest of the Sirens solid and stored her in the Space Ring.


    Without hesitation, Lis drew his sword and dispatched the remaining Sirens.

 Chapter 299 The Legacy of a Fallen God?

    Outside the cabin,


    Lis and Evar stood in the somewhat narrow corridor, silent for a moment.


    Evar''s gaze at Lis was serious, for it was the first time he had shared such an important secret with someone else.


    Had it not been for Lis''s disy of great power when controlling everyone on the ship, along with his evident familiarity with the ocean, Evar would not have confessed.


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    For Evar, that small ind was not just a ce where he had survived; it was also the source of his unique abilities.


    Over the years, Evar had fared quite well in Dan Port by relying on this ability, which was why he had been hired by Captain Loren.


    He constantly longed to return to that small ind.


    He had be much more powerful than before, and if he could enter that pce again, perhaps he could gain even greater power?


    That was also why Evar had not left Dan Port.


    Lately, he sometimes ventured to that sea area alone, and sometimes he passed by with other ships, but he never found the small ind again.


    After exhausting all possibilities, Evar finally realized his own limitations and thought of seeking help from others.


    However, Evar didn''t dare to seek out the major powers in Dan Port, knowing well that with his abilities, it was very likely that these powers wouldpletely exploit him, and the best scenario would be to receive a minimal reward from their hands.


    Thus, he could only rely on the help of external strong figures.


    Evar''s hire on the "Mermaid" wasn''t without this consideration.


    But it was after meeting Lis that he finally made up his mind.


    Most importantly, the cargo on the "Mermaid" was quite valuable, and under Lis''s control where no one on the whole ship could resist him, he had no other intents but effortlessly handled those troublesome Sirens.


    Evar was indeed reassured by Lis''s actions.


    That''s why Evar rushed to approach him first.


    Upon hearing this, Lis fell silent for a moment.


    He wasn''t hesitating about whether to take up the request, rather, he was wondering if there was such a storyline in his past life?


    After another moment of silence, having confirmed no simr impression, Lis asked,


    "Are you sure that was the ind from the Mirage?"


    "Could your memory be mistaken?"@@novelbin@@


    Facing Lis''s inquiry, Evar shook his head firmly and said,


    "No, it was all too real. I acquired these special abilities on that ind, something akin to the divine arts of the ocean deities, though I''m not sure what exactly it is. But, I certainly didn''t possess it before then."


    "Such as foreseeing the weather, breathing underwater, controlling water currents, and so on."


    To gain Lis''s trust, Evar did not hide anything and even briefly introduced his abilities.


    "Also, because of this ability, I can clearly remember the exact location where I woke up."


    "I searched that entire sea areater and checked the nautical chart, but there is definitely no ind in the sea there."


    "I see..."


    Lis thought for a while. The situation Evar had encountered seemed quite mysterious, and by his demeanor, it indeed seemed to be his real experience.


    If so, an ind within the Mirage?


    Lis preferred to believe it existed in a Different ne or in the crevices of dimensions, not actually within the Sea Teeth World, nor was it merely a Mirage.


    Just like the relics in Snow Ridge Town, like the Sphinx Temple.


    "Is there no other intelligence on this?"


    "If it''s just this, it''s basically very difficult to make any progress."


    Lis shook his head and said, unable to disguise his slight interest.


    Evar fell silent for a while, then continued:


    "Although I have never seen the ind again, I''m sure it was there."


    "Every time I pass by that area, my body reacts, as if something is calling me."


    This was also why Evar firmly believed that finding the ind could enhance the special power he possessed.


    "Oh?"


    Lis became even more interested now. There was this detail?


    The credibility of this follow-up information just increased significantly.


    Lis had previously sensed the peculiarities in Evar,


    it was an aura of Divine Power from the Lord of Storm!


    Could that mysterious ind be a remnant of the Lord of Storm?


    Frankly, if it truly was a remnant of that deity, Lis was rather disinterested.


    The dangers associated with a deity still seated in the high divine positions might not necessarily be lower than those from the remnants of fallen deities.


    The most crucial aspect was, if it indeed was an act of the Lord of Storm, then that ce was undoubtedly still under the deity''s watchful eyes, making it easy for the Lord of Storm to notice him.


    Lis did not hope for that.


    As Lis pondered, he suddenly noticed a decisive detail.


    If the ind belonged to the Lord of Storm, how could Evar still be standing here?


    If Lis could sense the Divine Power of the Lord of Storm emanating from him, wouldn''t the members of the Storm Church feel it too?


    Even if the Lord of Storm didn''t care about a mere ''ant'' like Evar entering his courtyard, would the Servants of God ignore it?


    It''s known that port cities are vigorously contested by divine positions rted to the Ocean and the Divine Church.


    There is a chapel of the Storm Church in Dan Port.


    Could it be...


    The faint aura of the [Storm] Divine Position that Lis felt from Evar had led him to specte it was from the Lord of Storm.


    The [Storm] Divine Domain is currently only mastered by the Lord of Storm, as can be inferred from the name of this deity, which is his core divine position.


    As a being close to powerful divine strength, the might of the Lord of Storm is unquestionable.

 Chapter 300 Drunken Helen

    "Why would you suddenly want this?"


    Lis looked at Captain Loren, curiously asking.


    There''s not much of value in terms of magic materials on a Siren, only the vocal cords are somewhat valuable.


    Besides that, Lis had thrown away even the meat of the Siren.


    Although Lis was interested in delicacies, and seemed curious about the meat of Magic Beasts and Extraordinary Creatures, he refused to eat any humanoid creatures.


    Like Sirens, goblins, Centaurs...


    There are indeed true warriors in this world who dare to try, but Lis still could not ept it.


    "I heard that magic items or equipment made from magic materials from Extraordinary Creatures have a certain resistance to the abilities of those creatures themselves,"


    "Although you said that the Blessing from the Church of the Gods has certain effects, we still want to acquire such magic items,"


    "You should have collected the materials from the Siren, and being a Mage, you should be able to make those magic items, right?"


    After Loren finished speaking, Navin nodded on the side, adding:


    "Please rest assured, we will definitely not forget the appropriate reward,"


    Navin fully disyed what it means to be rich and imposing.@@novelbin@@


    ncing at Loren beside him, Navin hesitated for a moment, then continued:


    "We... need two magic items made from Siren materials, what would be the cost?"


    Indeed, not only is he rich, but he also seems quite shrewd, not like a wealthy novice out for his first adventure!


    Although Siren vocal cords are a rare magic material, its uses are not numerous.


    A general portion of Silver Level materials could be worth several hundred to one thousand gold coins, and a Siren vocal cord should be worth around five hundred gold coins.


    The cost of making a magic item is generally half the value of the material.


    "For two items, it''d be one thousand five hundred gold coins,"


    Lis said offhand; more than the reward, his sudden burst of interest fascinated him more.


    "No problem, thank you for your generosity," Continue reading on My Virtual Library Empire


    Navin nodded and agreed quite easily.


    A Silver Level magic item is worth around one thousand gold coins; it was clear Lis wasn''t trying to rip him off.


    Even though one thousand five hundred gold coins was a lot, it was not much for Lis at this point.


    However, Navin''s thoughts did give Lis a reminder.


    Being a Mage, working without the spirit of Gandalf is soulless!


    Previously, Lis''s ability was still quite low, and he didn''t yet have the capability to craft magic items.


    Later, it was because...


    The items stored in Mr. Stephens'' warehouse were just too useful!


    Actually, when Lis was working on developing the "Self-Charging Magic Pattern," he was already in the process of making magic items.


    Lis had also learned the basic techniques from Mr. Stephens.


    However, Lis had never really done it himself before.


    It seems recently he''s been getting busier with more and more things.


    Arcane research and development!


    Training inbat skills!


    Exploring the Dream World!


    Now, he could consider adding the crafting of magic items and equipment.


    This is about the future development of a Mage.


    Actually, most Mages are just artillery; it''s in the Magic Workshop, Mage Tower where they are strongest.


    This has to do with the Mage''s manual abilities.


    The future Floating City is still waiting for me!


    Lis thought about this, and his motivation suddenly surged relentlessly.


    But there''s no rush for now.


    Loren and Navin left to join the sailors'' celebration.


    Many were already drunk and staggering, starting to dance to add to the fun.


    Just now, while Helen was carefully approaching where Lis and Loren were talking, she cast a flickering gaze at the drink that the adults were gulping down.


    Following Lis these past days, although Lis hadn''t spoken much to Helen, she was gradually letting down her guard and slowly showing her lively and innocent side as a little girl.


    Helen, feeling warmth from others for the first time in a while, also found that life on board with others wasn''t as harsh and dangerous as her previous experiences had been.


    "Uncle, what are you drinking?"


    Helen tugged at one man''s sleeve, whispering.


    "What?"


    "You mean this?"


    Charles, who was already drunk and bleary-eyed, looked down at the little girl who barely reached his waist, noticing her gaze fixed on the cup in his hand.


    "What, you want this, eh!"


    "Here, here, try some, it''s good stuff!"


    Charles handed his wooden cup to Helen, quite carelessly.


    The sailors'' cups used for drinking beer were quiterge; Helen held Charles'' cup in her arms with both hands, quite curious.


    There was still half a cup of beer left in the cup; the amber liquid, slightly frothy, looked rather beautiful under the fiery glow of the bonfire.


    Helen looked at the beer in the cup, her cute little nose leaned forward to sniff, and the faint scent of barley was quite nice.


    Swallowing her saliva, Helen was indeed a bit thirsty after just eating a grilled fish.


    Stealing a nce at Lis, finding he wasn''t noticing, Helen took a small sip.


    The beer tasted slightly bitter but was quickly oveid by the stimting effect of alcohol, and a rich fragrance spread through her mouth.


    Helen, being a little girl, preferred the sweet taste of pastries.


    But for some reason, Helen quite liked the taste of the beer.


    She sat at the side, holding the cup and sipping the beer in small mouthfuls.


    When Charles turned around after clinking cups with another sailor, he realized Helen had already finished the beer he had been drinking.

 Chapter 301 [Siren Earrings]

    Click~


    The prototype of the earring in Lis''s hand shattered instantly.


    It wasn''t that there was a problem when Lis was engraving the Magic Patterns; this time, his touch was actually quite good.


    But because it was so good, Lis got immersed in the process of Magic Rune Engraving, and without noticing, he exceeded the strength limit the earring prototype could bear, leading to the failure of this creation.


    Lis wasn''t discouraged, as he had already experienced many such failures in thest two days of production.


    Unlike his past life as a yer, while yers could also make corresponding Magic Items and Equipment, the realism was still simted and quite different from actual hands-on crafting.


    For instance, making the same piece of equipment, yers just needed to follow the production standards, and most of the precautions during the process were adjusted by the game system, which could even allow for AFK crafting while yers browsed forums or did other things, greatly saving on energy.


    Otherwise, given the tedious process of crafting weapons, equipment, and Magic Items, very few yers would be interested.


    Every sess in crafting awarded Experience Points, which was the main way for yers to upgrade their equipment forging and Magic Item crafting levels.


    Even so, there were shorings in the game''s assistance system.


    Take Forging Experience for Equipment, for example,


    it was easy to improve at the early stages, but became very difficult to continue advancingter on.


    Each sessful forge only provided a small amount of Forging Experience, and crafting low-level Equipment might not even give any Experience.


    This led to a situation where, in theter stages, yers'' Forging Levels couldn''t keep up with their Profession Level''s increase, and suitable equipment could only be obtained through purchase.


    That was necessary because without limitations, would it not mean that reaching a Dwarf Master level would be too easy?


    Of course, there was still a way to continue improving.


    That was to umte tangible Experience through ceaseless forging and learning, just like the Gaia World''s natives, rather than relying on the game system''s assistance.


    This method was extremely difficult, effectively starting from scratch like the natives, with no extra Talent bonuses for the yers.


    In his previous life, Lis had tried this but quickly gave up.


    The time and effort spent were just too great; he figured he might as well lead his boss through more dungeon runs.


    However, there were those who seeded through this difficult path, like a yer named Xuzai, who, relying on his own efforts and Talent, became a Master of Casting and sessfully forged Gold Level Magic Equipment.@@novelbin@@


    After Lis was reborn, he could have relied on the system as well, but after some thought, he chose not to take this shortcut.


    His future goals were quite ambitious, be it the Mage Tower or the Floating City, and the demands on his own abilities in this area were extremely high.


    Such goals weren''t achievable just by taking shortcuts; it was best to firmlyy the groundwork for now.


    So during the past two days of crafting Magic Earrings, Lis was in a very stable state of mind, entering a wonderful state of full immersion.


    Every failure was a new experience, a step toward progress.


    In those few days, Lis progressed from failing at the Magic Rune Engraving to almostpleting it.


    Of course, in the process, Lis used up a lot of materials, and one side of his room was already filled with discarded earring prototypes, corroded by Magic Elements to the point of being unusable.


    The powder obtained from grinding two of the Siren''s voice cords had also beenpletely used up.


    But all this was worth it; Lis could feel that he was only one step away from sess.


    Lis was still in good spirits, as with increased strength, the mental energy of an Extraordinary Professional was also more vigorous. A mere two or three days of non-stop work was not enough to tire out a Mage with strong spiritual power.


    The Engraving Device sketched new Magic Pattern Circuits on the prototype, and this time, the engraving felt very smooth. However, Lis didn''t repeat his past mistake of investing all his energy into the Magic Rune Engraving.


    He was constantly mindful of the bnce between the Magic Pattern Circuit and the earring prototype, maintaining the stability of the Magic Elements as much as possible.


    After a moment, Lis lifted his hand holding the Magic Rune Burner from the tabletop.


    The earring, fixed in the stabilizer, didn''t appear dull and lusterless like before; the freshly engraved Magic Pattern Circuit was emitting a faint glow.


    Magic Power circted within,


    one cycle, two cycles, three cycles...


    Only after confirming that the Magic Power was flowing smoothly through all the Magic Pattern Circuits, and that the Magic Runes infused with the Siren''s Enchanting Power had started to produce the anticipated effects, did Lis let out a sigh of relief.


    Without giving himself time to rejoice, Lis carefully took a small blue Water attribute Intermediate Magic Gem from his storage ring and cautiously used Magic Power to embed it into the center of the earring.


    Hum~


    A gentle resonance sounded throughout the room, with the Magic Power from within the gemstone being guided by the earring''s Magic Pattern Circuit, flowing through the entire earring.


    A faint white light flickered across the earring and then settled into calmness. The azure gemstone and wave-like patterns perfectly concealed the Magic Pattern Circuit at the center of the earring.


    But the earring in Lis''s hand didn''t look dull and lusterless like the unfinished ones before; it had a vibrancy about it.


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    A lustrous glow asionally danced across the earring, emitting a weak but stable magic fluctuation that made anyone aware it was a rare piece of Magic Equipment, not just an ordinary ornament.

 Chapter 302 Encounter with Pirates

    [Mermaid] merchant ship,


    At the loud call of the lookout sailor, many ran to the side of the ship, gazing at the eastern horizon.


    A small ck dot had appeared there, slowly growingrger in view.


    Captain Loren quickly emerged from the cabin upon being notified by other sailors, his agile body climbing up the mast to the lookout tform to also look eastward.


    The view from here was better, and as a Silver Level strong man, Loren''s eyesight was naturally superior to that of ordinary people.


    In his vision was a single-masted sailboat, noticeably narrower than the [Mermaid], which was clearly not a normal merchant ship, advancing rapidly toward the [Mermaid].


    At that moment, mercenary Evar appeared beside Loren, observed for a moment, his expression somewhat grave.


    "This could be a pirate ship!"


    Evar dered in a deep voice.


    "A pirate ship?"


    Loren''s face grew stern as he confirmed once more:


    "Are you sure it''s a pirate ship?"


    "Can''t be certain, but the likelihood is high."


    Evar said calmly:


    "This type of ship is fairly recognizable, it''s neither used for long-distance voyaging as a merchant ship nor is it the kind of fishing boat used by coastal fishermen."


    "However, this ship doesn''t bear the pirate g, so I also cannot be certain, but the likelihood it''s a pirate ship is high."


    Having lived by the coast of the Boditch Kingdom, Evar was quite familiar with the types of ships.


    "Pirate ships like these are very fast, and average merchant ships can''t escape their pursuit��ours... probably can''t either."


    Watching the swiftly approaching ship, Evar''s hand rested on the hilt of his longsword, his body tensing up.


    Hearing what Evar had said, Loren didn''t entertain any other thoughts.


    He wouldn''t entrust his life to that evanescent possibility.


    The very reason he had hired Evar was because he had heard at Dan Port that the number of pirates had recently increased in the waters near the Boditch Kingdom, and many merchant ships had already been attacked.


    He had never encountered a pirate attack before. Although the defensive force on board the [Mermaid] was considerably stronger than that of a simr merchant ship, it still seemed appropriate to employ someone familiar with pirate activities.


    "Rad!"


    Loren called out loudly to the ship''s first mate, his voice brooking no argument:


    "We have a pirate ship, do as we nned before."


    "All ordinary people get below deck, and everyone else grab your weapons and get ready."


    "Bring out the Iron Armor Shield and kerosene!"


    "Yes, Captain."


    Rad below deck received the order and immediately began arranging things.


    Loren''s eyes were tightly focused on the pirate ship in the distance, which became steadilyrger, his expression both stern and slightly tense.


    Suddenly, Loren thought of something and shouted to Mans, who was organizing the crew below:


    "Mans, go quickly and get Mr. Lis!"


    "Alright."


    Mans heard and promptly responded loudly.


    Just as Mans was entering the cabin, he saw Lis walking out.


    Seeing Mans''s surprised expression directed at him, Lis became curious:


    "What''s the matter, you seem to be in such a rush?"


    "Mr. Lis!"


    Mans took a few quick steps and stood in front of Lis, saying:


    "A strange ship has appeared to the east, quickly approaching us."


    "Evar thinks it''s very likely a pirate ship; preparations are underway on board."


    "Captain Loren asked me to fetch you."@@novelbin@@


    "Alright."


    Hearing it was a pirate ship, Lis didn''t dy.


    As he walked out, Lis said to Mans:


    "Mans, do me a favor."


    "Get someone to take care of Helen and have her stay in my workshop cabin."


    That spacious cabin had been given some temporary arrangements by Lis, making it at least somewhat safer in the event of battle.


    "I know, rest assured."


    Mans agreed without any hesitation.


    Although at this time everyone should be preparing to face the pirates, if it meant that Mr. Lis could devote more of his energy, even setting aside a team to protect Helen was the right thing to do.


    Whether it was the usual sparring or from the incident of the Siren attack before, Mans knew that with Lis''s capability, perhaps no one on the [Mermaid] was his match.


    ...


    "What''s the situation?"


    Lis''s figure suddenly appeared behind Loren, asking him.


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    "Over there."


    Loren pointed eastward, butpared to before, the single-masted sailboat had grown muchrger.


    "It''s indeed likely a pirate ship."


    After a brief nce, Lis arrived at a conclusion simr to Evar''s.


    "So it''s confirmed?"


    Loren said gravely, trusting the confirmation from Lis and letting go of other illusions.


    "Don''t worry too much."


    Lis looked at Loren, who was clutching his longsword, and a hint of a smile appeared on his face.


    "Since they haven''t raised a special pirate g, this should just be an ordinary pirate ship."


    "Their strength is rather average, they probably aren''t a match for you."


    To tell the truth, even during the times when piracy was most rampant in his previous life, the pirates on pirate ships were of mixed quality.


    A single Silver Level strong man would dare to take a group and board a ship to plunder merchant vessels.


    At that time, for a pirate ship to have a Gold Level strong man would already be considered a major pirate force.


    The activities of pirate ships that had a Golden Strong Man wouldn''t be limited to just one area; they would often roam the seas far and wide.


    Thus, those higher-level pirate ships were much more solid and distinctive.


    At least the pirate ship in question seemed quite ordinary, and despite the distance, Lis didn''t sense the presence of any strong man.

 Chapter 303 The Crushing Naval Battle

    The sea was calm and the sky clear near the coast.


    The azure sea was gently rippled, looking exceptionally beautiful in the afternoon sunlight.


    However, the atmosphere on the scene was somewhat serious.


    A two-masted sailing ship had lowered its sails and was waiting in ce for another smaller ship that was approaching from not far away.


    Woo~


    The smaller ship, with many sails, was very fast, cutting through the sea with its curved hull and raising white foam as it quickly approached the [Mermaid].


    Everyone on the [Mermaid] gripped their weapons, holding their breath in anticipation of the enemy''s approach.


    At this moment, were they about to engage in their first battle against the infamous pirates they had only heard about from other ces?


    Many sailors who were on a ship for the first time clenched their jaws tightly, sweat starting to seep through their tightly grasped hands.


    "Brothers, prepare for battle!"


    Captain Loren shouted loudly, boosting everyone''s morale:


    "Mr. Lis said that they are much weaker than us, don''t be cowardly, hit them back."


    "Kill an enemy, reward one Gold Coin! The stronger the enemy, the bigger the reward! If we win, everyone gets five Gold Coins!"


    "Get ready, all of you! If anyone drags us down at this time, don''t me me for not showing mercy!"


    With Loren''s assurance, and perhaps spurred by the confidence brought by the mysterious Mage Lis or by the prospects of generous rewards, the atmosphere aboard the ship suddenly became a lot more stable and solemn.


    Standing at a high point, Lis lightly tapped the ship''s hull with his Magic Wand.


    A faint blue light enveloped the entire ship and then disappeared from sight.


    Lis had temporarily strengthened the ship''s defenses with a Water Element Protection Magic, before turning his gaze back to the approaching pirate ship.


    Whoo~


    Ding! Ding! Ding...


    As the two ships passed each other, it seemed as if a starting pistol had been fired, and countless grappling hooks were thrown from both ships, trying to catch on to the other side, with the crisp sounds ringing continuously.


    The sailors grabbed the ropes attached to the grappling hooks and pulled hard, and the ships, under the force of the joint effort, tilted slightly and kept inching closer to each other.


    At the same time, arrows and Long Spears flew towards the other side, wounding many in an instant.


    "Ah~"


    "Kill!"


    "Board them!"


    "Get them!"


    ...


    At this moment, everyone on the ship unleashed the emotions that had built up during the wait and roared as they attacked the enemy.


    It was the pirates on the other ship who took the initiative, with many of them jumping directly onto the [Mermaid] using the hooks and locks.


    "Rookie pirates~"


    Lis watched the pirate ship, which was about to stick to the [Mermaid], and the pirates charging over, remarking somewhat sentimentally.


    This was truly a bunch of rash youngsters; Lis had hardly seen such reckless boarding tactics in his past life.


    After all, pirates had a method for choosing their targets.


    Although pirates were desperadoes, with their heads virtually tied to their trousers, they didn''t fancy dying pointlessly.


    Normally, once a target merchant ship was selected, the pirates would rely on their superior maneuverability to approach it, carry out a few mid-range probing attacks, and gauge the merchant ship''s resistance.


    If the resistance wasn''t fierce and was within the capability of the pirate ship, only then would they choose to board the ship; otherwise, they would decisively turn and leave.


    Otherwise, blindly rushing in might lead to an awkward situation if they couldn''t overpower the other ship.


    If a pirate ship gave up the attack, the merchant ship wouldn''t give chase and would just watch the other leave.


    For a merchant ship, there''s no benefit in engaging with pirates��it''s better to avoid trouble if possible.


    Of course, there are those dark merchants who would take the opportunity to "devour" other merchant ships; that''s another story.@@novelbin@@


    What? You''re asking what to do if they fail to catch up in the first step?


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    Chill and give up, what else?


    Since most pirate ships sacrifice stability for speed and still can''t catch up, it means the ship is much inferior and would likely lose even if they did catch up, better to just go to sleep.


    There aren''t many madmen who would abandon their ship and pursue alone on the open sea.


    Looking at the person leading the charge, he seemed to be a Silver Level fighter, probably the leader of the other side.


    Loren and Evar also left Lis''s side and quickly charged toward the Silver Level Professional below.


    Lis watched the chaos below, where many were already wounded or killed, blood spattering through the air.


    Though he had no intention of intervening, Lis didn''t n to just watch.


    He cast the [Spirit Armor Technique] on his crew, significantly increasing the chances for those Bronze Level and ordinary sailors to survive.


    Lis wasn''t a nanny, and although there were mission requirements, this was enough.


    Battles always involved bloodshed and injury; surviving was already an aplishment.


    After this naval battle, these men would surely handle simr pirate encounters much better.


    If it weren''t for the fact that the opposing pirates were also rookies, Lis wouldn''t be so reassured.


    Truth be told, Lis had already seen quite a few people tripping and falling due to the rocking of the ships�� it was an eye-sore.


    As for those Silver Level pirates on the other side, each surrounded by two of their own Silver Level Professionals, they had no chance to turn the tide.


    Only the pirate captain was stronger, managing to hold his own against Loren and Evar''s assault, while the rest were in grave danger.


    What a stomping!


    Lis shook his head, murmuring to himself.


    ...


    Dammit!


    How can they be so strong!


    Jackson exerted himself, his Longsword crashing down hard against Loren''s Longsword, forcing him back two steps.


    Feeling the soreness in his arm, Jackson realized that today he might be done for.

 Chapter 304 Basel Being Manipulated

    After gripping the dagger in a reverse grip, Lis''s figure, just like Basel''s, vanished within the cabin.


    Basel, who had just about managed to reach behind Lis, widened his eyes in disbelief.


    What''s happening?


    Isn''t he supposed to be a Mage? Explore more at My Virtual Library Empire


    Basel forced himself to suppress his surprise, nearly failing to maintain his Stealth.


    Could it be a Mage''s "Invisibility Technique"?


    But Basel had clearly felt a unique fluctuation of Shadow Power just now.


    And what he had been holding in his hand was a dagger, it was definitely a dagger!


    Could it be that the man before him truly possessed the abilities of an assassin?


    Basel''s thoughts were a bit chaotic; he had not heard about this kind of situation from his old man!


    Stabilizing his emotions, Basel came to a harsh realization.


    If that youth truly mastered the assassin profession''s abilities, then his prowess was not much inferior to his own.


    At least, relying on the perception of Shadow Power, Basel could only feel that there was one other person in the room besides himself, but their exact location was very vague.


    ��=(��ϣ�*))) Ah~


    Basel felt that he now understood why he had previously deemed this ship so dangerous��it was because there was a freak on board.


    The problem that Basel encountered was also the same for Lis.


    He too was unable to locate Basel, who was in Stealth.


    However, what little difficulty could possibly stump Lis?


    Assassinbat technique "Sword de Chaos Dance"!


    This was one of the assassin''s rare area-of-effect skills, but this time Lis didn''t choose a specific target to attack.


    He forcefully swung his right hand, and the Sword Qi that radiated from the dagger brutally smashed into the center of the room''s floor.


    As the wooden nks shattered, countless streaks of Sword Qi scattered in every direction throughout the room.


    Ding~Dang!


    Basel''s figure appeared near the doorway of the room, brandishing his dagger to block the Sword Qi that came hurtling towards him.


    It was clear that after realizing Lis was no easy target, he had attempted to slip away unnoticed, but unfortunately, Lis had forced him out of his Stealth State.


    Assassinbat technique "Deceit"!


    [ "Deceit": Within 3 seconds after exiting Stealth State, skills that originally required Stealth can still be used. ]


    Lis''s body was once again enveloped by the dark grey Shadow Power, and he dashed towards Basel in a sh.


    How could Basel not be familiar with this state��it was his favourite assassinbo technique.


    Only this time, he was the target of the consecutive attacks.


    Basel was well aware that after using the "Deceit" skill, it was often followed by either a "Choking" or a "Shadow Strike" skill.


    Looking at it, it should be...


    His eyes fixed intently on Lis''s movements, he saw Lis''s dagger suddenly raise, stabbing towards his throat.


    Hm? Is it "Choking"?


    An incorrect prediction left Basel puzzled, Could this obvious "Choking" really seed against me?


    His body subconsciously lifted the dagger, aiming to Block the iing dagger.


    ng~


    Basel''s eyes, which had widened, distinctly saw Lis''s dagger, shimmering coldly, slice through cleanly as if cutting through butter.


    Bad!


    Watching as a pale white de reappeared on the remaining half of Lis''s daggering for his throat, but his own dagger, having used all its strength to block the attack, continued its trajectory into the emptiness.


    It''s over!


    Basel''s mind went nk; all that remained in his thoughts was the de thrusting towards his neck.


    But the expected pain did note; instead, he saw Lis''s dagger embedded in the wooden wall, as Lis himself retreated several steps back, standing in the middle of the room with a smile, gazing at him.


    Seeing Basel''s bewildered appearance, Lis felt quite amused in his heart.


    ```@@novelbin@@


    This was a small trick he had seen on a yer forum in his previous life, specifically designed to trap assassins with insufficient experience.


    The dagger in his hand before was specially made, and while it appeared shiny and sharp, that was just a facade; in reality, it was no stronger than mud.


    The handle, on the other hand, had a special design that could form a unique air de.


    This move was specifically used to trap those familiar with assassinbat methods, such as those inexperienced young assassins.


    Upon seeing assassin skills like "Choking" and "Slicing," they would instinctively try to block with their daggers, and that''s precisely when they''d fall right into the trap.


    Next, all that was needed was to adjust the attack angle to ensure the attack''s momentum could overpower the enemy in one strike, while avoiding the opponent''s attacks.


    Of course, this move was only effective on inexperienced assassins, and their strength couldn''t be too formidable.


    If they were Gold-level Assassins facing the same attack, with their body control power, they couldpletely reverse the situation, turning the tables on the user.


    So, this was more of a fun trick, but it worked on Basel nheless.


    Lis stood there, calm and collected, smiling as he said:


    "Youing again?"


    The rattled Basel angrily snapped back, I know you''re better than me, but you''re seriously underestimating me.


    I, Basel, would rather die here than let you get away with this!


    In a fury, Basel grasped his dagger and charged at Lis.


    ...


    It wasn''t long before,


    "Stop!"


    "I was wrong, big brother, spare me this once!"


    "I''m done fighting, I admit defeat!"


    "Not the face!"


    Soon, Lis emerged from the room dragging the bruised and whining Basel, heading toward the deck.


    Basel was on the verge of tears, now meeklyplying as if he were a little chick.


    I only got angry for a moment, why did you have to hit so hard!


    In the next few confrontations, Lis used the abilities from various professions to give Basel aprehensive thrashing.


    Although Basel had talent, he was no match for the experienced Lis.


    Basel was truly convinced this time!


    This guy was really not someone to mess with, not only mastering Mage and assassin skills, but even the Professional Skills of warriors and Hunters, Basel waspletely outssed.


    Of course, Lis wasn''t being mean-spirited!


    Basel was useful to Lis, or rather, he would be of use to the future Helen!


    Having encountered him, they couldn''t let him slip away.


    Basel was a strange individual; before he met Helen, he mostly kept to himself.


    He could sense danger, which made others perceive him as cowardly and hesitant.


    This reputation was the reason for his name.


    Anyone who teamed up with him would ultimately end with a big "death."


    Every time only he survived.


    Even if some believed his premonitions of danger, the oue never changed.


    Over time, despite Basel''s strength, he was ostracized by others and viewed as a harbinger of ill fortune.


    Truth be told, Basel was like a walking curse of the Goddess of Misfortune, truly terrifying to others.


    That was until one day, Basel met Helen and joined her pirate crew.


    The curse he carried seemed to vanish.


    Whenever Basel talked about this, he would say with adoration:


    "Helen is my goddess, she gave me the warmth my father once did."


    Completely oblivious to the fact that he was over a decade older than Helen.


    ```

 Chapter 305 [Favor of the Goddess of Misfortune]

    By the time Lis brought Basel to the deck, the battle at sea had already ended.


    For safety, Jackson and two other Silver Level Professionals were all killed.


    Apart from those killed in battle, other Bronze Level Professionals and ordinary people were all captured by Loren''s men.


    They were primebor, fit to be sold as decent ves in the Boditch Kingdom.


    This was information Loren had obtained from merchants at Dan Port.


    Many sailors were already cleaning up the battlefield, tossing bodies into the sea to feed the fish, transferring the remaining supplies from the pirate ship to their own, and finally setting fire to the clearly damaged pirate vessel, which could no longer sail.


    Despite Lis''s magic protection, the Mermaid still had several areas damaged by the fight, causing carpenters who had hidden during the battle to quickly emerge and begin repairs.


    Because of the overwhelming strength advantage in the battle, there were not many casualties on their side, only two Bronze Level sailors who had unfortunately been decapitated, with the rest suffering mainly minor injuries and gathered together awaiting treatment by the ship''s doctor.


    Seeing Lis walk out, Captain Loren approached him with a look of joy, but suddenly became curious upon noticing Basel in Lis''s hand,


    "Who is this?"


    "The remaining Silver Level pirate."


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    Lis nodded and then threw him aside.


    After all, Lis had already marked him, and his strength had been temporarily sealed, so there was no fear of him escaping.


    "Well..."


    Loren hesitated, implying that it was best to kill any threatening Silver Level Professionals.


    "No worries, he''s useful to me, I''ll handle it."


    Lis nced at Loren and nodded his affirmation.


    Then he walked over to the injured, his Jade Wand appearing in his hand.


    Magic "Repairing Minor Wounds"!


    One-Circle Magic "Light Wound Repair"!


    Second Circle Magic "Repair Moderate Wounds"!


    Three-Circle Magic "Healing Severe Wounds"!


    After using aplete set of spells on the injured crew members, theirplexion visibly improved.


    The Mana consumed was negligible for Lis, but the effects of the spells were limited, not miraculously resulting in immediate recovery.


    The effects of a mage''s series of Healing Magic essentially stimte the body''s own recovery abilities for self-repair.


    In terms of healing skills, no professionpares to Priests.


    "Thank you so much, Mr. Lis."


    Loren expressed his gratitude from the side, feeling that the one thousand gold coins spent were utterly worth it.


    Had Lis not been headed to the Boditch Kingdom and merely traveling by ship as a convenience, Loren would have asked if he could employ the mage long-term.


    Reliability didn''t even begin to cover it!


    The seafight, which he had initially expected to be difficult, along with detection, protection, and healing, were all managed by Lis, amounting to a nanny-level service worthy of a five-star rating.


    Lis surveyed the area and noticed that the Sea Cow had been ignited into towering fiery mes, slowly sinking into the sea, then he asked,


    "How do you find your first engagement?"


    "It''s indeed different frombat onnd; we need more practice."


    Loren shook his head, not letting victory cloud his judgment, and realistically assessed the situation.


    Indeed, those pirates were all greenhorns; thinking themselves invincible because of this victory would only make them the butt of jokes should they lower their guard.


    "Although we didn''t get much in the way of trophies this time, once we sell these ves at Dan Port, the proceeds will be yours."


    Loren said astutely.


    Lis waved his hand, uninterested.


    While he was not interested in the dark trade of very, he also knew he didn''t have the power to stop its existence, even if he were to be a deity.


    After making the rounds and seeing that there was nothing left to address on the deck, Lis picked up Basel and returned to the cabin.


    He was quite concerned about this individual who naturally carried an aura of Misfortune.


    During the battle, Lis had seen his information through the system panel.


    One particr specialty caught Lis''s attention.


    [Specialty "Favored by the Goddess of Misfortune": Are you a Lucky one? Perhaps not, Luck Value-1. You can foresee theing of Misfortune and your personal misfortune can spread to those around you, thus reducing the intensity of Misfortune you face.}


    This, damn it, is absolutely a disaster-blocking aura!


    No wonder those who teamed up with Basel in a previous life had such bad luck, turns out they were blocking disasters for him.


    This guy is almost a Favored of the Goddess of Misfortune, then!


    That''s quite a troublesome goddess; anyway, Lis wanted to steer clear.


    But then again, how did Helen manage to suppress the aura of misfortune on him?


    Owning the Secret Treasure: Acadia''s Lucky Brooch, Lis knew how hard it was toe by good Luck Value, and though this particr specialty seemed strong, it ultimately reduced one''s own Luck Value. Lis wouldn''t even take it as a gift.


    Could it be that the girl Helen had something special as well?


    Lis''s curiosity got the better of him; previously, Helen had been too weak to sustain any testing, but now she should be more capable.


    Driven by a curiosity sparked by "Favored by the Goddess of Misfortune", Lis carried Basel into his own cabin.


    The guard assigned there saw Lis return and, with a respectful salute, left.@@novelbin@@


    Lis tossed Basel into a corner (��=(��ϣ�*))) Sigh) and, looking at the sleeping Helen on the ship, he lightly tapped her head.

 Chapter 306 Helens Past

    Big news!


    Upon hearing this explosive news, Lis''s mind instantly unfurled a tapestry of rich associations.


    "So, you''re a princess of the Boditch Kingdom?"


    Upon hearing Lis''s question, a bitter and deep resentment surfaced on Helen''s youthful face.


    "No, I am merely an illegitimate daughter without a name or status."


    "My existence is a mistake."


    What do you mean?


    Although Lis was eager to ask more, he held back and allowed Helen to continue speaking.


    "My mother, M Evans, was actually a daughter of the Evans family in the Boditch Kingdom, about to marry Vasco Bertici, the Second Prince of the Boditch Kingdom."


    "But the moment His Majesty the King saw my mother in the Royal Pce, he forced himself upon her."


    "It was a scandal of the Royal Family, and under the oppression of his lordship, the marriage between my mother and the Second Prince naturally came to nothing."


    While speaking, Helen''s lovely little face showed anger and pain beyond her years.


    "Even after that incident, the King still wouldn''t let go of my mother, imprisoning her within the Royal Pce, and her own family, under pressure,pletely abandoned her."


    "Then, I was born."


    "My mother was very kind to me, though she disliked, or rather hated, the King for ruining her life."


    "The only good news for my mother was that the King soon grew tired of her and I barely saw him after I was born."


    "My mother and I could only live in that small house, and sometimes we didn''t even have enough to eat; yet even so, my mother did not abandon me and raised me."


    "When I was old enough to understand, my mother told me all this, intending to send me out of the Royal Pce."


    "Because she knew that if I kept living in the Royal Pce, sooner orter that scoundrel would target me."


    Ha-ha~


    These incredible words,ing from Helen''s mouth, are indeed hard to believe.


    For the ruler of the Boditch Kingdom to be so fallen and reckless.


    But Lis did not doubt the veracity of Helen''s words; frankly, the ruling ss of the Boditch Kingdom was just that corrupt, utterly devoid of morals.


    His Majesty the King was particrly representative of this.


    Lis knew many secrets from the tasks in his previous life''s game; the whole Boditch Kingdom was engulfed in such extreme corruption.


    Otherwise, how could the Feis Kingdom have so easily stormed and seized the entire territory of the Boditch Kingdom, with almost no resistance from the civilians?


    It''s just surprising that Helen also had such deep connections with the King of Boditch.


    No wonder after Helen grew up, she relentlessly pursued and harshly dealt with the remnants of the Royal Family of the Boditch Kingdom.


    "When I was ten, my mother took advantage of a dark night to quietly take me out of the Royal Pce and flee towards the outskirts of the Royal Capital."


    "Why not return to your mother''s family?"@@novelbin@@


    Lis asked, for a noblewoman who had been imprisoned for so long and was also with a child, the difficulty of fleeing seemed almost too great.


    But it also showed the strength of Helen''s mother.


    "I don''t know, my mother said those in her family were no better than the King. They had previously forced her to marry the Second Prince, so she really didn''t want to go back," Helen replied, her eyes filled with a dismal look.


    "What happened next?"


    "After that, my mother and I were taken in by a passing merchant caravan."


    "And then we were sold to a ve merchant."


    Helen''s voice trembled slightly, conjuring images of a deeply unbearable memory.


    "My mother soon fell seriously ill and left me, I still remember the way she held my hand before she died."


    After a moment of silence, Helen continued:


    "That ve merchant said I was top quality, took me on a merchant ship, and was going to sell me to the south," she said.


    "The ship was attacked by pirates, and I drifted at sea for two days before being rescued by a ship headed to Ward City."


    "Once I arrived in Ward City, I secretly ran away."


    Helen sinctly narrated her journey from the Boditch Kingdom to Ward City, one could imagine the perils and storms along the way.


    Looking at her frail and small figure, one wouldn''t realize she had endured such painful experiences.


    "That''s why I want to have power of my own, Lord Lis," she said.


    Helen looked earnestly at Lis, her eyes filled with determination.


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    "If I were as strong as you, my mother wouldn''t have died, and I wouldn''t have suffered so much."


    "When my mother died, although she couldn''t even speak, she still held my hand tightly and stared at me."


    "I want to live on, to live well for my mother," she said.


    "So I want to ask you to teach me!"


    Helen bowed her head to Lis as she spoke earnestly.


    Lis looked at the slightly trembling Helen and continued to ask:


    "Why do you trust me so much, why should I teach you?"


    "Because you are very strong, the strongest person I have ever seen."


    "Most importantly, I believe that Lord Lis is a good person!"


    Helen raised her head and looked at Lis, her attitude sincere.


    Looking at Helen''s serious little face, Lis suddenly felt a bit reluctant to speak.


    Please teach me, and yet you give me a good person card!


    Can we proceed?


    "I want to ask you to teach me, no matter what the cost!"


    Seeing Lis''s hesitant expression, Helen spoke somewhat anxiously.


    She had previously asked Basel about this matter, and Basel suggested she directly ask Lis for guidance.


    After all, Lis''s strength was evident to all, and he was likely just as superior in teaching, stronger than anyone else on the ship.


    "Alright."


    Lis looked at Helen and finally nodded, teaching Helen to be a Transcendent truly was part of his n.


    "Thank you for your generosity."


    Opening her heart, Helen seemed mature, unlike a child of her age.


    However, she must be about eleven or twelve years old by now, only her petite body made her look like a child who hadn''t grown yet.


    "What profession do you want to choose?"


    Lis asked Helen, his tone somewhat rxed.


    In her past life, Helen''s Basic Profession before transitioning into a Sea Favored was that of a warrior, though Lis was not aware from where she had received the warrior''s legacy.


    For Helen, the safest path was still that of a warrior.


    "I want to be a warrior!"


    Helen said earnestly, without much hesitation.


    "Why?"


    Lis was curious, considering he was a Mage, wouldn''t one normally choose the same profession if they intended to learn from him?


    "At the ve merchant''s ce, he tested me for the talent to be a Mage, and it was very poor."


    From Helen''s appearance, it seemed she had already made up her mind long ago.


    "I heard from others that choosing the warrior profession to be a Transcendent is the easiest, so I want to be a warrior."

 Chapter 307 The Second Disciple

    Lis looked at Helen and was surprised that she had directly chosen the path of a warrior.


    After all, most women tended to choose the professions of Mage, Ranger, or assassin.


    Although warriors are often seen as simpletons in many people''s eyes, that does not mean warriors are not strong.


    It is simply because the threshold to be a warrior is so low, and there are too many low-level warriors, that such a stereotype has formed.


    In reality, there are quite a number of strong individuals among warriors.


    The warrior profession also has the most specializations avable.


    Like the widely known professions of "Sword Saint" and "Holy Knight."


    Helen''s past life specialization as a Sea Favored was one of them.


    However, Helen directly choosing the path of a warrior saved Lis some time of indecision.


    "Are you sure you want to take the path of a warrior? It''s very tough," he said.


    Lis paused for a moment, then continued:


    "Or rather, no process of bing a Transcendent is easy."


    "Take the warrior for example; you need to start from the basics, tempering your body and refining yourbat skills��all of which are quite painful processes." Find your next read at My Virtual Library Empire


    Lis looked at Helen seriously and said:


    "Especially since you are a woman, to surpass others, you will need to exert even more effort."


    "No one on the battlefield will go easy on you just because you''re a woman."


    "Just like those people on the ship."


    Thinking about it, Lis gave an example:


    "Take Mans, Evar, and Charles, for example."


    "Mans, needless to say, is basically immersed in training all day; he truly is a training maniac. Don''t be fooled by how badly I beat him up each time��his strength improves rapidly."


    "Evar, his real strength lies in a special ability he possesses, which can''t be improved just by training. Even so, he hasn''t given up on training, though not to the same extreme as Mans."


    "As for Charles, you see him idling every day, just bragging and sleeping, but he''s been hiding his true strength and carrying special weights."


    "That is to say, he''s always engaged in special training, and you should understand the difficulty of that."


    The secret about Charles was something Lis discovered a few days ago, the day they encountered the pirate attack.


    Lis had been paying attention to the situation on the battlefield, and Charles''s performance naturally caught his eye.


    During the fight, Charles was trying to control himself, but Lis still spotted his extraordinary strength and something out of ce.


    Although he did not know why Charles wanted to hide his strength, and his aim wasn''t likely the Mermaid, Lis didn''t bother to interfere.


    If Charles were to go all out, he would be the strongest on the ship next to Lis himself.


    "So you should understand, bing a Transcendent isn''t the end of it; there are no shortcuts to bing stronger."


    Aside from the system cheat...


    Having said that with great emphasis, Lis silently thought to himself.


    "Moreover, the world of Transcendents is not a kind one; battle and death are inevitable, and you must pay a price if you want to wield power."


    "So, are you sure you''ve thought this through?"


    Lis said persuasively, suddenly feeling like he was a shady man trying to trick a little girl.


    After all, normally, the answer to such a question would surely be the same, wouldn''t it?


    "I''ve thought it through, I want to learn how to be a warrior from you!"


    Without any hesitation, Helen said assertively.


    Her voice was pleasant to the ears and full of determination.


    After all, she no longer wanted to live the kind of life filled with disruptions and discements she had before.


    She wanted to live well and have the power to protect herself.


    "Haha, excellent!"


    A smile appeared on Lis''s face, and he patted Helen''s head with his right hand.


    The feeling was quite nice!


    "Teacher!"


    Helen said softly, feeling a bit nervous inside.@@novelbin@@


    "Good,"


    Lis rubbed Helen''s head and then removed his hand.


    With that, Helen became his second disciple.


    The first was still Fink, who wasboriously leveling up.


    Wait a minute!


    Lis suddenly felt something was off.


    Fink is a warrior, Helen is a warrior too.


    Turns out, I, a Mage, have all warrior disciples.


    This isn''t right!


    Who will carry on my Mage legacy?


    After being silent for a second, Lis decided that he must choose a disciple with Mage Talent the next time he takes on a new disciple.


    However, having these potential powerhouses as disciples, indeed feels awesome!


    Lis watched Helen with a beaming smile, pondering this in his heart.


    Mostly because he didn''t have to worry about their future achievements.


    Lis had provided enough training resources and growth environment, they grew wildly there just like bamboo shoots after the rain.


    "Although I am a Mage, I know a thing or two about the training methods of warriors," Lis said with a smile as he looked at Helen and nodded.


    "Since I have taken you as my apprentice, I must have a gift for our first meeting."


    As Lis rummaged through his pockets, he silently marveled in his heart.


    He suddenly felt quite thrilled at the idea of giving gifts to the younger generation, wondering if Mr. Stephens had felt the same when he watched him empty the Magic Workshop.


    Lis first took out an exquisite pair of earrings.


    These were the specially made ones by Lis, enhanced with Mithril - the "Siren Earrings."


    Helen''s gaze was instantly captivated by the beautiful earrings.


    The silver earrings sparkled under the sunlight, the elegant patterns intricate yet not monotonous, highlighting the azure Magic Gem in the center, making it exceptionally charming.


    It''s impossible for any girl to resist the allure of beautiful jewelry, and even the mature-minded Helen was no exception.


    Lis gently helped Helen put on the earrings, examined her carefully, and was quite satisfied.


    True to his meticulous craftmanship, Helen looked like a noble youngdy when she donned them,plementing her white dress.


    Helen''s cheeks turned pink, though she didn''t notice Lis''s scrutinizing gaze.


    The moment she put on the Magic Earrings, a cool sensation flooded her mind, making her feel refreshingly lucid as if awakened from a dream.


    The harmony of Mithril in the Siren Earrings didn''t put any extra strain on Helen''s young body; instead, it could enhance Helen''s physical and Spirit Strength slowly through the baptism of Magic Elements.


    Of course, this was just an additional minor benefit; after all, Helen was still a normal person, and the baptism of the Magic Elements had the most notable effect on her for now.


    For someone like Loren, who was at the Silver Level Profession, it would be inutile.


    Helen closed her eyes and slowly savored this magical feeling.


    Is this what Extraordinary Power feels like?


    Amazing!


    Feeling the effects of Extraordinary Power for the first time filled Helen''s heart with curiosity and yearning.


    It also strengthened her resolve to train and study diligently.


    "All right!" Lis said, not hurrying, as Helen slowly opened her eyes after feeling.


    "This is just the beginning; I can provide you with ample help, but in the end, you still need to walk the path yourself," he said.


    "Yes, I understand, Mr. Lis," Helen replied seriously, finally showing a girl''s smile on her face.


    She then came to know what the "ample help" Lis had mentioned entailed.


    A precious storage ring,


    filled with various unrecognizable Magic Potions and ingredients,


    a Longsword and Light Armor glowing with blue magical radiance,


    and aplete set of training equipment.


    Helen also saw piles of Gold Coins that looked like small mountains inside the ring.


    That''s so exaggerated!


    Helen, who had never seen so much wealth before, almost couldn''t hold the storage ring steadily in her hand.


    Having lived in the Royal Pce of the Boditch Kingdom, Helen naturally recognized how precious these treasures were.


    The Gold Coins, inparison, didn''t seem as conspicuous.


    "Mr. Lis..." Helen hesitated, speaking softly.


    Having been captured by a ve Merchant before, Helen was acutely aware of what this represented.


    Buying all the ves from that ve Merchant''s hands couldn''t even cost a fraction of those Gold Coins.


    "No worries!" Lis waved his hand, feeling very exhrated.


    The wealth in this storage ring was about the same as he had given to Fink, which was not much for him.


    Though Helen was still young, Lis observed that she might be even more mature than Fink.


    It couldn''t be helped, Helen''s past was far more tumultuous than Fink''s.


    "This is nothing much for me," Lis said carelessly as he ruffled Helen''s little head.


    "Just focus on your training and studies, that''s enough."


    "Yes, I know," Helen nodded, speaking earnestly.


    The experience of meeting Lis in the alley that day was an unforgettable memory for Helen.


    She would never forget those days of hardship, enduring hunger and cold.


    Because of this, Lis had be as important to her as her mother.


    Looking at the storage ring emitting a faint magical glow in her hand, Helen suddenly felt a lump in her throat.


    I must, must try harder!


    Helen clenched her little fists and muttered to herself resolutely.

 Chapter 308 Basels Old Man

    On the Mermaid,


    The sky was clear, and the slightly salty, warm sea breeze felt exceedinglyfortable on the skin.


    The recent journey had been smooth sailing, without even a hint of bad weather.


    Everyone on the Mermaid, sailors and mercenaries alike, had rxed and were enjoying the rare good times.@@novelbin@@


    Peopley around on the deck soaking up the sun, surrounded by azy atmosphere, and Loren had no intention of stopping them.


    After all, these were the people who would be the main force in expanding Milne Commerce''s routes. They had even battled a pirate ship a few days ago and genuinely needed some rest and rxation.


    However, amidst this rxed atmosphere, there was one figure who seemed somewhat out of ce.


    At the very front of the deck stood a petite and adorable figure, holding a longsword and struggling to maintain bnce.


    Upon closer inspection, her pale forehead was covered in sweat beads, and her slender arms trembled slightly, clearly having been holding the position for a long time.


    This little figure, persevering in her basic stance, was Helen, who had recently be Mr. Lis''s disciple and was preparing to embark on the Extraordinary Path.


    After Mr. Lis epted Helen that day, he did not directly start teaching her about a warrior''s martial arts or other skills. Instead, he taught her a few postures, instructing Helen to begin with physical training.


    After all, Helen''s body was still too weak. The pain and torment she had endured previously had significantly slowed her physical developmentpared to other children her age. Although she had made some improvements recently, there were still deficiencies.


    Recklessly starting on the Warrior Body Forging Technique and martial arts learning could be detrimental to her growth.


    First, polish the body, strengthen the will; other things could wait.


    Sweat continuously dripped from Helen''s forehead as she did everything she could to stabilize the longsword in her hands. As time passed, the trembling of the longsword in her hands grew more intense.


    At first, the sailors and mercenaries aboard the Mermaid watched Helen''s training with interest,ughing and betting on how long she couldst.


    But over these few days, Helen''s performance made everyone put away their smirks of amusement, feeling somewhat admiring of the cute girl''s perseverance.


    Even though she followed that lord, she could endure such hardships.


    Indeed, one shouldn''t underestimate the people around Mr. Lis!


    Everyone consciously cleared the area at the bow of the ship for Helen and did not disturb her training.


    Basel sat nearby, leaning against the ship''s rail, holding a bottle of wine in his arms and taking a sip now and then. However, his attention was constantly on Helen.


    Mr. Lis assigned him to apany Helen, so naturally, he would not venture elsewhere.


    The training Helen was undergoing was simple, and Basel could take good care of it, so naturally, Mr. Lis was spared the effort.


    "Rest a while,"


    Basel, still grasping his treasured wine, said to Helen.


    This bottle of wine was given to him by Mr. Lis to ensure he paid attention to Helen''s training.


    Basel liked to drink, but as soon as he popped the cork, the aroma that hit him immediately caught his attention.


    Damn, following a boss like this pays off!


    A pleased Basel would naturally work well to earn better rewards from Mr. Lis.


    Seeing Helen about to falter, her body swaying, Basel frowned slightly.


    As a Silver-level Assassin, he too had undergone this kind of fundamental training.


    But such training was incredibly tough; he had persevered only under his father''s "care."


    He thought supervising Helen would be a simr process, but he hadn''t expected Helen''s self-discipline and proactivity to be so high. She needed no prompting from him; instead, he had to make sure she didn''t overtrain and hurt herself.


    Basel stood up, snatched the longsword from Helen''s hands, and said helplessly:


    "How many times have I told you, training like this is very prone to injury? You''re already pushing yourself hard; there''s no need for this."


    As her longsword was taken away, Helen seemed to snap out of her intense focus and copsed onto the deck, lifting her sweaty little face and saying apologetically:


    "Sorry, Uncle Basel."


    "I just... wanted to see how far I could push myself."


    "Who are you kidding?"


    Although Basel felt it was a bit too much to be called an uncle, he couldn''t bring himself to suggest that she call him brother, so he simply added:


    "Who challenges their limits every day? Lord Lis must have told you, these things can''t be rushed. Only once you''ve built a solid physical foundation will challenging your limits be effective."


    "Yes, I understand!"


    Helen nodded earnestly and then copsed onto the deck with a "plop," clearly exhausted.


    Basel did not intervene; if she wanted to be a Transcendent, she couldn''t afford to be so delicate.


    Of course, this was something Mr. Lis had instructed beforehand; otherwise, Basel really wouldn''t dare to do so.


    Let her rest for a while, andter move her back to the cabin.


    Mr. Lis would heal Helen that evening, taking care of the physical strain, so Basel didn''t need to worry.


    "Uncle Basel..."


    Helen''s small voice suddenly spoke up.


    "What is it?"


    "Uncle Basel, are you very powerful?"


    Helen asked quietly. Discover exclusive content at My Virtual Library Empire


    "Why do you ask?"


    Basel, still holding his bottle of wine, became a bit interested and asked back.


    "Because I heard that on that pirate ship, Lord Lis only kept you."

 Chapter 309 【Sphinxs Wisdom】New Changes!

    Mr. Lis, carrying Evar, floated in midair.


    Below was an endless sea, extending as far as the eye could see,cking even a single shoal, let alone a clearly visible ind.


    "Are you sure it''s here?"


    Mr. Lis asked Evar, now relying solely on this livingpass.


    "It is here, no mistake."


    Evar closed his eyes, sensing for a while before confidently responding.


    "Where exactly?"


    Mr. Lis carefully surveyed the surroundings as he continued to inquire.@@novelbin@@


    "Not sure, I can only roughly feel it''s in this part of the sea, can''t be more precise."


    "Is that so..."


    Mr. Lis fell silent for a moment, then closed his eyes as well.


    But no matter whether Mr. Lis was using his exceptional spiritual power for detection or using Detection Magic, he discovered nothing unusual.


    After casting a Floating Technique on Evar, letting him wait in ce, Mr. Lis began to search for the mysterious ind using other methods.


    He closed his eyes, immersing his consciousness into the Dream World.


    After searching around for a bit, the Dream World of this region didn''t disy anything special.


    Due to the scarcity of sentient beings, the number of Dream Spaces shimmering with dreamlike light in the Dream World was small, much fewer than in Ice Peak City.


    Having disconnected his consciousness from the Dream Space, Mr. Lis pondered for a moment.


    His right hand flickered with an ethereal, hazy light as he slowly slid his index finger downward through the air in front of him.


    Mr. Lis''s expression was very grave, concentrating all his focus on his right hand.


    Gradually, a fine ck fissure appeared in the space where Mr. Lis''s right index finger passed.


    Evar stood beside Mr. Lis, watching his actions, daring not even to breathe heavily.


    He naturally could see the ck fissure appearing before Mr. Lis''s hand.


    He could tell that Mr. Lis was attempting something extremely dangerous; the asionally slight warping of space around the fissure and the terrifying aura it emitted constantly stimted his warrior''s nerves.


    His spiritual sense told him that if his body touched this ck fissure, he might be obliterated.


    Mr. Lis is truly fearsome!


    Evar''s heart also rose with apprehension, and he silently felt fortunate that he had enlisted Mr. Lis.


    If Mr. Lis couldn''t find that mysterious ind, what would be the point in seeking other mages?


    Mr. Lis, disregarding Evar''s changing expression, stopped after creating a ck fissure about ten centimeters long.


    But that wasn''t enough, for in order to maintain the Space Rift before him, the Mana inside him was depleting at a high velocity.


    Indeed, Mr. Lis had opened a Space Rift, though it was only a short one.


    But it was a stable, controlled Space Rift by Mr. Lis.


    This was even more difficult than the Teleportation Technique, since while you could learn the Teleportation Technique with the aid of a Magic Model, opening up a Space Rift on one''s own indicated a certain level of mastery over Space Magic. Continue reading stories on My Virtual Library Empire


    And his control over Magic Power was also meticulous, reaching a very high level.


    Otherwise, he would have been destroyed by the violent space turbulence the instant he opened the Space Rift.


    The stronger the power, the stronger the rebound.


    Normally, only a Gold-level Mage who has deep studies in space could achieve this.


    It was only a short while ago, after acquiring his teacher''s notes on space research and many experiments, that Mr. Lis was able to do this officially.


    Feeling the rapid depletion of Mana inside, Mr. Lis dared not dy for too long.


    Although his Mana Value was significantly higher than that of a typical Silver Mage due to various specialty bonuses, it wouldn''tst for too long.


    Mr. Lis quickly wrapped his consciousness in Magic Power and delved into the Space Rift, exploring his surroundings.


    Evar could do nothing but suppress the urge to flee, obediently staying in ce to watch Mr. Lis''s operations.


    Before long, a somewhat pale Mr. Lis opened his eyes, casually closing the warped Space Rift before him, his face contemtive.


    How to put it?


    One piece of good news, one piece of bad news.


    The bad news was that Mr. Lis, after exploring the space crevice corresponding to this sea region and the outer space, found no special Different ne or Space Fragments.


    That is to say, the previous consideration might be wrong, the mysterious ind might not exist in a Different ne.


    The good news, however, was that the space corresponding to this sea region was very peculiar.


    It seemed as if something had stabilized this space crevice; naturally urring Space Rifts were rare, and there were no space storms at all.


    If ordinary outer spaces often had Space Rifts asmon as sea waves by the shore, then the outer space corresponding to this sea region was like a calm, waveless pond, which only made it seem more eerie.


    This meant that there was definitely something wrong with this sea region.


    It might be that my strength is still not sufficient, or perhaps the method is incorrect.


    Mr. Lis mused internally, considering whether there were any other methods that could uncover clues.


    "Mr. Lis?"


    Evar waited for a while, and seeing Mr. Lis unresponsive, hesitantly asked.


    "What is it?"


    Mr. Lis looked at Evar, a hint of impatience in his eyes.


    "Did you find any clues?"


    Evar tentatively inquired, losing the aloof demeanor he had aboard the Mermaid.


    "Um."


    Mr. Lis hesitated, then straightforwardly said,


    "I can confirm there''s something strange about this sea region, but I haven''t found any clues yet."

 Chapter 310 Divine Artifact Fragment?

    Suppressing a trace of excitement, Lis still faced unresolved issues.


    Although the awakening of the ck Cat and the change in "Sphinx''s Wisdom" were somewhat surprising to Lis,


    he still couldn''t find a way to enter the Mysterious Divine Ind.


    Looking around at the surrounding sea, Lis''s current location should be exactly where the Mysterious Divine Ind was, but he himself felt nothing.


    "Evar, have you found anything?"


    Lis asked Evar, who was waiting by his side.


    "The same as before."


    Evar replied honestly, hesitating for a moment before he couldn''t help but ask:


    "Mr. Lis... what is this now?"


    "Oh, I should have found the ce."


    Lis nced at Evar, pointing to the sea in front of them and said,


    "Unfortunately, I don''t know how to get in."


    "This... we found it just like that?"


    Evar was somewhat incredulous; he had been prepared for a prolonged battle, not expecting results so soon.


    Evar wanted to ask Lis if this was truly the ce, but after some thought, he still forcibly suppressed the question.


    Impulsively questioning like this seemed to signify disbelief in Lord Lis, better to wait.


    Lis redirected his gaze back to the sea ahead, stroking the ck Cat, his spiritual power had already spread from his body, carefully scanning everything around him.


    If this ind really is left by a fallen divine being and if divine power still resides on it, Lis guessed it would be difficult to find anything real.


    Divine power, as the ultimate sublimation of the Power of Faith, is the basis of divine power and the embodiment of the power of All Gods.


    Nobody said they hadpletely mastered the mysteries within divine power, not even the gods themselves.


    Even in his previous life, Lis had acquired leftover divine power, but could neverprehend its mysteries, using it only as a source of tremendous power.


    After rebirth, although he had received many inheritances, especially detailed records about divine power in the "Sphinx Ascension Technique," Lis had yet to acquire any divine power.


    Moreover, regardless of how capable he was, still being at the Silver Level, he would need to be at the Legendary Level to conduct in-depth research on divine power.


    If the Mysterious Divine Ind''s defensive power wasposed of divine power, it would be nearly impossible for Lis to forcefully break through.


    A treasure gate constructed by divine power was too solid; Lis had no power to break through, he would only try to find a legitimate way in.


    That means finding the "key" to open the divine treasure gate.


    What exactly could this "key" be?


    Since Evar had identally entered once, that indicated the Mysterious Divine Ind was notpletely sealed.


    Just like the Sphinx Temple, there must be a chance to enter it.


    Is it a storm? A rainbow? Or something else?


    The problem hade full circle, and Lis was scratching his head.


    Could it be that he should try them one by one?


    The most likely now seemed to be a storm, especially since that fallen divine being''s Divine Domain was presumably the storm.


    "Evar, think carefully."


    After trying in vain, Lis turned and spoke to the obediently waiting Evar.


    "We''ve found the ce, but there''s no way to get in."


    "Think back carefully, did you discover anything else at that time?"


    Upon hearing this, Evar fell silent.


    His expression unchanged, yet he struggled internally.


    Should he really give that thing to Lis?


    It was his most cherished possession and arguably the biggest secret he had gotten from the ind!


    With the location confirmed, he thought of feigning ignorance, separating from Lis afterward, and then secretly attempting to enter on his own.


    Perhaps he could unlock it himself and enjoy all that the ind had to offer!


    Greed began to corrode Evar''s heart, making him indecisive.


    Lis noticed Evar''s unusual behavior, but did not speak, only silently watching him.


    The Mysterious Divine Ind was a must-have for him.


    Even if there were no other gains, just the divine power left by the deity was enough to satisfy Lis.


    After all, "Sphinx''s Wisdom" needed divine power for enhancement.@@novelbin@@


    Seeing Evar suddenly fall silent, it seemed there was yet another secret he hadn''t mentioned.


    Perhaps the key to entering the ind was in his hands.


    But no matter!


    Lis''s lips curled into a slight smile.


    "I am Lis, Sincere, Never Coercive, Most Reliable Partner, Kane, never one to burn bridges."


    If ites to it, when Evar tries to sneak onto the ind, he''ll just follow him.


    By then, the two would no longer have a partnership, and Lis wouldn''t take care of him anymore.


    "My ethical standards are just too high!"


    Lis shook his head with some vexation.


    In the end, it was the deity''s ind Lis was dealing with, and with so many powerful life-saving items on him, he had to proceed with utmost caution, step by step, not to mention Evar.


    If Evar had managed to escapest time without any special factors, it was purely good luck.


    Lis didn''t believe such good fortune would happen again.


    The remnants left by deities were precious treasures, but could also conceal tremendous terror.


    Lis had once explored a divine relic where a Demigod-Level Divine Cmityy dormant.


    Even a weak incarnation of a deity might not be able to defeat that creature.


    So, regardless of Evar''s decision, it was all the same to Lis, merely different methods of handling it.

 Chapter 311 Dan Port

    Boditch Kingdom, Dan Port,


    The sea breeze carrying a hint of salt whipped through the docks, a bustling scene unfolding before the eyes.


    Gigantic dark brown wooden stakes were deeply embedded in the sea, topped with nks that formed a vast maritime dock, extending the coastline well over a hundred meters into the ocean.


    The waves, stippled with whitecaps, gently pped against the stakes. The wooden dock was reinforced with simple spells, making these tforms solid and durable enough to withstand the erosion of waves and storms.


    It was now morning, the busiest time for Dan Port.


    Many workers in brown tunics moved back and forth incessantly, drenched in sweat as they unloaded goods from iing ships to the warehouses on the docks. At the same time, they loaded Boditch Kingdom''s diverse products onto merchant ships, destined for far-offnds.


    At the moment, a medium-sized merchant ship was slowly approaching the dock, nudging closer to its berth under the directions of the dock''s traffic controller.


    Numerous porters, having rested for a short while, gathered around in hopes of employment.


    These porters were locals, earning their pay by exerting a bit ofbor.


    Even though every merchant ship arriving at Dan Port had a number of its own sailors, the task of loading and unloading always belonged to these dockworkers.


    Even if the sailors on the ships personally handled the cargo, the required porter fees could not be omitted.


    This was the "rule" set by the controlling nobles and officials of Dan Port!


    Though most of the pay ended up in the pockets of those nobles, the remaining bits were fiercelypeted over by the impoverished dockworkers.


    While waiting, the dockworkers struck up conversations with each other.


    "Have you heard there''s a war going on in the west?"


    "That''s old news, nothing fresh about it."


    "Haha, I heard that Feis Kingdom''s nearly reached the Royal Capital, Luminous Stone City, you know?"


    "For real? Those nobles are so useless, a bunch of good-for-nothings!"


    "Hey, keep it down! We all know those nobles and officials have been useless for not just a day or two, a despicable bunch of vampires, they all deserve to die."


    "If that''s the case, I think it would be better to let Feis Kingdom''s folks kill all those nobles, eh?"


    "And what makes you so sure the nobles of Feis Kingdom would be any better?"


    "Could they be worse?"


    "...Fair point."


    ...


    As the merchant ship entered the harbor, the chattering dockworkers surged forward, eager to earn an extra copper coin.


    "Mr. Lis, I am very grateful for your help."


    While his subordinates were arranging the loading of the cargo, Captain Loren followed Lis, smiling as he said:


    "Sure, it was a pleasure."


    Lis had already packed up his belongings, ready to disembark.


    Especially the equipment from the smallboratory, all of it needed to be put away in the Space Ring.


    Helen and Basel followed behind Lis, with Helen looking somewhat nostalgically at the distant harbor and the somewhat familiar architectural style, her mood a bit subdued.


    "Then I won''t see you off any further, Mr. Lis. I hope we have the chance to meet again in the future."@@novelbin@@


    Loren bowed slightly toward Lis.


    "Alright."


    Lis didn''t have much to say either, leading Helen and Basel towards the town in the distance.


    Watching Lis''s retreating figure, Captain Loren shook his head with a tinge of regret and turned to walk towards the Mermaid.


    If only he could have convinced Lis to stay on board the ship for good.


    s, Loren knew that was unrealistic.


    Watching the sailors from the Mermaid in twos and threes heading towards Dan Port, intending to dispel the boredom of a long stay at sea,


    "Sigh~ I guess I''ll go stroll around with Navin."


    Loren shook his head with a sway, finding this trip to Dan Port much more thrilling and treacherous than thest.


    Having made it to Dan Port after much effort, he too wished to unwind.


    -----------------


    Lis, leading Helen and Basel, found a decent inn in Dan Port to stay in.


    "Basel, take Helen for a stroll around town, will you? You both have worked hard recently."


    Lis wanted to give Helen a chance to rx, as he had seen her tireless training and didn''t want her to push herself too hard.


    "No, thank you, Master,"


    Helen said, shaking her head seriously.


    "I am from the Boditch Kingdom, there''s nothing new here for me."


    "I want to seize the time to continue my training."


    Upon hearing this, Basel''s face showed a hint of bitterness.


    He had been looking forward to some leisurely time; although he was still young, not like the old hand Charles, he had seen enough to be eager for some excitement.


    What was more, his wealth hadn''t been confiscated by Lis, so he was rtively affluent.


    But if Helen was set on continuing to hone her physique, naturally he couldn''t leave her side.


    Sigh~ To let such good times go to waste.


    Basel felt a twinge of regret, but seeing Helen''s earnest determination, he couldn''t bring himself to say anything.


    He''d had his moments too, immersed in the thrill of wielding extraordinary power, with every other allure paling inparison.


    So even if reluctantly, Basel didn''t object.


    Lis nced at Helen, then nodded without objection.


    Whatever decision Helen made, Lis would not oppose it.


    Just as he had prepared for rebirth, bing so passionate about arcane mysteries, engrossed in the sensation of wielding transcendent power.


    Like Helen, like Taya, characters of import within their own stories, they naturally have steadfast convictions about their future.

 Chapter 312 The All Beast Church Strikes Again?

    Dan Port, Mercenary Guild.


    Lis walked out from inside, followed by a pot-bellied middle-aged man.


    "Mr. Lis, I will handle the items you requested immediately, please rest assured."


    The middle-aged man''s face was full of obsequiousness as he activelyplimented Lis.


    He had no choice, as the generous reward offered by this big shot was double the standard rate for simr jobs; the only requirement was that it had to be done quickly.


    Yet he was confident he couldplete it. Although equipping an ocean-going merchant ship with a crew was arge project, for him, a local tyrant of Dan Port, it was merely a little troublesome, not particrly difficult.


    "Well, make it quick, notify me at the tavern where I am staying as soon as there is any news."


    Lis nodded and then turned to leave.


    After posting the job at the Mercenary Tavern, it did not take long for a local tyrant to approach him saying that it would take about a week to prepare the ship and sailors, and to load various supplies onboard.


    Of course, it wasn''t cheap!


    Although Lis had carried over his good habit of being meticulous with money from his past life as a yer, he did not hesitate when it was time to invest upfront.


    Walking on the streets of Dan Port, Lis found himself with some free time after arranging everything.


    Perhaps he should grab something to eat and bring some back for Helen and the others.


    Thinking this, Lis headed towards the western side streets of Dan Port.


    Having visited Dan Port in his previous life, Lis naturally knew where the restaurants were concentrated.


    Seafood, particrly fresh fish and shellfish, dominates the cuisine in the coastal areas of the Boditch Kingdom.


    In his previous life, Lis quite enjoyed the fried oysters and grilled fish while wandering in this region.


    The weather in Dan Port was no longer chilly at all. Lis, having left the Dillon Kingdom, quite enjoyed the warmth of the sunlight on his skin.


    The cold of the Dillon Kingdom''s winters was something even Lis''s constitution could notpletely withstand; he always needed to be mindful of keeping warm.


    While it was not a big problem for him, who doesn''t prefer a warm andfortable environment?


    This was probably why the Dilon people so desperately desired thends to the south!


    Because Dan Port is adjacent to the sea and often faces the harsh weather of fierce storms, most of its buildings are rtively low and are mostly made of bricks and stones.


    The pedestrians on the street were also in a hurry, and Lis even saw many merchants dressed in Feis Kingdom attire.


    Logically, since the Feis Kingdom was currently invading the Boditch Kingdom, the civilians of the Boditch Kingdom should be hostile towards the people of Feis, but in Lis''s view, many traders from the Feis Kingdom seemed to be getting along quite well with the Bodici.


    It seems that aside from the Kingdom Nobles who hold the most interests, no one cares about the survival of the Boditch Kingdom.


    It''s just the nobles reaping what they sowed.


    Lis shook his head; this also benefitted him by making it easier to rapidly take control of Danerluo Port.


    Just as Lis was heading towards a restaurant he remembered, he suddenly heard several shouts of anger as well as the clear sound of shing weapons.


    "Stop struggling, Charles!"


    "You can''t escape, juste back with us!"


    ...


    "You''re dreaming! Think you can catch me? Maybe in your next life!"


    "Three ipetents, only know how to ambush like cowards."


    "Just wait, one day I''ll twist your heads off and stuff them into your asses."


    At that moment, a familiar voice swearing rang in Lis''s ears.


    Lis paused, looking in the direction the voice wasing from.


    He saw several people tangled together, rushing towards his direction,


    It appeared to be three people attacking one, with the fight being fiercely intense, their weapons repeatedly targeting each other''s vital points, causing nearby pedestrians and merchants to hurriedly dodge out of the way.@@novelbin@@


    Although there were many Extraordinary Professionals in Dan Port, such fierce battles in broad daylight were still rare.


    Lis could tell that the three teaming up against one were two warriors and a hunter.


    And the one being attacked was Charles, a mercenary from the Mermaid.


    He was cursively managing to hold them off, no longer able to hide his true strength.


    Charles was frustrated, Charles wanted to curse!


    He just wanted to rx by taking a walk, how did he run into the people from the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts Church?


    Was his luck really that bad?


    The three men attacking him were not weak, although none of them were as strong as he, but they were all silver-level professionals.


    He had to remove the weights from his body and unleash all his strength just to survive the assault by the three of them.


    Using a Short Sword, he blocked a Longsword shing towards his body and swiftly aimed to slice at his opponent''s right hand, but at that moment an arrow wrapped in blue light shooting towards him from not far away forced Charles to retreat, missing the opportunity he had barely seized.


    Another warrior wielding a Long Spear ferociously smashed it towards his chest, and Charles no longer had time to bring back his Dagger to block; he could only raise his forearm in front of his chest, ready to take the hit head-on.


    Bang!


    Charles was thrown backwards, crashing into a house by the street and raising a cloud of dust.


    "Give up, Charles."


    "We have been waiting for you a long time, just talk about the Oak Council affairs and we''ll let you die quickly."


    "Otherwise, I''ll chop you up and feed you to my pets!"

 Chapter 313 Blood Shark Patrick

    The two warriors standing beside Marquis saw the power of Lis''s spellcasting and dared not take him lightly any longer, hastily joining forces to attack Lis.


    Watching the two warriors rapidly approaching, Lis stood his ground and chose not to evade.


    In his eyes, the assault speed of the two warriors wasn''t fast; Lis could easily dodge it.


    But there was no need. Information on Lis''s mastery of other professions might be worthless to ordinary people, but Lis didn''t want to reveal this secret in front of the All Beast Church just because of these few minions.


    After all, using only a mage''s methods, dealing with these three was still no problem.


    A longsword and a long spear forcefully struck towards Lis, but they did not send him flying as they had imagined.


    A barrier flickering with a faint light appeared around Lis.


    Four Rings Magic [Advanced Protective Field]!


    Dong��


    Dong��


    Crack!


    Two crisp sounds rang out as the attacks from the two opponents were blocked by Lis''s shield.


    Simrly, a crack appeared on the magic shield beside Lis.


    It seemed that after a few more attacks, Lis''s shield would be destroyed.


    Seeing this, Lis also frowned.


    Four Rings Magic [Resistance Ring]!


    A bright white ring of light exploded violently from around Lis, spreading in all directions.


    When it reached the two warriors, they felt an irresistible force fall upon them and were sent flying back over ten meters.


    [Resistance Ring] was a very special spell; although it could not cause any damage, its unique effect could directly repel anyone who approached the user.


    This spell had a very high priority, basically the nemesis of many tough guys and one of the mages'' favorite protection spells against sudden assaults.


    After recasting protection magic, Lis calmed his mind.


    He suddenly realized something; previously, all the arcane he had created were offensive spells; he hadn''t made any protection magic.


    All the protective spells Lis used were standard mage spells: practical, yet their strength was merely on par with their level.


    They sufficed against equal-tier Silver Professionals, but when facing stronger opponents, he would inevitably find himself in a pinch.


    In previous battles, although Lis had faced several Gold-level powerhouses, he had fully utilized the long suit of a mage and rarely engaged in directbat.


    For instance, in the battle at West Castle, Lis used his ability to fly to his advantage, giving the Gold Rank Sword Saint Abbas quite a hard time.


    But that was only a temporary advantage; Lis could use Flying Technique so casually because of the element and strength enhancements from [Sphinx''s Wisdom]��not something an average mage could achieve.


    Lis was also aware that Abbas had no particrly effective means against aerial targets, which is why he acted as he did.


    In future battles, not every situation would allow Lis to be fully prepared.


    Shield spells are a basic and essential skill that every mage must master, as they allow a mage to cast spells in a safer environment duringbat��this is of utmost importance.


    Even though Lis was capable of closebat, he couldn''t neglect improvement in this area.


    I''ll need to work on that!


    Lis made a mental note, then refocused his attention.


    After their initial setback, the expressions of the three from the All Beast Church were unpleasant.


    Charles was already considered an expert among the Silver Level, but he failed to gain any advantage against them and could only flee in a sorry state.


    Their initial probing had already revealed that the target they faced was extremely troublesome.


    Nevertheless, the three did not wish to give up such a rare opportunity. If they could sacrifice Lis to the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts, the rewards bestowed upon them would surely be substantial.


    Perhaps it could even allow the three of them to break through to the Gold Rank!


    Grinding his teeth, Marquis took out a small tube of potion, crushed the neck of the bottle, and poured the light red liquid into his mouth.@@novelbin@@


    Lis, seeing this, did not attempt to stop him; instead, he watched Marquis''s transformation with interest.


    No sooner had the light red liquid entered his belly than Marquis took a deep breath; his skin began to turn bright red, and the muscles in his arms and body visibly thickened, straining against the brown leather armor he wore.


    "Beast Power Potion? Or perhaps the higher-grade Dragon Power Potion?"


    Lis mused aloud, curious about Marquis''s bodily changes. Explore more at My Virtual Library Empire


    Meanwhile, his hands didn''t stop moving as he wielded his magic wand, forming two deep blue Wind des each two meters wide, pushing the two warriors back again.


    They''re truly desperate. Regardless of the type of body strengthening potion, it came down to unleashing strength that exceeded the body''s limit.


    The stronger the erupted force, the greater the strain on the body!


    And using Magic Potions,pared to simr explosive skills, was even more unpredictable, with a small chance of immediate death depending on the potion''s grade.


    Marquis, huffing and puffing after taking the potion, looked at Lis with bloodshot eyes and an overflowing rage that seemed topletely tear Lis apart.


    Facing this fierce gaze, Lis felt no pressure.


    Just kidding; if looks could kill, Lis would have perished many times over during his time in the Dillon Kingdom.


    Marquis dropped his longbow, pulled a longsword from his Space Ring, and charged furiously at Lis.


    What''s going on?


    Lis shook his head at Marquis''s actions.


    A transformation from Hunter to warrior?

 Chapter 314 Hunting in Progress

    Pearl Sea outer sea, Mord Commerce merchant ship.


    The sky was overcast, and the sea breeze above the ocean was somewhat


    Captain Hoel''s face was somber as hemanded his crew to hoist the sails, doing everything possible to increase the speed of his merchant ship.


    The entire deck was a scene of chaos, with the sailors'' faces showing a hint of fear and dread as they desperately made preparations for defense.


    The cause of all this was the pirate ship that closely followed behind, waving a skull and crossbones g that unabashedly proimed its sinister intent.


    "Hurry it up, and if it reallyes to it, throw the heaviest cargo overboard!"


    Hoel, manning the ship''s wheel, ordered his crew nervously.


    At that moment, he could no longer care about the losses. Discover more stories at My Virtual Library Empire


    God, Hoel was just an ordinary captain for Mord Commerce, and this merchant ship merely carried goods between the Coastal Inds; why would pirates target his ship?


    Wouldn''t it be better to intercept those long-distance vesselsden with goods instead?


    Hoel felt very ufortable because only he himself on this ship possessed the Silver Level strength; the rest of the sailors were either at Bronze Level or just ordinary people.


    There was simply no way to fend off an attack from a band of pirates!


    If it had been before, Hoel might have given up struggling.


    Because of the presence of the Boditch Kingdom Navy, these pirates would not dare to be too rampant. Generally speaking, Hoel''s rather ordinary merchant ship, which didn''t have much wealth, would end up giving some gold coins to the pirates and that would be the end of it.


    Although it would be painfully costly, at least they wouldn''t lose their lives or be ves.


    Even the pirates wouldn''t reject this sensible act; after all, being too rampant could easily provoke pursuit from the navy.


    In the Pearl Sea, the Boditch Kingdom Navy was still the strongest force.


    But now, the situation had changed!


    The full-scale withdrawal of the Kingdom Navy''s influence had unleashed more and more pirates'' ambitions and greed.


    After testing and finding out that the navy had indeed given up sailing, many piratespletely disregarded the unwritten rules they once adhered to.


    No matter the situation, they would skin and strip their prey, draining thest drop of blood.


    Recently, Hoel had heard about many simr incidents from other ces. Although this did not mean that all pirates were like that, Hoel dared not gamble.


    That was his life at stake!


    The pursuing pirate ship was getting closer and closer to them, a mere two hundred meters away; Hoel could even see the pirate leader on the bow, waving his cuss.


    That man was brazenly shouting toward Hoel''s merchant ship:


    "Damn scum, you still dare to run?"


    "Stop for the great Hett right now, or I''ll throw you all into the sea to feed the sharks!"


    Hoel heard it loud and clear and was even less inclined to stop.


    He had never heard of this pirate''s name before, indicating he was a new pirate force that had entered the Pearl Sea.


    It was people like him who were the most ruthless and had no bottom line.


    Hoel''s face turned pale, and the sailors on the ship were still making a final effort, trying to make the ship beneath their feet run a bit faster.


    "Captain!"


    The sailor stationed in the crow''s nest observing their surroundings shouted down to Hoel:


    "Another ship has appeared just ahead on the diagonal!"


    "What?"


    Hoel was a bit surprised; he had been focusing on the pirate ship closely pursuing them and did not expect another ship would appear ahead.


    Just don''t be an enemy!


    Hoel quickly picked up the telescope and looked in the direction the sailor had indicated.


    He saw a merchant ship about the same size as theirs approaching their direction.


    The g flying from its mast was that of an eagle, presumably indicative of the merchant ship''s affiliating power.


    It''s good that it''s not another pirate ship!


    Although Hoel did not recognize the eagle g as belonging to any of the major powers he was aware of.


    Hoel was an experienced captain and immediately recognized it as a medium to small merchant ship like theirs, which would likely likewise not have any strong Professionals on board.@@novelbin@@


    Watching the ship quickly approach, Hoel felt puzzled.


    "That ship... seems to be moving a bit too fast, doesn''t it?"


    In Hoel''s view, the merchant ship that had been but a tiny dot a moment ago had suddenly expanded several timesrger.


    It was moving much faster than the pirate ship behind them!


    "Captain, that ship is heading towards us, what should we do?"


    The sailor in the crow''s nest shouted loudly, his voice tinged with urgency.


    "Send a signal with gs!"


    "Tell them we need help!"


    Hoel did not hesitate and immediately issued the order.


    No matter what, the appearance of this helper meant a concentration of forces that might be able to stand against the relentlessly pursuing pirate ship.


    Hopefully, they could secure a chance to negotiate!


    The sailor in the crow''s nest quickly waved the gs in his hands, conveying a message to the iing merchant ship usingmon semaphore signals.


    Even though the action might be noticed by the pirate ship behind them, Hoel and his crew had no other choice.


    The sailor repeated the g signal several times in the strengthening sea breeze, but there was no response from the approaching merchant ship, which instead continued closing in even more rapidly.


    On the blue ocean, rippled by waves, the swift merchant ship was slicing through the water, its white wake speaking to its rapid advancement.


    Hoel, too, noticed this and was left stunned, standing aghast on the spot.

 Chapter 315 Lis Electrifying Online.jpg

    The pirate ship captain Hett''s face twisted as he looked at his nearly shattered pirate ship, fury surging in his heart.


    The sailors on the pirate ship all stared dumbfounded at the ship that had suddenly rammed them; even two unfortunate fellows couldn''t dodge in time and were smashed into pulp.


    "Damn you!"


    Hett cursed as he looked at [Eagle].


    Suddenly, he noticed that although his pirate ship was nearly snapped in half, the other vessel appeared unscathed.


    "Haha, I didn''t expect your ship to be so good, it''s going to be mine soon!"


    Hett had this confidence naturally. As one of the pirates who had roamed the Pearl Sea for more than half a year, apart from those few pirate ships with Gold-level professionals, he believed it was his turn next.


    His ambition was also to break through and be a Gold-level strong man, to join the top ranks of the Pearl Sea.


    However, he hadn''t expected today''s mere routine plundering of a merchant ship to lead to such an ident.


    Wielding the long knife in his hand, Hett clearly saw a few people standing on that strange ship. Enjoy exclusive adventures from My Virtual Library Empire


    The apparent leader was a handsome young man, whose clean and tidy, gorgeously dressed appearance didn''t seem like someone who made a living on the sea.


    Rather, he looked more like one of those Kingdom Nobles'' descendants.


    Hett had seen many of those before, and honestly, many nobles crumbled in terror at first sight of Hett, their faces full of fear, screaming for mercy.


    The sight of those nobles kneeling and begging for their lives before Hett greatly satisfied his vanity.


    After all, Hett had once been an adventurer in a kingdom in the southern part of the Fanor Continent, only to provoke a Great Noble by ident and had to flee his homnd in a desperate escape.


    Hett grew to hate the existence of nobles even more.


    After tormenting those nobles, finishing them off with a single stroke brought Hett a unique kind of pleasure.


    But, the young man on the other ship was somewhat special.


    Yes!


    Hett couldn''t see any sign of fear or dread on his face; he looked calm as if nothing was amiss.


    A sudden sense of unease struck his heart, but Hett shook his head, dismissing it.


    Thinking too much was a waste of time.


    "Men! Attack, seize that ship for me!"


    At Hett''s roar, all the pirates snapped out of their shock, temporarily forgetting the impact, drew their weapons, and bravely leaped towards the other ship.


    The two ships were connected, not even needing a grappling rope.


    Dozens of pirates fell onto [Eagle] like dumplings.


    They couldn''t help but be proactive; although their leader Hett was cruel to his targets, he was still fairly generous.


    The more proactive ones got more Gold Coins.


    As a result, many of the pirates on his ship were once sailors on the merchant ships he had plundered; now weren''t they all working hard as pirates?


    It was about saving their lives and making money.


    For those with low self-expectations, it was not shameful at all!


    ...


    On [Eagle], Evar nodded as he steered directly towards the pirate ship.


    He had once questioned Lord Lis''s orders, but after witnessing the hardened hull transformed by Lis, he never hesitated again.


    He even started enjoying this thrilling sensation.


    "Lord Lis, what''s our next move?"


    Evar asked Lis, already gripping his weapon in his hand.


    "There are three Silver Professionals on the other ship; their captain should possess Silver High Rank strength. Take him to the sea, and coordinate with Charles like before."


    "Basel and Charles will do the same, leave the rest to me."


    Charles and the others nodded, no objections whatsoever.


    For them, with powerhouse Lis backing them, there was nothing to fear.


    Watching the pirates jumping towards them, Lis''s crew picked up Shields.


    They were not there to fight; their profession only required them to protect themselves, not to do the killing.


    The leading trio among the pirates jumping from the other ship were just the three Silver-level strong men Lis had detected through the Detection Spell.


    Evar, Charles, and theirpanions immediately confronted all three Silver Professionals.


    This pirate ship they encountered was the strongest they had faced in the past month, with the previous pirate ships having only one or two Silver Professionals.


    A pirate ship with a Golden Strong Man on the Pearl Sea was already considered to be among the top pirate forces.@@novelbin@@


    After all, at this time, the pirate forces in the Pearl Sea couldn''tpare to those from the chaotic future.


    Although the leading trio was stopped by Charles and hispanions, the remaining pirates kept falling onto [Eagle], wielding their weapons and charging at Lis.


    In their eyes, taking down the remaining few seemed easy.


    In front of them, the somewhat short Helen


    Lis nodded and pulled a Jade Wand from his storage ring.


    Ding~


    Lis''s jade-green glowing wand struck the deck heavily, making a deep sound.


    Hum!


    Five-Ring Magic [Resistance Ring]!


    A white halo appeared once more, rapidly expanding from Lis''s side.


    As it moved over Helen and [Eagle''s] sailors, it passed through them without causing a ripple.


    But when it touched those pirates, they felt a tremendous force suddenly applied to them.

 Chapter 316 Pirate Hunter - Eagle

    Ding~


    The system notification rang beside Lis''s ear, and he casually opened the system panel to find that, in addition to the Experience Points gained from killing pirates, there was a new alert refreshed.


    ---------------


    [You have obtained a new milestone [Pirate Hunter - Eagle]]


    [Milestone [Pirate Hunter - Eagle]: The deeds of your ship, the Eagle, striking against pirates in the Treasure Pearl Sea are starting to be known to all. Your actions will attract the wariness of some, but even more so, the respect of others. Region Legend Level +1]@@novelbin@@


    ---------------


    Region Legend Level, huh, it should only be the reputation in the Treasure Pearl Sea region. If I were to be a Pirate King, strutting across the East Coast of the continent like that, I might then earn a continent-wide Legend Level.


    However, this can also increase the Experience cap for the yer tasks I issue now.


    Lis''s current Experience cap is mostly consumed through the influence module in the system panel. In the months since leaving Bright City, the experience he gained daily has not decreased, and the umted Experience is more and more.


    This is quite normal. Lis has also paid attention to the yer forum to rx. Now all yers have reached around Level 20, about to reach the first version''s cap.


    Therefore, yers are holding onto more and more Experience Points and are more willing to spend Experience Points to learn Skills in Lis''s Skill Store.


    What''s more important is that when Lis left Bright City, he arranged for his brother Mora to expand the White Dove Chamber of Commerce to other areas of the Feis Kingdom and to recruit yers.


    Looking at it now, the effect seems pretty good.


    The [Influence] system module of Lis showed that the number of recruited yers had increased significantlypared to before.


    Moreover, on the yer forum, Lis found many posts rted to the White Dove Chamber of Commerce, most of which were about how to better take advantage of the White Dove Chamber of Commerce, guides for Guild Tasks, rmendations for exchanging contribution points, and so on. Discussions and poprity rted to the White Dove Chamber of Commerce among the yers are quite high.


    Lis even saw posts by yers from other countries discussing whether or not to join the White Dove Chamber of Commerce across nations.


    There were even quite a few yer postspiling information about Lis''s whereabouts, with thetest update still cing him in the northern part of the Feis Kingdom.


    After all, during Lis''s time in the Dillon Kingdom, he mostly used the alias "Moriarty," and neither the Kovia Hills nor Ward City were ces where yers could step foot in yet.


    Speaking of which, the yers'' ''crops'' should be about ready for the harvest, right? It might be time to reap them soon.


    Lis nodded his head and refocused his attention.


    On board the Eagle now, aside from the two pirates in front of Helen, the rest of the pirates had been killed on the spot.


    Helen''s little face was earnest as she wielded her Longsword methodically inbat with the pirate in front of her, who was just an average person.


    The pirate had a hesitant look, moving timidly and seemed utterly reluctant to strike at Helen.


    There was no helping it. A group of Silver Level powerhouses was eyeing his every move, the pressure was immense.


    His abilities were already inferior to Helen''s, and in such a State, he quickly became flustered under her pressure and was soon going to admit defeat.


    Lis nodded in approval. This was Helen''s firstbat experience; to perform so poised and unleash her own strength without disorder was already a sign of exceptional Talent.


    Letting Helen win her first battle was also a better method for cultivating her confidence.


    Of course, the Bronze Level Professional she was going to face soon wouldn''t be so easy.


    If that Bronze Level pirate went too easy on her, Lis would secretly pass a message asking him to go a bit harder, to let Helen experience the dangers of this world.


    "Mr. Lis, the captain of that merchant ship hase over and would like tomunicate with you," Evar approached and said with a bow.


    "No need, just tell them to leave directly," Lis replied nonchntly, waving his hand, but then fell silent for a moment before saying to Evar:


    "Wait, do it like this, tell them to pay protection money!"


    "Protection money?"


    Evar was a bit confused, not quite understanding what Lis meant.


    "We protected them from that pirate ship, didn''t we? Just have them pay an amount equivalent to ten percent of their ship''s value."


    Lis''s mouth curved up slightly as he continued:


    "After all, we''re on a pirate ship. Can''t be too nice to them. I don''t want to work for free."


    "Alright, I''ll go tell them right now," Evar said, now understanding Lis''s intention. It''s just like those port gangs collecting protection rackets!


    That captain would probably ept it too. It''s far better than being plundered by pirates outright.


    ...


    Hoel, the captain of the Mord Commerce merchant ship, had originally nned to just sail away, but before he could get far, he noticed a merchant ship suddenly emerge and dispose of the pirate ship.


    Hoel didn''t believe that pirate ship was weak; he saw very clearly the violet-blue Magic Light and the numerous thunderbolts falling from mid-air, all indicating that there was a powerful Mage aboard that ship.


    Hoel could tell that the ship''s target was the pirate ship, and so he didn''t think it appropriate to leave directly.


    After all, they had potentially saved their lives, and it seemed proper toe forward and express their gratitude.


    Read new chapters at My Virtual Library Empire


    More importantly, if the other party nned to head toward the nearby port, Hoel nned to follow that ship to hitch a ride.


    The Treasure Pearl Sea had indeed started to be chaotic recently, and he was somewhat worried about encountering another pirate ship.

 Chapter 317 Divine Country Fragment?

    In a certain area of the Treasure Pearl Sea,


    Lis, apanied by Evar, came to the location where they had previously discovered the Mysterious Ind.


    Lis''s expression was calm, but Evar seemed very nervous.


    For him, this was the goal he had been striving for all these years, and today it was finally going to be realized.


    With his emotions stirring, he carefully shifted his gaze toward Lis.


    Now, all his hopes were pinned on Lis; he couldn''t help but pay close attention.


    Lis didn''t pay any mind to Evar''s subtle movements, gripping tightly the blue Divine Artifact Fragment in his hand.


    Just like before, he had asked Charles and the others to stay on the Eagle with Helen, only bringing Evar with him.


    After all, there could be unpredictable dangers on Divine Ind, and Lis might not be able to look after others when the time came.


    As for Evar, he was willing to take on this risk for the chance to increase his strength.


    "Are you ready?"


    Lis asked Evar. Read thetest on My Virtual Library Empire


    "No problem, Lord Lis."


    Evar took a deep breath and nodded in response.


    "All right, then let''s begin."


    Lis controlled their descent to the sea''s surface, right in front of the special spot that ck Cat Little Mi had sensedst time.


    That was where Divine Ind was supposed to be.


    Lis tried to sense the area, but after some effort, he still shook his head.


    It was no use; he still couldn''t sense anything special.


    Could it be that the grandeur of the divine was beyond his current understanding?


    There was an inevitable sense of regret in Lis''s heart as he held onto the Storm Trident Fragment.


    How should this thing be used?


    Lis pondered for a moment, trying to infuse it with Magic Power.


    But the Divine Artifact Fragment, like a bottomless pit, devoured Lis''s Magic Power without any response.


    Lis cut off the infusion of Magic Power, deciding that wasn''t the right approach.


    Then, Lis attempted to probe the air in front of them with the Storm Trident.


    Hmm?


    What was supposed to be empty space, unyielding to Lis''s probing, suddenly felt like it was obstructed by a barrier when Lis held the Divine Artifact Fragment.


    It was as though there was a wall in front of him, stopping the advancement of the Divine Artifact Fragment.


    As expected!


    Lis did not retract his right hand; instead, he reached out with his left hand towards the half-space where the Divine Artifact Fragment met resistance.


    However, the result was the same as before; Lis''s left hand didn''t feel anything unusual.


    Could it be the influence of some dimension of space that I don''t understand?


    With an understanding in mind, Lis stopped probing and applied greater force with his withdrawing hand, pushing the Divine Artifact Fragment against the membrane to continue forward.


    The right hand holding the Divine Artifact Fragment felt as if it was enveloped in glue, the resistance it was facing growing stronger, but Lis could sense the Artifact Fragment in his right hand was moving forward, albeit slowly.@@novelbin@@


    After a while, Lis felt that the obstruction in front seemed to have reached a critical point, he continued to apply force.


    Crack!


    A clear sound emerged in front of Lis, as the Storm Trident suddenly erupted with a sky-reaching azure light.


    In the glow of this azure light, Lis saw it.


    In front of him and Evar, there was a massive semispherical dome over a hundred meters tall, emitting a faint white light, inverted over the sea in front of them.


    Was this the barrier that concealed Divine Ind?


    Immediately, Lis noticed that where the Storm Trident had prated, huge cracks began to spread across the barrier, with continuous cracking sounds.


    When the entire barrier was covered in cracks, a sudden change urred.


    Boom!


    The entire massive barrier shattered abruptly, its fragments turning into specks of white light that merged into the Storm Trident Fragment in Lis''s hand.


    But Lis paid no attention to this change, because the scene hidden behind the barrier finally appeared before the two of them.


    It was a curious little ind, not veryrge, but one that would captivate the gaze upon first sight.


    By the pristine beach, there was densely lush greenery, heavy fruits hanging on vibrant green branches.


    Lychee, coconut, bananas, pineapples, among others��even many fruits Lis couldn''t name��colorful and glossy as if they were gemstones of various hues, swaying gently in the slight sea breeze, highly enticing.


    Through the thick jungle, a clear stream flowed out, its pale blue waters being washed by the beach and joining the great ocean.


    Above the dense jungle, a temple could be faintly seen standing in the depths at the center of the ind.


    That must be the core of this ind!


    "Yes, yes!"


    Evar, standing by Lis''s side, stared intently at the ind suddenly appearing before their eyes, his expression full of excitement.


    "This is it, this is the ind I once reached!"


    Evar''s words revealed utter joy; he remembered the surprise and tion of seeing this Mysterious Ind after the storm.


    And now, the goal he had been working towardsy right before him.


    Unable to contain his excitement, Evar moved to rush towards the ind.


    "Wait!"


    With a wave of his hand, Lis controlled Evar in ce with Magic Power.


    "I know you''re eager, but let''s not be hasty right now."


    Lis soothed Evar for a moment, then bowed his head to study the situation.

 Chapter 318 The Bizarre Divine Island

    Upon the ind,


    when~


    A crisp shing sound rang by Lis''s ears, rousing him from his somewhat dazed state.


    Looking at the vines that had suddenly burst from a nearby tree, Lis furrowed his brows.


    What''s going on?


    Why did my mind suddenly drift off, and why did I end up picking a banana?


    Looking at the banana in his hand, and the dark green vines still writhing in front of him, trying to prate his shield.


    Lis suddenly realized something��that the fruit-bearing trees on this ind weren''t like the usual ones, eaching from different trees.


    For instance, bananas and mangoes shoulde from different types of trees, but in this forest, there was only a single type of tree as far as the eye could see.


    It was a tree that stood three meters tall, its trunk a light blue slightly fading to white, with branches and leaves forming an umbre-like canopy of emerald green.


    All the fruits grew directly from the trunk, and even a single tree could bear many different kinds of fruits.


    The vine that had attacked Lis was coiled around one tree trunk, as thick as a human arm, and sharply pointed��it seemed that if Lis hadn''t cast a protective spell on himself beforehand, that brief attack would have injured him.


    Lis hurled a fireball at it, and the dark green vine was instantly enveloped in blue mes, writhing for a few moments before turning into ash.@@novelbin@@


    Why did it attack me?


    Lis wondered to himself, was it because I picked the fruit?


    But Evar had done something simr just moments before; why wasn''t he attacked?


    Wait, why did I pick that banana?


    ording to my usual habits, I wouldn''t touch these things lightly.


    Lis suddenly noticed the root of the problem.


    Including these bizarre fruit trees alongside him��although he had carefully inspected them before entering the ind, he somehow had not noticed...


    No, although the Detection Magic was ineffective, these tantly unusual trees were right in front of my eyes, yet I carelessly overlooked them.


    Something was interfering with my mind, making me ignore the anomalies in these trees and even prompting me to pick the fruits.


    Having realized this, Lis carefully examined his surroundings.


    Apart from the vine that had suddenly attacked him, Lis found no other abnormalities; even the fruits appeared normal and edible.


    To avoid being mentally interfered with again, Lis even used a spell of mental intervention on himself and temporarily relied on the higher slots of the "Sphinx''s Wisdom," a piece of Legendary Equipment, to examine himself.


    With such meticulous inspection, Lis confirmed that he was no longer being interfered with.


    If the force of mental interference could surpass the "Sphinx''s Wisdom," then Lis saw no point in struggling.


    As it was, he couldn''t withstand it!


    Evar, who had walked ahead, also noticed Lis being attacked and immediately threw away the mango he was enjoying. Experience more on My Virtual Library Empire


    There really was danger!


    Evar''s expression tightened instantly, and he stood still, daring not to move.


    The joy of stepping onto the ind again was dissipated by this sudden attack; now, all that remained in his heart was vignce.


    After all, Evar was a seasoned mercenary, not so easily enchanted by the possibility of treasure that he would neglect his caution.


    Furthermore, this scenario further validated what Lis had said earlier��the ind was no simple ce; at least, it was definitely dangerous.


    The memories of hisst visit to the ind had faded since Evar had been in a state of extreme copse at the time, leaving only scattered impressions behind.


    He didn''t know how he had left the indst time, but that didn''t mean the ind was without its dangers.


    Evar remained silent for a moment, then nced over at Lis with an inquiring look.


    Waving his hand, Lis stood up.


    Having discovered no valuable information, he could only be more vignt himself.


    Evar walked ahead, with Lis following behind, as the two slowly ventured deeper into the Divine Ind.


    Both became alert to the changes around them, and Evar''s mood was no longer as rxed as before.


    The ground underfoot had changed from golden sand to ck soil covered with tender green grass, and a faint mist began to fill the air.


    Very rich in water attribute magic elements!


    So rich that all Lis needed to do was slightly guide it, and the pale blue magic particles flowed into his body like a stream.


    Mages in such an environment actually felt much morefortable.


    However, Lis also noticed that the range of his spiritual power detection was gradually decreasing again, suppressed to only about eight meters around him.


    Lis took a deep breath, tried to rx as much as possible, and carefully sensed the surroundings.


    For some reason, Lis felt as though a heavy stone was pressing on his chest, the pressure growing heavier.


    It was somewhat simr to the feeling he had faced in Bright City when he encountered the Divine Incarnation of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts, though the pressure was much less.


    Was this the lingering power of that deity?


    He wondered how long ago the God of Storms and Thunder had fallen?


    Lis had never heard of this deity before.


    Of course, the Gaia Main World had buried countless perished deities throughout the aeons of ancient time; even powerful divine beings couldn''t exist forever.


    If including the mad ughter in the Endless Abyss, that number would be even greater.


    What Lis knew was only a small part; even the histories prior to human records were a mystery to him.

 Chapter 319 Prayer

    Lis and Evar walked in the direction the ck cat had indicated.


    Although Evar did not know why Lis had changed direction, he followed Lis''s lead without question, trusting him implicitly.


    After an indeterminate amount of time, just as Lis had begun to adapt to the environment of Divine Ind, he suddenly realized that the forest ahead was thinning.


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    The fog that had been drifting through the air also started to dissipate.


    Are we... about to leave this ce?


    With a sh of Magic Light, the Jade Wand appeared in Lis''s hand, casting protective and enhancement Spells on both him and Evar.@@novelbin@@


    Seeing this, Evar also drew his Longsword and began to be on guard.


    The two of them slowly walked forward, with only the sound of their footsteps rustling through the silence.


    When Lis and Evar emerged from the forest, they found that they hadn''t left the woods but rather hade upon a clearing in the center of the forest.


    Stepping on grey-green stone bricks, Lis and Evar watched with somber expressions as a building suddenly came into view before them.


    It was a lofty altar of pure white, with exquisite patterns of cyan and blue meandering upon the glistening white jade steps, faintly shimmering with a special radiance.


    At the highest point of the altar, at its very center, was a unique podium of wave-shaped stone, upon which Lis could vaguely see a cyan-blue Treasure Bead floating above.


    The altar had a total of ten stone tiers, and with each ascending tier, the intricate patterns on the steps became moreplex and mysterious. Merely gazing upon them, Lis felt as if gales and thunder were shing before his eyes.


    It was as if he was caught in the midst of a tempestuous sea ridden with storms and thunder, like a small boat unable to extract himself, passively enduring the assault.


    This abnormal sensation forced Lis to involuntarily close his eyes, momentarily relieving the Spiritual Shock he was experiencing.


    While the sight of this extraordinary and mystical altar was within Lis''s expectations, the unexpected part was that atop the altar were several figures kneeling on the lowest stone tier.


    With hands pressed together as if silently praying, they were dressed in simple white robes decorated with cyan and blue motifs reminiscent of Storms and Thunder.


    People?


    How can there be others here?


    Are they alive or some kind of monster?


    Upon witnessing this unusual sight, Lis''s attention was immediately piqued.


    At this moment, Evar seemed still lost in the influence of the altar, not yet havinge to his senses.


    Lis did not rush to wake him but instead carefully observed the figures on the altar.


    Moving a few steps closer to the altar, Lis suddenly heard voicesing from its direction.


    "My Lord Ansel!


    You are the protector of sailors!... You are the embodiment of Thunder!... You are the sovereign of the endless Storm!


    My Lord Ansel!


    You grant us Newborn!... Your Divine Country shelters the souls of the believers, preventing them from returning to nothingness!


    My Lord Ansel!


    ..."


    Listening to those murmuring prayers, Lis frowned.


    They were praying to the God of Storms and Thunder, Ansel. Were these his believers?


    It wouldn''t be strange to encounter believers on the ind left behind by the deity Ansel.


    But what was baffling was that the deity had fallen an untold time ago; how could there still be believers here?


    One must understand, while the existence of deities is profoundly mystical and their lives incredibly tenacious, it is quite difficult to kill them.


    As long as their believers and their Divinity remain, and no one else has taken their Divine Position, these deities might have a chance to resurrect from the river of time.


    That being said, only other deities or some extremely special circumstances could cause a deity to fall.


    The deities who had caused the downfall would naturally not allow for any chance of resurrection, arranging for their believers to be hunted and exterminated, taking over or bestowing their divine positions to others, eliminating any possibility of Resurrection.


    Most importantly, once a deity has fallen, their believers will intuitively sense it��prayers go unanswered, and the deities'' priests will lose all their spellcasting abilities, some even losing control over their inner Magic Power and dying on the spot.


    Apart from the fanatics of Devout Faith, most believers are quite pragmatic creatures; once they lose protection, they abandon their faith or switch allegiance to another deity.


    Therefore, deities who manage to return are exceedingly rare; only a few potent deities like the Lord of Dawn have such tales recorded, and whether those records are true remains up for debate.


    Lis found it hard to believe a deity like the God of Storms and Thunder Ansel could achieve such a feat��so what was this situation?


    "That is a Prayer!"


    The ck cat''s voice suddenly resonated in the depths of Lis''s mind, with a grave tone.


    "A Prayer?"


    Lis echoed, hardly believing it.


    This is impossible!


    Lis was very clear on what a Prayer was.


    Or to put it another way, anyone with the slightest knowledge of the Church of the Gods would be aware of this existence.


    Prayers are the faithful believers of All Gods, who, at the end of their lives, will not have their souls fall into the Nether River and journey to the Netherworld. Instead, they are taken by their worshiped deities into the Divine Country, there to obtain eternal Life.


    This is every God believers'' aspiration, and also one of the reasons they chose to worship the Gods.


    Eternal life��what a temptingly powerful word!

 Chapter 320 [Ansels Faith Crystal]

    ```


    The dagger''s crisp sound echoed over the altar.


    Lis felt a shock in his hand, as if the dagger had struck iron, the rebounding force causing some numbness in his right hand.


    Seeing the divine light of the Holy Spells in the other three Prayers'' hands, Lis had no choice but to retreat for the time being.


    Retreating tens of meters, Lis''s eyes were fixed on the four Prayers; his recent [Throat Cutting] had been ineffective, leaving the targeted Prayerpletely unaffected.


    The sharp dagger flickered dexterously in Lis''s hand, yet his face remained calm, showing no sign of disappointment from his earlier misstep.


    This was his first encounter with a Prayer, and it was normal to have unexpected oues.


    In his previous life, Lis had also explored the shattered Divine Country, but this was the first time he had ever encountered a Prayer.


    He had attempted to move in close for a direct attack to iste and break them down, but he hadn''t expected the Prayers'' bodies to be so formidable.


    The feeling from the sh of the dagger was like encountering a Gold-level warrior; even Lis''s attack couldn''t break through their defense.


    It made sense, for as one of the Divine Country''s defensive forces, the Prayers naturally weren''t going to be easy opponents.


    Silver Level strength meant nothing in the face of adversaries capable of invading the Divine Country.


    Even if ants could kill an elephant, facing Divine Level strength required at least Gold-level power.


    Perhaps these Prayers had weakened considerably due to the fall of the divinities and the shattering of the Divine Country.


    But while their power might have diminished, their previously enhanced physical strength hadn''t been reduced.


    Though this was Lis''s first sh with the Prayers, he still knew some basic intelligence about them.


    That is, the bodies of the Prayers were not their original flesh and blood.


    Prayers were the souls of deceased followers who entered the Divine Country under guidance, and whose bodies were formed under the influence of its power.


    Thus, except in a few cases, the abilities of the Divine Country''s Prayers had little to do with their life before death, being more influenced by the will of the divinity.


    So,pared to mortals of flesh and blood, these Prayers were more like elemental beings made of energy life.


    Continuing to retreat, preparing for a new wave of attacks, Lis suddenly noticed the Prayers resuming their prayerful state.


    It was as if they were like the mechanical creatures from his past life��if Lis left their attack range, aggression would simply reset.


    Furthermore, before Lis had entered invisibility to initiate an attack, not a single Prayer had detected his presence.


    The Prayers seemed to operate rigidly like machines,pletely inflexible and without adaptability.


    With his own capabilities, taking down these Prayers in closebat seemed unlikely.


    Lis put away the dagger in his hand and drew out his usual Jade Wand.


    Although he had undergone long and arduous training to improve his closebat skills far beyond what they were when he first advanced in rank, Lis still had more confidence in his Mage abilities.


    The Magic Wand moved subtly, and a dozen pale blue fireballs materialized in front of Lis.


    [Blue Ball Skill] was Lis''s first arcane, and also the one he had studied the most extensively.


    Although it was a Three-Ring Magic, under Lis''s arcane research and the augment of Experience Points, its power had increased significantly.


    Moreover, for a Mage, higher level Spells didn''t necessarily mean stronger spells.


    High-Circle Magic often represented a higher rank of Magic, with more special Skill Effects, and wasn''t necessarily more powerful than Low-level Magic in terms of destructive force.


    Just like the Fireball Technique, even in the hands of a Legendary Mage, it wasn''t necessarily useful inbat, often being modified to be more handy due to personal refinements.


    [Blue Ball Skill], one of the Spells Lis was most adept with.


    Under Lis''s control, the pale blue fireballs streaked towards the Prayers.


    At first, the Prayers didn''t react, but as the fireballs came within several meters of them, they suddenly looked up.


    Pale white Shields appeared around their bodies, the blue fireballs colliding directly with the Shields.


    Boom, boom, boom!


    The loud explosions resonated through the clearing in the woods, sadly not startling a single bird into flight for Lis''s amusement.


    Lis didn''t rush to act; he noted that the Prayers'' Shields were not unscathed under his attack, already showing many cracks.


    The ability to cast Shields meant their bodies weren''t immune to Magic Attacks, and Lis''s attacks were still a threat to them.


    More importantly, the Prayers'' Shields didn''t look very solid.


    It seemed Lis''s attack had rmed the Prayers, and although he was some distance away, they didn''t hesitate tounch an offensive towards him.


    Divine Arts [Holy me Technique]!


    Divine Arts [Giant Wave Skill]!


    Divine Arts [Meteor Impact]!


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    These four Prayers seemed to possess the capabilities of Divine Priests, disying little cooperation among themselves; their current attack methods were more akin to stic Energy Mages, casting Divine Arts and attacking Lis directly.


    Lis, as a Mage with extensivebat experience, naturally wasn''t phased by such a situation.


    With a speed on par with an assassin of equal ranking, dodging attacks was almost second nature to him.


    If there was an attack he couldn''t evade, he''d block it with Protection Magic.


    As he kept dodging, Lis also tried out different kinds of spells, probing the capabilities of the Prayers.


    Divine Country Priests usually had the same Divine Arts, mainly distinguished ording to the divinity''s alignment.@@novelbin@@


    ```

 Chapter 321 Descendants of My Lord!

    ```


    "Divine Power?"


    Lis lifted the cyan treasure bead in his hand and examined it carefully.


    In his previous life, Lis was not without Divine Power, but even when yers obtained Divine Power, it was usually stored in special containers, without an effective method of utilization.


    After all, yers in his previous life were only Gold at their strongest.


    Now, Lis was the same, or rather he was still just a Silver.


    He had not expected toe across Divine Power so early!


    Lis caressed the Faith Crystal in his hand and asked the ck Cat in his mind:


    "How can I extract the Divine Power from it?"


    Although Lis had obtained the Faith Crystal, his tier was too low to use it, and he did not know how to extract its stored Divine Power.


    Come to think of it, if the Faith Crystal still contained Divine Power, perhaps that''s why those Prayers were able to exist until now!


    "I can''t help either."


    The ck Cat''szy voice rang in Lis''s mind, and after a pause, it asked:


    "Since you have no other use for it right now, why not let your earring absorb the Faith Crystal directly?"


    A thought crossed Lis''s mind, and he naturally understood what the ck Cat meant.


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    His earring was the Legendary-level essory "Sphinx''s Wisdom," one of the most precious in the category of Legendary Equipment.


    Especially since before, "Sphinx''s Wisdom" had its Equipment Effect 8 unveiled from the fog.


    This new effect allowed "Sphinx''s Wisdom" to consume Divine Power to enhance its Equipment Effect and evolve.


    Anyway, Lis currently had no use for Divine Power, or rather, Divine Power was not a strengthener but a poison to Lis now.


    Lis was not able to withstand the pressure that gaining Divine Power put on his body.


    Moreover, Uncle Joyce had previously warned him not to casually ept the Divine Power from deities.


    This secret realm was not familiar to Lis, and he did not know if the treasures within had any hidden dangers.


    It would be better to use this as the catalyst for the evolution of "Sphinx''s Wisdom"!


    Having made up his mind, Lis no longer hesitated and immediately removed the exquisite earring worn on his left ear.


    Gentlyying the Faith Crystal on top of the earring, the four Elemental Origin Gems at the core of the earring started to flicker with dazzling Magic Radiance.


    The fist-sized cyan treasure bead softened and caved under the illumination of the Magic Radiance, with cyan liquid flowing onto the earring before being quickly devoured by the glittering gemstones.


    In no time at all, the Faith Crystal of Ansel in Lis''s hand waspletely devoured by "Sphinx''s Wisdom."


    The earring flickered several times before gradually dimming down and returning to its usual appearance.


    Lis held the earring in his hand and examined it; perhaps it was an illusion, but he felt that the Legendary earring seemed a bit brighter.


    -----------------


    [essory: "Sphinx''s Wisdom"]


    Tier: Legendary


    Introduction: The ultimate masterpiece of the Legendary Arcanist Sphinx, the splendid crystallization of his boundless wisdom. It will open the treasure of knowledge for you!


    Equipment Effect 1: [Sphinx''s Knowledge Treasure]


    Equipment Effect 2: [Divergent Arcane Revtion]


    Equipment Effect 3: [Insightful Arcane Revtion]


    Equipment Effect 4: [Creative Arcane Revtion]


    Equipment Effect 5: Attribute Enhancement (Half Sealed)


    Equipment Effect 6: Elemental Affinity Enhancement (Half Sealed)


    Equipment Effect 7: Soul Enhancement (Half Sealed)


    While wearing this equipment, your soul experiences a new sublimation. Soul Strength slightly increases, Spirit Resistance +10%, immune to negative effects of soul and mental abilities of the Second Circle and below.


    Equipment Effect 8: Divine Power Enhancement (Half Sealed)


    "Sphinx''s Wisdom" can store a certain amount of Divine Power, consuming it to selectively enhance a specific Equipment Effect.


    Current Divine Power storage: 64/100


    ...


    Equipment Effect 10: ... (Sealed)


    ---------------


    Just as expected!


    Looking at the new changes on the system panel, Lis nodded.


    Afterpleting the absorption of the Faith Crystal, "Sphinx''s Wisdom" also received a new enhancement.


    No!


    It would be more correct to say it was recovering its former strength.


    From the newly appeared Equipment Effect 7, it was clear to see that "Sphinx''s Wisdom" had aprehensive strength, enhancing Lis''s abilities in every aspect.


    It was indeed the ultimate crystallization of wisdom from the Legendary Arcanist Sphinx!@@novelbin@@


    It is unbelievable that Sphinx didn''t leave any other Legendary Equipment or artifacts behind; Lis would not believe that.


    But the fact that only this piece remained suggested Sphinx believed this Legendary-level essory was his ultimate achievement, and no other artifacts deserved to be disyed alongside it in the temple.


    Lis shook his head and didn''t continue to specte.


    With his current state, he was yet unable to glimpse the thoughts of a Legendary Arcanist. His first priority was to enhance his strength.


    At the same time, Lis also noticed that in Equipment Effect 8, "Divine Power Enhancement," the storage of Divine Power had reached 64 points.


    Not bad, already more than many legacies of Divine Power found in the remnants of deities he remembered!


    Lis nodded, quite satisfied.


    With this, the Divine Power needed for the first enhancement was more than halfway stored.


    As a legacy of the power of deities, Divine Power is extremely precious, butparatively, it is also the mostmonly found.


    Divinity, Divine Status, and even divine positions that exist conceptually are rarer and more precious.


    Even so, obtaining Divine Power is the first step on the Path of God Sealing, sought after by countless Legendary Strongmen.


    ```

 Chapter 322 The Legacy of the Divine Ansel

    As soon as the voice fell, Lis and Evar quickly raised their weapons toward the direction of the pce.


    The sound had indeede from that direction.


    "There''s no need to be so tense,"


    the ancient voice calmly resounded.


    "I mean no harm."


    Then, within their line of sight, a somewhat ethereal pale figure slowly emerged at the grand doors of the pce, its body floating in mid-air.


    Upon seeing that this figure did not possess a flesh-and-blood body but rather seemed to be a soul-like existence akin to ghosts,


    it appeared to be an elderly person, with a slightly hunched body. The face was aged, with wrinklesyering like ravines.


    This figure was dressed in a pristine white robe, adorned with more intricate and beautiful cyan and blue designs than the Prayers Lis had encountered before. These unique and charming patterns closely matched the style of the pce here, both divine and elevating in their spiritual grace.@@novelbin@@


    The ancient gaze of the figure calmly met that of Lis and Evar without any movement.


    Evar, sensing that the elderly apparition appearing before them seemed to harbor no ill will, ventured to ask:


    "Who are you?"


    "Why are you in this ce?"


    The elder looked at them, his eyes filled with the colors of time.


    "I am Ansel, the Main Priest of the Divine Temple here."


    "Has it been so long since My Lord left, that finally others havee here?"


    Hearing this self-proimed spirit of Ansel speak sentimentally, Evar remained vignt:


    "You said this ce is a divine temple, but which deity?"


    Lis stood silently to the side, his Magic Wand in his grasp.


    Although he had learned from the System that this ind was a remnant of Storm and Thunder God Ansel, he had not shared the deity''s name with Evar, as it was not necessary to reveal too much.


    However, now was a good time to see exactly what this spirit was about.


    It seemed this spirit, having a mind of its own and able to exist at the core of this ind, was not someone simple.


    "My Lord, the great [Storm and Thunder God Ansel]!"


    As Ansel recited the name of the deity, he seemed to be much more fervent and devout, as if venerating the deity from the bottom of his heart.


    "Lord Lis, what do you think?"


    Seeing this, Evar turned his gaze to Lis.


    When it came to entities of a higher order, Evar''s knowledge and insight werecking, and he could not discern the truth of Ansel''s words.


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    Lis nodded slightly and looked toward Ansel.


    "I have never heard of this deity''s name, nor have I heard of such an entity."


    Lis concealed the fact that he knew about this deity from the System,


    "That''s only natural!"


    Ansel''s face naturally expressed a deep mncholy.


    "I do not know how many long years have passed in the outside world, but it seems in the Human Kingdom countless generations have changed already."


    "In the absence of My Lord, naturally, no one would remember His revered name."


    "Are you saying that the deity Ansel has already fallen?"


    Lis asked promptly, closely observing Ansel''s expression.


    After a long silence, Ansel slowly admitted:


    "Yes, although I am not sure, it was probably caused by My Lord''s enemy, that [Lord of Storm], I suppose."


    The Lord of Storm, was it really due to a battle for the Divine Domain?


    Lis noted this, guessing nearly as much, and then continued to probe:


    "So what exactly is this ind?"


    "If the deity you served has fallen, why are you still unharmed?"


    Normally, speaking so directly to a deity''s follower would be somewhat offensive, but Ansel in front of them didn''t seem to mind.


    "This is a small part of My Lord Ansel''s Divine Country, including this temple of My Lord Ansel."


    "If possible, I would have wished to follow My Lord in passing, but right now I cannot, as I still have duties to fulfill."


    After finishing his words, Ansel did not stop to wait for questions from Lis but looked instead toward Evar behind Lis.


    As Ansel raised his withered right hand, a trail of cyan-blue light emerged from Evar''s strong body, swirling around him.


    "What is this?"


    Evar was somewhat surprised, having never seen such a scene before, and immediately looked toward Ansel who was not far away.


    "Wee back, Lord Evar!"


    Ansel bowed slightly to Evar and then the phenomena around his body slowly subsided.


    After feeling around for a while and ensuring his body was normal, Evar immediately inquired:


    "So, is that special power inside my body your doing?"


    "What exactly is that power?"


    "Why do you recognize me?"


    He asked several questions in session, touching on matters that greatly concerned him, especially regarding the Special Power he had acquired from this ind before.


    This was also why he was so eager to return to the ind!


    "Please, don''t hurry, Lord Evar."


    Ansel''s body slowly moved in mid-air, arriving before Evar.


    Lis also discreetly stepped aside, calmly observing everything that was happening.


    Despite Ansel''s frail, spirit-like body floating in mid-air, looking as though a mere breeze could scatter it apart, both Lis and Evar dared not let their guard down.


    No matter what was said, anyone appearing in such a ce could not be simple.

 Chapter 323 Dialogue with Ulterior Motives

    ```


    There was nothing particrly special within the temple, the vast emptiness of the huge space made Lis and Evar feel insignificant.


    The two of them were like the many worshipers from countless years ago, gathered inside the pce to offer their faith to a deity.


    In the very center of the pce stood a tall Divine Statue.


    The statue depicted a handsome middle-aged man with distinctly chiseled features, wearing a splendid blue-green Armor. His right hand gripped a blue trident, and his left hand was stretched forward tly, with a pale blue wide-mouthed cup standing on it.


    A pale blue stream of water flowed out from the cup in the statue''s left hand, falling from dozens of meters up in the air like a dreamy waterfall,nding in a pool in front of the statue.


    What was surprising was that the cascading water did not ssh at all, it fell silently into the pool, calm and undisturbed. The pale blue stream flowed quietly from the main entrance of the pce, forming the peculiar stream Lis had seen on his journey.


    Looking at the trident in the hands of the statue, which seemed somewhat familiar, and the location of the statue, Lis immediately realized the identity of the statue.


    It must be the "Storm and Thunder God Ansel".


    It seems that the deity Ansel must be from the Human n.


    Generally, after sessfully breaking through to be a deity, one''s life reaches another realm, and their divine body undergoes transformation.


    No matter what race or life form one belonged to before, in the end, their body is made of Divine Power, no longer confined to specifics, and they can be anything.


    However, deities usually do not change their appearance or race after their breakthrough.


    The most important reason for this is the need to secure a stable source of faith!


    For example, for deities of the Human n, their base of followers are primarily humans, and in order to spread faith effectively, they would not choose to appear in any other bizarre forms.


    Likewise, this also helps the deity to consolidate their own existence, preventing them from losing themselves over the long passage of time.


    Keeping the appearance of this deity in mind, Lis surveyed other areas of the pce.


    The decoration inside the pce was simr to the patterns on the outer walls of the building, not adorned with any particr treasures, and an unknown source of light brightly illuminated the interior.


    As soon as he stepped into the pce, Lis felt the hazy sound of prayer chants echoing in his ears, involuntarily making him feel like paying homage to the Ansel Statue.


    Lis focused his mind, trying not to be affected by the chanting, but still slightly bowed his head in respect to the deity.


    After all, it was a being that once stood at the pinnacle of the Gaia World, and even though Lis did not worship this deity, he still revered its mighty power.


    Eyes set on the distant horizon, feet firmly on the ground.


    "This is the ce!"


    The soul Evar had been following stopped in front of the pale blue pool in the center of the pce, pointing at it with his ethereal left hand.


    "My Lord''s strength lies within that ''Sea Holy Grail''. As long as you undergo the baptism of Holy Water, you will receive My Lord''s divine inheritance."


    Evar looked at the strange scene before him and couldn''t help but feel some admiration.


    Is this the power of a deity? Beyond theprehension of ordinary people.


    That''s right, for the power of a deity, doing such things is indeed very simple!


    "Ansel, is there any danger in undergoing this inheritance baptism?"


    Evar was still somewhat apprehensive and asked the elderly soul.


    "You are a descendant of My Lord''s bloodline, how could My Lord''s strength harm you?"


    "Since you entered this ind, have you encountered any danger?"


    "That''s true."@@novelbin@@


    Evar pondered, indeed all the dangers along the way had been encountered by Lis, and they seemed to have nothing to do with him.


    Thinking this, Evar nced covertly at Lis, and couldn''t help specting in his heart.


    Lis paid no mind to Evar''s gaze; to him, Ansel''s exnation had a different implication.


    "Shall I go in then?"


    Evar tentatively extended his hand into the pale blue pool, feeling no abnormality.


    The pale blue water droplets slipped through his palm, imparting a warm andfortable sense of closeness instead.


    "My Lord blesses you, Lord Evar."


    ```


    Soul Ansel spoke in a gentle tone,forting Evar.


    Gathering his courage, Evar submerged his entire body into the pool, the pale blue streams of water enveloping him.


    He was somewhat astonished to find that he could breathe easily in the water, although he still couldn''t speak.


    ncing at Lis and Ansel outside the pool, he felt a magical strength slowly entering his body, bringing a warm sensation.


    Before long, Evar in the pool had fallen into a deep sleep.


    ...


    Seeing that Evar in the pool seemed to encounter no issues, Lis and Ansel outside stood quietly.


    After a moment, it was Lis who first broke the silence in the space.


    "By the way, on the way here, I saw a few Prayers, probably those who survived the shattering of the Divine Country."


    "At the time, I guessed it was the influence of Divine Power, which makes sense if it''s the Prayers."


    "But Evar may not know, but I''m different."


    "You shouldn''t be a Prayer, how did you endure such an endlessly long time?"


    Facing Lis''s inquiry, Ansel did not directly answer. Instead, he smiled at Lis and said,


    "You seem to know a lot about the secrets of the divine, eh? Just a mere Silver Level Human."


    Ansel seemed to drop his guise, shifting from the previously benevolent elder to a lofty emperor.


    "Perhaps, as an Arcanist, I find these things quite interesting."


    Lis shrugged his shoulders as if he had already anticipated Ansel''s sudden change.


    "Is that so? Arcanist, huh."


    Ansel said, seemingly reminiscing about something.


    "So, was the divine Ansel really defeated by the Lord of Storm?"


    Lis didn''t linger on the previous question but switched to another.


    "Yes, there was absolutely no room for resistance..." Explore stories on My Virtual Library Empire


    Thinking of that fierce, tyrannical, and robust figure, Ansel spoke with emotion.


    "Are the conflicts between divinities that sharp?"


    Lis also squatted down to collect some of the pale blue liquid as he asked.


    Ansel nced at Lis and said gently,


    "Of course, most are over the struggle for Divine Positions or factional conflicts."


    "So, Ansel has truly fallen?"


    Lis looked at Ansel, already having an answer in his heart.


    "Indeed, that''s the case, but not for much longer."


    Ansel looked at Lis, a smile appearing on his aged face.


    "It seems you might have guessed something. Then why didn''t you warn Evar?"


    Before Lis could answer, Ansel waved his hand lightly.


    A sudden twist urred. The Ansel Statue in the center of the pce erupted with surging blue radiance from the trident it held, and a terrifying pressure, as if the heavens were copsing, descended upon Lis.


    Thud!


    Lis couldn''t muster the slightest resistance and abruptly fell to his knee on the dust-free floor of the pce.


    Lis breathedboriously, as if he were facing the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts again. His insides felt oppressed by a horrifying force, and beads of sweat were already forming on his forehead.


    Is this the strength of a Divine Level being?

 Chapter 324 The Roles of Offense and Defense Reversed

    Within Ansel Temple,


    feeling a weight on his back as heavy as mountains, Lis struggled to lift his head.


    "Can you control this temple? Are you the Ansel?"


    "No, that''s not right, the Divine Country has already shattered. It''s impossible for Ansel to have any remnants left."


    "So, what exactly are you?"


    The sudden divine pressure was rather terrifying for Lis at the moment, but because he had previously faced the incarnation of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts, he had obtained the Special Skill "Divine..." and "Song of Courage."


    Thus, when facing the spiritual shock emitted by the Divine Statue, Lis managed to bear it rtively easily.


    -----------------@@novelbin@@


    [You have been subjected to the divine shock of the deity Storm and Thunder God Ansel!]


    [Beginning divinity consciousness determination!]


    [Determination (1/?): Divine Spiritual Shock... the determination passed (Specialty "Silver Moon Protection" triggered)]


    [Determination (2/?): Divine Spiritual Shock... the determination passed (Specialty "Silver Moon Protection" triggered)]


    [Determination (3/?): Divine Spiritual Shock... the determination passed (Specialty "Fearless Challenger" triggered)]


    ...


    [Determination (19/?): Divine Spiritual Shock... the determination passed (Specialty "Song of Courage" triggered)]


    [Determination (20/?): Divine Spiritual Shock... the determination passed (Specialty "Divine..." triggered)]


    [All determinations passed!]


    [You have withstood the divinity of the deity Storm and Thunder God Ansel!]


    [Your Spirit Resilience strength has slightly increased!]


    -----------------


    Looking at the data that appeared in the system, Lis felt more confident.


    He remembered that thest time he had confronted the incarnation of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts, most of the pressure was borne by three Legendary Strongmen of the Feis Kingdom on the frontlines, while he only endured some of the aftermath.


    Even so, the divine consciousness determination from that time required 36 passes.


    This time, all the pressure was concentrated on him alone, and it was only 20 consciousness determinations. The difference was quite telling.


    Indeed, because Ansel had already fallen, was it just the influence of His lingering power now?


    After passing the divine consciousness determination, Lis felt much relieved in spirit, but the oppressive power from the Divine Statue kept him from standing up.


    "You can still speak?"


    The soul of Evar floating in mid-air looked at Lis with some surprise, turning to watch him.


    He had just borrowed the power of a deity, and yet a mere Silver Level could bear it without bursting into death, which piqued his interest.


    "It seems you, Little Mage, are not simple either."


    "Besides, how could an ordinary person make it through the ind''s dangers to this ce?"


    Ansel came before Lis, looking down at him from above.


    "So, the dangers we''ve been facing since entering the ind have all been your doing?"


    Clenching his teeth and feeling the increasing danger on him, Lis asked.


    "Yes and no, I only tried as much as possible to keep those dangers away from Evar, after all, he is my hope for resurrection."


    Ansel said with a smile, having little interest to interact withmon people.


    But seeing Lis withstand the pressure of divine power from the Divine Statue and seemingly understand the mysteries of deities, Ansel couldn''t help but wish to interact.


    Since he had to wait for Evar anyway, and he was about to gloriously return to the world with a body, he needed an audience, didn''t he?


    Most importantly, he felt confident that he could firmly keep Lis in check without causing any trouble.


    "Are you Ansel then?"


    Lis looked up at Ansel, his peripheral vision catching the shimmering trident in the hands of the Divine Statue.


    "No, how could the Lord of Storm tolerate Ansel living on? He naturally perishedpletely."


    "Then who are you?"


    Facing Lis''s question, Ansel smiled and said:


    "I was naturally His arrangement, having ced a memory and a minutely small fragment of the soul into this temple in advance, to slowly recover after His fall."


    "Even this ind, being part of the shattered Divine Country falling into Gaia Main World, was all prearranged."


    "All of this was just for His return."


    Listened to Ansel''s narration, Lis felt puzzled.


    If he was an arrangement by the deity Ansel, why would he refer to "Himself" as "He" and not "myself"?


    Ansel nced at Lis, shaking his head nonchntly.


    "To deceive the Lord of Storm, it''s necessary topletely abandon divine power."


    "Divine Position relinquished, Divine Fire extinguished, the Divine Country shattered, all these were done to ease the Lord of Storm''s mind."


    Upon hearing this, Lis was somewhat silent.


    The deity Ansel had reached such a state, almostpletely abandoning everything from the past.


    One could imagine the extent to which the Lord of Storm had pushed Ansel, to make Him prepare so thoroughly.


    "Ansel is also aware that the awakening soul, although it has His memory, who knows if it''s still Him?"


    Ansel''s face revealed a hint of self-mockery, and his appearance began to gradually change, bing younger.


    "When I woke up in this temple, I was also confused."


    "Although, I don''t feel the ''me'' before and I are the same person, even though we share the same origin."


    "But I still wish to inherit the name "Ansel" and all thates with it from the past."


    "I want to climb to the summit again, to return to the Pantheon above all heavens!"

 Chapter 325 The Endgame of the Divine Ansel

    Ansel looked at the object in Lis''s hand, and even in his spirit form, he felt as if he were in an ice cer.


    Even so, Ansel didn''t show any signs of concern but instead pretended to be calm and said,


    "That, should be a fragment of the Divine Artifact [Storm Trident], capable of unlocking the seal on this small ind."


    "I had given it to Evar before, I didn''t expect him to hand it over to you."


    After a moment of silence, Ansel continued to speak,


    "This thing is quite important to me, how about we make a trade? I can exchange other treasures for this Divine Artifact Fragment."


    "Although there''s hardly any strength remaining in this fragment, it shouldn''t be of much use to you now."


    He probably doesn''t know its purpose; after all, he''s just an ordinary person.


    Ansel was somewhat uneasy, especially when he saw Lis''s expression that was both smiling yet not smiling.


    "You''ve said so much; it seems you''re quite concerned about this, aren''t you?"


    "Let me guess?"


    Lis yed with the [Storm Trident] fragment in his hand, speaking with interest.


    "Since this Divine Artifact Fragment is only used to unlock the seal on this small ind, it might be possible for you to have let Evar take it out."


    "But since Evar could enter the ind without this fragment, it implies that it''s not necessary."


    "At least, you have the choice to decide who can enter this ind."


    "If it''s for other reasons, such as needing to carry this fragment to break the barrier seal of the ind, you could have directlymunicated with Evar, instead of letting him leave the ind aimlessly drifting."


    "If you truly considered Evar''s well-being, you shouldn''t have concealed this from him. Since you can appear before us, why didn''t you show up when Evarnded on the indst time?"


    Lis narrated his judgment with a smile, while Ansel inside the temple maintained a calmplexion and stayed quiet, but his eyes grew increasingly profound.


    "That is to say, you originally had no intention of letting Evar know of your existence."


    "To test him?"


    "To probe him?"


    "I think there''s more likely another n for him, a harmful one!"


    "So, if you really had that consideration, why didn''t you actst time? Instead, you let Evar leave the ind?"


    "Even if Evar has gained new powers, there are too many strong beings in this world. At most, he has the strength of a Silver High Rank; it''s not strange for anything to happen at sea."


    "Therefore, your purpose must be rted to him leaving this ind, to let Evar reach the outside world."


    "Why is that?"


    "Aside from the Special Power Evar gained, he only took the Divine Artifact Fragment I hold from here."


    "This thing... is it very important to you?"


    Lis held the tip of the trident fragment in his right hand, cing it in front of him.@@novelbin@@


    Apart from the blue crystal that seemed special, it looked like an artifact weathered by the ages.


    Watching Lis waving the Divine Artifact Fragment in front of him, Ansel fell silent.


    Anger was about to consume his reasonpletely.


    Evar, you fool!


    Such an important thing, and you handed it over so easily to this young mage before you?


    Damn it, you deserve to die!


    I''ll torment your soul in the fires of Hell for ten thousand years!


    Though fury raged within him, Ansel did not show it outwardly, instead he pped his hands and said,


    "Impressive, and indeed just as you''ve guessed."


    "You''re even better than I had hoped!"


    "In that case, how about making a trade with me?"


    Ansel said with a gentle smile,


    "Although you''ve guessed that I have ns for this Divine Artifact Fragment, there''s nothing you can do."


    "Even shattered, it was once part of a Divine Artifact, it''s not something you at the Silver Level can grasp."


    "So, why not trade with me, what do you want to obtain?"


    "Legendary Equipment, the knowledge of deities..."


    "Or perhaps... Divine Power?"


    Ansel didn''t believe that even an outstanding figure like Lis could resist these temptations.


    After all, it was just a fragment of a Divine Artifact.


    Hearing the items Ansel offered in exchange, Lis nodded with a smile, but his heart was unswayed.


    Joking aside, although this once-deity had fallen to such a state, that did not make him someone Lis could take lightly.


    The offerings mentioned were indeed precious, but who could tell if there were any tricks involved?


    Like the Divine Power, if given to a Transcendent without much understanding, they might choose it immediately, representing the might of a deity.


    But Lis understood the immense danger hidden within; amon person mindlessly tapping into Divine Power only had one oue: to explode and die.


    Moreover, Lis''s Spiritual Sense was subtly warning him that this Ansel had no real sincerity.


    Ignoring the bait Ansel had thrown out, Lis tossed the Divine Artifact Fragment in his hand.


    "I''ve said so much, and you haven''t made a move on such an important object..."


    "Sure enough, you don''t have much strength yourself; your trump card is this temple, isn''t it."


    "As long as I stand outside the temple, you can do nothing to me, which is why you chose to deal with me, a mortal."


    "Apart from that, I can''t think of any other reason for a once-great deity to treat someone who has offended Them so kindly."


    "Despicable ant, what exactly do you want to do?"


    "Do you really want to face the wrath of the great Ansel?"


    Seeing this, Ansel could no longer hold back, and said in extreme anger.

 Chapter 326 Merging with Divinity! Controlling the Domain!

    As Ansel''s howl, full of extreme resentment and unwillingness, gradually faded away, silence returned to the temple.


    Just as it had been for countless years, never changing.


    In the center of the temple, the light on the trident held by the Divine Statue also began to dim, seemingly regaining its calm after losing control by Ansel.


    In the pool of light blue water in front of the Divine Statue, Evar was still with eyes closed, apparently unaware of the fierce sh that had just transpired outside.


    Lis remained silent for a moment, then let out a sigh of relief.


    Although he had been quite confident just now, it was, after all, only his spection, and there was the possibility of an ident.


    If that had indeed been the case, he would have had to call Mr. Stephens.


    But now, it seemed that the oue was quite favorable.


    Lis had hardly lifted a finger and hadpletely eradicated the remnant soul of Divine Power Ansel, severing Itsst hope.


    Despite saying so, Lis''s heart was still taut.


    Fortunately, this Ansel was a restoration from the core of a remnant soul preserved by Divine Power Ansel. Frankly speaking, he waspletely different from Divine Power Ansel.


    If it were the Divine Soul of Ansel here, not to mention crushing it, a full-force attack from Lis might have been just a tickle.


    However, if he truly faced Divine Power Ansel, Lis wouldn''t have hesitated for a second before fleeing.


    Who would foolishly provoke a true deity?


    Lis put away the fragment of the [Storm Trident] he held.


    This Divine Artifact Fragment, no longer housing Ansel''s soul, still retained some of its previous buffs, and besides, it could serve as an exceedingly valuable base material.


    Without further hesitation, Lis stepped forward and walked into the temple once again.


    First, he took a tour around the temple, observing it carefully, and finally checked on Evar in the pool.


    Looking at Evar''s state, Lis shook his head.


    This guy struck it big this time!


    He got a good sleep and even received Ansel''s inheritance.


    After waiting for a moment, no abnormalities urred.


    Lis nodded and suddenly vanished on the spot.


    At the same time, another Lis appeared at the entrance of the temple.


    This one was Lis''s True Body.


    Even though he had been almost certain that Ansel''s soul had thoroughly dissipated, Lis still took extra precautions.


    After all, no amount of caution was too much when facing a deity.


    Lis stepped into the temple, hisplexion somewhat pale.


    There was no helping it; using the [Mirror Body] twice in a row had drained so much magic power that Lis was somewhat overwhelmed.


    Although his [Mirror Body] Skill had greatly reduced its cooldown after Lis had invested a lot of Experience Points to improve its Skill Level, the consumption of magic power was still immense.


    However, it has to be said that the [Mirror Body] Skill was really too useful.


    Stay tuned for updates on My Virtual Library Empire


    There are many clone-type Skills, and the most important aspects of such a category are two-fold.


    One is whether the clone can inherit the buffs of its original, and the other aspect is the authenticity of the clone.


    Lis''s clone Skill [Mirror Body] could inherit most of Lis''s Strength, and was extremely real; something that even Ansel couldn''t discern.


    Despite the high consumption and the limitation of only one clone existing at a time, it was one of the top-tier clone Skills, with plenty of potential.


    Walking into this empty temple, Lis felt as if the years began to pass.


    Previously, time seemed to have solidified in this temple, maintaining an unchanged state for countless years.


    Perhaps it was Ansel''s Death that caused the temple to lose its core; the speed of power dissipation increased significantly.


    Even Lis could feel it clearly.


    Time to hurry!


    With this thought shing through Lis''s mind, he quickly approached the Divine Statue.


    After carefully scouting the temple with his clone, he was fairly certain that the power core of the temple was the light blue Holy Grail in the left hand of the Divine Statue.


    The power sustaining the temple all originated from it.


    The stream of light blue water, seemingly inexhaustible, flowed out constantly, like a waterfall.


    Lis, having enhanced himself with the [Flying Technique], flew towards the hand of the Divine Statue.


    Landing on the expansive palm of the Divine Statue, Lis closely examined the Holy Grail standing as tall as a person before him.


    Filled with clear, light blue liquid, the Grail was slightly tilted, allowing the constant flow of water to pour out like a waterfall below.


    Special wave-like patterns adorned the Holy Grail, sparkling with a Holy radiance, imparting a sense of purity and nobility.@@novelbin@@


    This, like the Altar he had encountered before, gave Lis a profound sense of insignificance.


    If he wasn''t mistaken, this Holy Grail should contain all of the remaining Divine Power of Ansel, surely more than what was contained within the Faith Crystal he had obtained from the Altar.


    After confirming this, Lis no longer hesitated, removed the [Sphinx''s Wisdom], and approached the Holy Grail.


    After all, he had no other way to store the Divine Power; even if he obtained it, he couldn''t use it with his current mastery of Divine Power. It was better to use it all for strengthening the Legendary-level essory.


    The more he understood, the more important the [Sphinx''s Wisdom] became to Lis.


    It''s fair to say that with the buff from this Legendary-level essory, Lis''s Strength had increased more than just a notch.

 Chapter 327 Ansel, Such a Nice Guy!

    Lis looked down, and the Ansel Statue in front of him hadpletely lost its previous divine aura and had turned into a mundane object.


    There was no other valuable treasure left in this temple.


    However, Lis didn''t care, as the gains he had just made were already substantial, although he had almost died on the spot.


    Still, if given the chance to do it again, Lis would still choose to face the test of Divine Fusion.


    Just like earlier, under the terrible pressure, Lis''s Soul Strength had increased significantly, and his Spirit Will had also be much stronger.


    Although Lis''s face was somewhat pale now, he felt good, as if he had shed the heavy shackles of the past and was revitalized.@@novelbin@@


    Lis felt that with his current Soul Strength, he was now no less than those Gold-level Professionals who had undergone a limit-breaking baptism.


    More importantly, having undergone the ordeal at the edge of death, the refinement of Lis''s soul and spirit was naturally iparable to before.


    Perhaps, this was the transformation after facing the great terror of death!


    Lis pondered in his heart; although he had faced dangers before and directly confronted gods, this was his first time being so close to death.


    In his previous life, although Lis encountered many dangers in the game and even died many times.


    But back then, it was still a game, quite different from after Lis''s rebirth.


    In reality, death would not be as easy to resurrect as a game character.


    Lis also did not want to test whether he could be reborn again.


    Thus, only after the scent of death stimted Lis''s nerves could his potential be fully unleashed, leading to such a significant breakthrough.


    Collecting his emotions, Lis stepped down from the palm of the statue.


    Because Lis had already absorbed all the power from the Holy Grail in the statue, the pale blue flow of water no longer fell as before.


    However, Evar in the pool seemed unaffected, as the pale blue pool water would not run out in a short while.


    While waiting for Evar to wake up, Lis also opened the system panel and began to tally his other gains.


    Aside from the Divine Power Lis absorbed, the most significant was naturally the Divine Power absorbed by the "Sphinx''s Wisdom."


    Looking at the system panel, the equipment effect 8 of "Sphinx''s Wisdom" read:


    ---------------


    Equipment Effect 8: Divine Power Enhancement (Half Sealed)


    "Sphinx''s Wisdom" can store a certain amount of Divine Power and consume Divine Power to specifically enhance one equipment effect.


    Current Divine Power stored: 646/1000


    ---------------


    The Divine Power had increased almost 600 points at once, probably the entire remaining Divine Power left by the Deity Ansel.


    This was still because, over countless years, Divine Power had been consumed to maintain the operation of this small ind and temple; otherwise, Lis guessed that the Divine Power obtained could have broken the four-digit barrier.


    Seeing that the requirement for the first Divine Power Enhancement of "Sphinx''s Wisdom" had been met, Lis did not hesitate and directly clicked the [Confirm Enhancement] option in the system.


    The glow of the four Elemental Origin Gems on the Legendary earring instantly brightened, and the earring slowly levitated from Lis''s hand surrounded by flowing light.


    Lis made no other movement, just staring tightly at the earring.


    It wasn''t until a good whileter that the enhancement process ended, and the earring returned to Lis''s hands.


    Touching the somewhat hot earring, Lis noticed that its power had been enhanced again.


    ---------------


    essory: [Sphinx''s Wisdom]


    Tier: Legendary


    Introduction: The highest masterpiece of the Legendary Arcanist Sphinx, a magnificent crystallization of his infinite wisdom, it will open the treasure of knowledge for you!


    Equipment Effect 1: [Sphinx''s Knowledge Treasure]


    Equipment Effect 2: [Legendary Divergent Arcane Revtion] (New)


    During your Arcane research, significantly enhances the divergence of your thoughts. You can think about problems from different directions and angles, considering multiple aspects to devise solutions.


    Equipment Effect 3: [Insightful Arcane Revtion]


    Equipment Effect 4: [Creative Arcane Revtion]


    Equipment Effect 5: Attribute Enhancement (Half Sealed)


    Equipment Effect 6: Elemental Affinity Enhancement (Half Sealed)


    Equipment Effect 7: Soul Enhancement (Half Sealed)


    Equipment Effect 8: Divine Power Enhancement (Half Sealed)


    "Sphinx''s Wisdom" is capable of storing a certain amount of Divine Power and consumes Divine Power to specifically enhance one equipment effect.


    Current Divine Power stored: 582/1000


    ...


    Equipment Effect 10: ... (Sealed)


    -----------------


    This means... specifying the enhancement of Equipment Effect 2, elevating [Divergent Arcane Revtion] to [Legendary Divergent Arcane Revtion], one can feel the strength of this skill just from the name "Legendary."


    Thus, it''s quite possible that the subsequent enhancements will specifically strengthen these special [Arcane Revtion] effects.


    Although it''s pleasing that the Legendary essory "Sphinx''s Wisdom" has been enhanced, seeing the next Divine Power Enhancement requiring 1000 points of Divine Power gives Lis a bit of a headache. Explore more at My Virtual Library Empire


    Even though there''s still over five hundred points of Divine Power left, what about the remaining Divine Power?


    Lis knows some other relics that still hide Divine Power, but that number is quiterge.


    After all, Lis managed to obtain so much Divine Power due to dismantling the borate preparations made by a deity.


    "Sigh, there''s never a moment''s rest!"


    Though he said that, the corners of Lis''s mouth still slightly curved up.


    After all, this Legendary earring had achieved a significant upgrade, which rounded off to another enhancement of his own strength.

 Chapter 328 Golden Rank Breakthrough Task

    Massive amounts of Experience Points were consumed within the system panel, and along with them, an endless surge of power erupted like a volcano within Lis''s body, tirelessly scouring through his being.


    Lis''s skin had already turned slightly red, endless heat continuously radiated from within him, as if a fiery forge incessantly hammered and strengthened his body.


    -----------------


    [You have consumed unassigned Experience Points [135 million Points]!]


    [Your Personal Level has increased: 70��71!]


    [You have gained Strength +6, Agility +6, Intelligence +6, Charm +3, Mysterious +3, Endurance +3]


    [Your Personal Level has increased: 71��72!]


    [You have gained Strength +6, Agility +6, Intelligence +6, Charm +3, Mysterious +3, Endurance +3]


    ....


    [Your Personal Level has increased: 99��100!]@@novelbin@@


    [You have gained Strength +6, Agility +6, Intelligence +6, Charm +3, Mysterious +3, Endurance +3]


    [Your Level has been raised to 100!]


    ...


    [Detection of yer Level reaching 100, triggering the Silver Level Breakthrough Judgment!]


    [Breakthrough Judgment (1/3): Main Profession Level greater than or equal to 100... Judgment passed]


    (Note: yer Level = Main Profession Level + Secondary Profession Level, advancement in rank necessarily requires Main Profession Level to meet the requirements)


    [Breakthrough Judgment (2/3): All Attributes exceed 300 points... Judgment passed]


    (Note: Negative Status effects, physical disabilities, and other conditions can prevent tier promotion)


    [Breakthrough Judgment (3/3): Spirit Will, Soul Strength reach Gold Level... Judgment passed]


    (Note: If Spirit Will, Soul Strength have not broken through, the power of the Gold Rank cannot be mastered)


    [All Judgments passed!]


    ...


    [Gold Rank Breakthrough Task triggered!]


    [Randomly drawing...]


    [Drawplete!]


    [Gold Rank Breakthrough Task [Cross-level Challenge]!]


    [Task Requirement: Sessfully challenge and defeat a Gold-level professional!]


    [Note: This task can be reced, recement cooldown time [seven days]]


    -----------------


    As the level-up process concluded, the surging power within Lis gradually subsided, and the intimidating aura that radiated from him was also slowly retracted.


    "Phew~"


    Lis let out a long sigh, finally rxing.


    Feeling the overflowing powerful force within his body, Lis nodded in satisfaction.


    After spending so much toplete many dangerous tasks, and obtaining Experience Points from other yers, he had finally reached the pinnacle of Silver Level.


    Now, it was time to focus on breaking through to Gold Level.


    Looking at the Gold Rank Breakthrough Task disyed on the system panel, Lis raised his eyebrows.


    It was just like him to draw the most difficult Cross-level Challenge Task right out of the gate.


    This was the very reason why Lis, having just returned from Divine Ind, didn''t even take a breath before leveling up.


    Experience tales with My Virtual Library Empire


    After all, the Gold Rank Breakthrough Task was random, and the sooner he knew the task, the earlier Lis could start preparing for it.


    Bridging from Silver to Gold Level, every yer had toplete a tier Breakthrough Task.


    This was simr to the bottleneck faced by native Professionals when advancing in rank.


    yers weren''t required to undertake Breakthrough Tasks when advancing from Bronze to Silver Level; as long as the Level was reached, the breakthrough would naturally ur.


    But breaking into Gold Level was different as one mustplete the tier Breakthrough Task.


    The Breakthrough Task for each individual is random, and the [Cross-level Challenge] Task is the most difficult of them all.


    To defeat Gold as a Silver would be exceptionally challenging, Lis was well aware!


    In his past life, almost no yer managed toplete such a feat except for a Lucky who happened by a grievously wounded Gold-level Professional.


    But everyone knew the greater the difficulty of the Breakthrough Task, the higher the enhancement received after breaking into the Gold Rank.


    Thus, even though Lis had the chance to opt for a different Breakthrough Task, he had no intention of doing so.


    A joke, a second life granted, a chance for a do-over, with so much groundworkid and preparations made, if he still didn''t dare to take on the task, he might as well return to Bright City to chase girls!


    Therefore, this [Cross-level Challenge] Task was something Lis was bent on achieving!


    So... which Gold-level Professional should he challenge?


    Many choices crossed Lis''s mind.


    If he wanted to quicklyplete the [Cross-level Challenge] Task, the simplest way would be to return now to Bright City and find his Guard Captain, Welf.


    Honestly, Welf''s strength... left much to be desired.


    Lis had sparred with Welf before, and although at that time Lis was only a Bronze-level Professional, quite weak indeed, he still had a rough idea of Welf''s strength.


    Especially after witnessing many Gold-level powerhousester on, Lis felt even more the gap between them and Welf.


    With Welf''s strength at that time, Lis felt that he could now firmly outmatch him.


    However, Lis didn''t want to return to Bright City to find Welf.


    Since it''s a challenge, Lis had a better option in mind.


    He could go straight for the covert member of the All Beast Church, the great pirate [Blood Shark] Patrick.


    Although for some unknown reason, Lis didn''t hear about Patrick''s name when he came to the Treasure Pearl Sea in his past life, but ording to the intelligence he gathered, this [Blood Shark]''s strength was not to be underestimated.


    His most notable feat was defeating a Gold-level Warrior during an encirclement by the Bodichi Navy and making a sessful escape.


    Even though that was at sea, where Patrick''s Druid Transformation [Shark Form] could be utilized to its fullest advantage, it still showcased his formidable ability.


    Indeed, based on the intelligence collected, Patrick''s most outstanding skill was his Druid Transformation, which was the rare Shark Form.

 Chapter 329 Waiting for the [Blood Shark]

    Three monthster, the Pearl Sea, aboard the Eagle.


    In the afternoon, the sun high above relentlessly sent down scorching rays; the azure sea reflected golden radiance, like pieces of gold flowing on the water surface, carrying a slightly salty tang. The sea breeze, although it took away a bit of the heat, still made the deck unbearably steaming hot.


    At that time, the sails of the Eagle had been lowered, and it stayed in ce.


    Several months had passed since Lis explored Divine Ind in Ansel, but instead of leaving the Pearl Sea with everyone, he continued to roam the vast sea with the Eagle, hunting every pirate ship they encountered.


    However, during this period, Lis regrly took time each day to leave the Eagle and practice far out at sea.


    Differently from before, when during Lis''s practice, only mild sensations like slight waves and faint explosions would emanate from his direction.


    Now, the ones left on the Eagle, like Charles and others, felt the surge of massive waves and the thunderous roar.


    If Lis hadn''t realized the issue and shifted his practice area to even more remote parts of the sea, all of his crew would have had to endure hours of this rocking every day.


    Charles gulped down a big mouthful of cold malt beer and sighed contentedly.


    Having a Mage master on board sure is cool; an icy brew on a hot summer''s day could dispel most of the irritability.


    This was thanks to the self-charging Magic Rune Lis had casually installed in an ice cer on the ship, allowing him and Helen to enjoy ice cream and cool juices.


    Charles and the others took the opportunity to store lots of fine wines in the ice cer, to savor chilled wines that dispelled the heat while drifting on the ocean.


    In the following months, apart from asionally returning to port to restock supplies and collect the bounties on pirates, the Eagle continued to drift across the Pearl Sea, hunting every pirate ship it spotted.


    Logically, sailing the vast ocean should have been quite tedious, but as the captain, Lis did not keep all the treasure gained from hunting pirate ships for himself; the sailors aboard had received more gold coins than they usually would in several years, so they were all keen to stay on the boat.


    Women, is there anything more attractive than gold coins?


    Read thetest on My Virtual Library Empire


    As for Charles, Evar, and Basel, they also kept honestly.


    Especially Evar, who aftering back from Divine Ind, had be the strongest aboard the Eagle apart from Lis, but he still devotedly followed Lis.


    In his eyes, even the remnants of divine souls had been dealt with by Lis!


    With such a powerhouse, when better to hold fast if not now?


    In contrast, Charles was much moreid-back.


    After all, he hade here from Dillon Kingdom looking for a breakthrough opportunity; without any clues or goals, it felt pretty great to follow Lis.


    Biting into a chilledrge mango, sweet juice oozed from the corners of Charles''s mouth as he watched Helen meticulously practicing her swordy under the scorching sun, her small white shirtpletely soaked with sweat, tightly clinging to her burgeoning body.


    Thanks to ample nutrition and exercise, Helen was no longer as thin and pitiful as when Lis first met her; her wheat-colored arms had begun to show the outlines of muscles, and she had grown much taller.


    Charles clicked his tongue and, speaking to Basel who waszily leaning in the shade, said,


    "Why do I feel like Lis''s movements have been getting much biggertely?"


    He then patted the wooden deck underneath him, saying with lingering fear in his voice.


    He still remembered when Lis first practiced close enough to the Eagle to be seen with the naked eye; the towering waves and thunderous roars had almost made him think a storm wasing again.


    Basel took a sip of his chilled fruit wine and said indifferently,


    "Why do you care so much? You want to be the captain, huh?"


    "You, why do you always nder people?"


    Charles was jolted. Ever since he had witnessed the further increase in Lis''s power, that almost cataclysmic scene, Lis had be a terrifying figure in his mind, just like Councilor Isidore.


    Such great figures, Charles always respected deeply from his heart.


    Besides, Charles quite liked his current lifestyle; after all, he had chosen the life of a mercenary precisely because he loved adventure. Otherwise, with his teacher''s connections, he could have formally joined the Oak Council long ago.


    Indeed, with his talent, it was very likely he could break through to the Golden Rank.


    But this pirate-hunting sea life felt quite right to Charles, akin to a Hunter''s single-minded pursuit; he felt his skills had greatly improved during these months.


    Also, because of the past months spent hunting pirates and charging protection fees from passing merchant ships, the name of the Eagle had begun to spread among many port cities along the coastline of the Pearl Sea.


    Whenever the Eagle was mentioned, many captains who had encountered them wore constipated expressions; after all, although the Eagle always imed to be a pirate ship, this group really hadn''t done anything like robbing merchant ships.


    At most, they just engaged in friendly discussions with those "captains" who were unwilling to pay the tolls.


    In this context, Charles, Evar, and Basel had already formed a trio known for mischief, and their names had begun to be celebrated.@@novelbin@@

 Chapter 330 Hunting Begins!

    Giant Horn Ind Harbor,


    Patrick, dressed in a simple brown tunic, had neatly trimmed, slightly curled ck hair. His solid muscles stretched the fabric taut, and his intense aura made the ordinary folks working nearby feel a chill in their hearts, daring not to meet his gaze.


    As a Druid proficient in "Natural Transformation," Patrick didn''t need to wear armor; normal equipment would be useless after his transformation.


    After Patrick disembarked from the "Hurricane," a stream of figures followed, in such a rush that they didn''t bother waiting for the gangway to be properly lowered.


    "Boss Patrick, we''re going off to have a st first~"


    "Heh heh, boss, wanna have a drink together tonight?"


    "I''m gonna give Rui Ji a real show of my virility!"


    "Yeah right, you better hurry before someone else snatches away your sweetheart and you end up stunned."


    ...


    Patrick nodded slightly, watching his men split into groups and head toward the small town by the harbor, their minds seemingly preupied with nothing but women and wine. Stay updated with My Virtual Library Empire


    But he didn''t mind; as long as they obeyed orders on the ship, he didn''t care what they did with their time and couldn''t be bothered to manage them.


    His choice to dock here was not only to resupply and let his crew of pirates let off steam, but he also had more important matters to attend to.


    Giant Horn Town, Storm Tavern, second floor.


    Patrick rxed in this private and luxurious room. The sofa, meticulously made from small cowhide, enveloped his body, and beneath his feety an exquisite, luxurious golden-threaded red carpet. A faint fragrance from the Elf Forest of the south lingered in the air.


    Although Giant Horn Ind was in the Treasure Pearl Sea, the pleasures here were no less than what the Kingdom Nobles of Boditch Kingdom enjoyed. Judging by Patrick''s demeanor, he had grown ustomed to such luxuries.


    He swirled a bottle of Pat�� champagne from the south of Boditch Kingdom, watching the golden liquid roll inside. Without a ss, he simply brought the bottle to his lips and drank directly from it.


    "You still fancy champagne so much, why not try something else?"


    "I''ve got ice wine from Dillon Kingdom, you know. They''ve recently opened a sea route to Boditch, and quite a few things have been selling like hotcakes!"


    Someone pushed the door open and entered, shaking their head as they looked at Patrick.


    This person seemed quite familiar with Patrick.


    "Cut it out, Jesaya, just spit out whatever you want!"


    "I know, I know, I''ll keep an eye on those ships from Dillon Kingdom. Don''t worry."


    Without lifting his head, Patrick responded casually. As a Gold-level professional, he had sensed the neer approaching from afar but didn''t mind due to their familiarity.


    Moreover, he was here to see Jesaya in the first ce.


    "Hey, it''s just seeing those folks from Dillon Kingdom making a fortune that gets me a bit excited!"


    Jesaya said with augh, holding a bottle of dark red wine, and took a seat opposite Patrick, pouring and drinking on his own.


    "You know, the Church''s ns in Feis Kingdom fell apart, and only the Divine Envoy survived. It''s been a real blow to us."


    Jesaya was also a member of the All Beast Church, and while not as strong, his position within the Church wasn''t much lower than Patrick''s.


    His recent arrival in Boditch Kingdom was to clear up the mess; he was to re-establish the secret arrangements of the All Beast Church along the East Coast, taking the burdens off Patrick''s shoulders.


    After all, Patrick''s pirate ship was an important source of funding for the All Beast Church. And because of this, the Church had entrusted the precious Extraordinary Magic Ship "Hurricane" to Patrick''smand.


    However, the Church hadn''t anticipated that their nearly certain plot in Bright City would fail so utterly.


    Not only was the incarnation of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts in by those detestable Legends, but all the Gold-level professionals who had gone to Bright City were wiped out in one fell swoop.@@novelbin@@


    This was undoubtedly a massive blow to the All Beast Church; it was not just about losing manpower��the many Extraordinary Magical Beasts that had been painstakingly collected as offerings for the Church were also lost in vain.


    Patrick took a big gulp of the wine, his expression darkening.


    The loss of the Magic Beasts alone was equivalent to working for nothing in his decade-plus career as a pirate.


    If not for the fact that Bright City was the Royal Capital of Feis Kingdom, and both the Royal Family and the Dawn Church had Legendary Strongmen at the helm, he would have charged in to create havoc by now, given his temperament.


    "Sigh~"


    "A bunch of waste, that Petar too!"


    Jesaya, paying no heed to Patrick''s fury, savored the dark red wine as it unfolded on his taste buds, carrying hints of sunlight and earthy aroma in his mouth, and he nodded in contentment.


    "What''s done is done,ining won''t help."


    "Even Elvin was quite angry, but that still doesn''t change the oue."


    "You think Feis Kingdom and Boditch Kingdom are the same. It''d be great if we could seed, but there''s no helping failure."


    At the mention of Elvin''s name, Patrick immediately straightened up and asked cautiously:


    "Does the teacher have any tasks for me?"


    "Nothing much, Elvin has said you''ve been doing well, just keep it up."


    Jesaya wasn''t surprised, for Elvin was one of the only two Legendary Strongmen of the All Beast Church and also Patrick''s mentor, so Patrick''s response was normal.


    Although Jesaya served under the other Legendary Strongman, the leader of the All Beast Church, his rtionship with Patrick was quite good, and privately, he didn''t care too much.

 Chapter 331 Special Arcane [Liss Sage Robe]

    In a corner of the dock, Charles and his twopanions were crouching there, carefully watching the two figures disappearing into the distance on the sea.


    "Do you think Lord Lis will be sessful?"


    Charles muttered, judging from the battle scene they had just witnessed, it seemed that Patrick, the "Blood Shark," appeared to have the upper hand.


    "No problem!"


    Evar dered definitively, then stared intently at Charles.


    Feeling ufortable under Evar''s gaze, Charles quickly added:


    "Of course, I also believe in Lord Lis."


    "Stop looking at me, we have to go take over the Hurricane soon, let''s quickly make a n!"


    Seeing Evar''s gaze move to the distant Hurricane, Charles finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    He didn''t know what Lis had taken Evar to do, but since returning, Evar had developed an extreme respect for Lis, even bordering on fervor.


    But then, if he could also significantly improve his own strength, he would likely feel as grateful as Evar did!


    Basel crouched on the side without saying a word. Ever since he was captured by Lis, he had be even less assertive, but he was still reliable when given tasks.


    Under the cover of night, the three men quietly made their way to the Hurricane docked at the pier.


    -----------------


    Atop the sea,


    Patrick, transformed into a Blood Shark, no longer underestimated Lis once he saw the Extraordinary Domain surrounding him.


    Although he didn''t understand why an Extraordinary Domain would appear around a Silver Level Mage, he couldn''t deny the power of the Domain.


    If it were a Professional who had just advanced to the Golden Rank, they might not understand what an Extraordinary Domain represented, but Patrick was different.


    He was a core member of the All Beast Church, a disciple of a Legendary Strongman, and had broken through to the Gold Level more than a decade ago.


    Yet even so, he was still quite a distance from mastering an Extraordinary Domain.


    At least for now, he saw no hope of achieving it.


    Because Patrick had thoroughly researched the Extraordinary Domain, he was acutely aware of its terrifying aspects.


    For instance, the spells of this Mage before him could threaten him, but that was about it.


    If he was cautious, he might not even get hurt.


    But under the buff of the Extraordinary Domain and the terrifying spells that Patrick had never seen before, the Mage pushed Patrick to an extremely awkward position.


    The blue-purple Thunder that Patrick could once withstand with his flesh now seemed like a ghost to him, not daring to touch it at all.


    His Spiritual Sense told him that even one streak of Thunder was enough to lightly injure his body, which had been strengthened again through Natural Transformation.


    If it were only one streak of Thunder, it might be manageable, but around him, Thunder fell within a hundred meters of the sea, with dozens of thick bolts striking down at any time.


    Patrick could only dodge desperately, but by now, he had no room to hold back any longer,


    The strengths of a Gold Level Druid were fully evident��abundantbat experience and formidable reaction capacity allowed Patrick to move agilely among the thunder strikes, managing topletely evade all the attacks.


    Stay tuned to My Virtual Library Empire@@novelbin@@


    But Patrick could not feel pleased at this moment, for the thunder would not end there.


    After the Thunder entered the sea, it rapidly spread outward, forming a dense electric that expanded in all directions.


    Patrick could feel his bodying into contact with these residual currents; while they did not harm him directly, they were already causing his body to be somewhat numb.


    If that were all there was to it, it might be fine, but Lis was simultaneously using two other arcane spells.


    The Six-Circle Arcane "Lis''s Destructive Storm" formed a huge sea tornado at the center of this maritime region, its powerful suction drawing in everything from the surrounding area toward its core, while countless pale cyan Wind des scattered in all directions.


    The Six-Circle Arcane "Lis''s Wave Cage" turned the hundred-meter area of sea into aplete prison, with sentient waves resisting any enemy trying to leave the cage.


    This newbination of arcane spells was Lis''stest innovation after acquiring his domain, able to exhibit its greatest power at sea.


    Not only was it extremely damaging, but it also strongly bound and controlled enemies within the domain.


    Patrick had tried it already��even under the sea, the Wave Cage could still take effect, with countless undercurrents impeding his escape.


    At the surface, he would constantly suffer shing from sharp Wind des. The ultra-thin des could easily slice through the tough skin of a Blood Shark and were hard to detect. Before long, Patrick was already bleeding from multiple cuts.


    Patrick knew he could not go on like this. Thebined spells must have received the buff of an Extraordinary Domain, greatly enhancing their power.


    Crucially, the battlefield was the open sea, where Lis''s power was augmented immensely, perfectly harnessing the power of the vast ocean.


    Patrick could feel the wind and water around him, every element of the world, seemingly opposing him. The formidable power mobilized by the Silver Level Mage before him already matched or even surpassed him, an experienced Gold Level Druid.


    Patrick had seen the power of Extraordinary Domains before, but never had he faced such terrifying force firsthand.

 Chapter 337 - 330: The Hunt Begins!_2

    "Hmm, I understand."


    Patrick nodded. It seemed the Church still wanted him to continue amassing wealth in the Treasure Pearl Sea.


    However, he didn��t mind; after all, he had lived at sea for so long and had grown ustomed to this life. As he grew older, his strength had likely peaked, making it even harder to reach the Legendary Realm, so it might be better to stay safely in the Treasure Pearl Sea.


    After all, he didn��t believe anyone could harm him in his own territory.


    "Good, as long as you understand. I have resolved everything for the Boditch Kingdom; someone willeter to liaise with you."


    "I��ll be leaving after this is done, and I don��t know when we will meet again."


    Jesaya set down his wine ss, smiling and nodding.


    "Thanks, Jesaya, I really owed you one this time."


    @@novelbin@@


    At Jesaya��s words, Patrick showed some gratitude.


    After all, he was terrible at rebuilding covertworks and making arrangements, so the Church had sent Jesaya to assist him. Now that the task wasplete, Jesaya would naturally not stay on the East Coast.


    Though Jesaya was not strong, he was exceptionally skilled at setting up covertworks and establishing criminal connections, making him busier than this pirate captain himself.


    "Where will you go next?"


    Patrick, holding the wine bottle, clinked sses with Jesaya, took arge gulp of champagne, wiped his mouth, and asked him.


    "Probably the central areas? I��m not very clear on the specifics."


    Jesaya shrugged, not hiding anything.


    "You know, since Feis Kingdom dered war on Boditch Kingdom, the continent has started to destabilize."


    "The sanctimonious True God Church has chosen not to intervene this time, which turns out to be our opportunity, likely it��s time to stoke some fires."


    Jesaya said with augh, utterly oblivious to how many lives might be lost in the chaos spurred by the All Beast Church.


    For the Evil God Church and its cultists, ordinary people are merely resources, fuel, a means for them to advance further.


    As for mercy �C whose hands weren��t stained with the lives of hundreds or thousands? They had long stopped caring about that.


    "Then, I wish you a safe journey!"


    Patrick said with augh, grateful that Jesaya hade to resolve his concerns, allowing him to focus more on the grand pirate endeavor of raiding merchant ships.


    Luckily, due to the war, the Boditch Kingdom Navy was no longer what it once was.


    How could he miss such an opportunity?


    Lately, more and more pirates had appeared on the Treasure Pearl Sea, making it increasingly chaotic.


    This would not do, as it had already begun to impact his profits!


    You see, since Boditch Kingdom went to war with the western Feis Kingdom, most terrestrial trade routes had beenpletely severed, causing maritime trade within Boditch to flourish instead.


    Patrick had grand ambitions, and the future was promising!


    -----------------


    Deep into the night, apart from a few lights and noises in Giant Horn Town, the entire ind and the sea were engulfed in darkness and silence.


    A cool breeze blew in, bringing waves from the direction of the harbor, alongside many drunken pirates and sailors lying along the road from the town to the harbor, sleeping like dead pigs.


    Of course, many others were still indulging in pleasures of the flesh!


    In a shadowy corner of the docks, murky and obscure, Lis stood silently, making no sound.


    Even if a regr person passed by, they would not notice someone standing there in the darkness.


    Thanks to the perks of his Assassin profession specialty "Shadow Crown," Lis was as silent as a top-notch assassin, like a supreme hunter in the dark, quietly waiting for his prey to arrive.


    The sound of crashing waves and asional shouts of sailors were all that filled his ears as Lis stood expressionless, waiting just for the appearance of "Blood Shark" Patrick.


    After hearing the news earlier that day that Evar had returned with "Hurricane" just outside the Giant Horn Ind Harbor, Lis had quickly made his way to the port.


    Although he hadn��t seen Patrick at that time, the legendary "Hurricane" was docked at the harbor, with many people busily loading and unloading goods.


    Wherever "Hurricane" was, there "Blood Shark" Patrick would be!


    So, Lis wasn��t in a hurry; he just quietly waited at the port.


    Watching the pirate ship enveloped in a faint Magic Light, its sleek streamlined body coated in pale blue magical paint that made it more attuned and attractive to wind elemental magic particles, "Hurricane" stood out under Lis��s Elemental Vision like a blue lighthouse.


    "What a splendid ship! I like it!"


    "Soon, it will be my ship!"


    Lis nodded naturally, not thinking that "Blood Shark" Patrick would have any objections.


    Joking aside, what objections could a dead man have?


    However, although Lis spoke casually, he took the hunt for "Blood Shark" Patrick very seriously, nning many contingencies and strategies for it.


    It would be unwise to act against Patrick in the port town itself, as it was also home to Gold-level professionals to keep thewless pirates in check.


    If Lis struck in the town, the Golden Strong Man would have to intervene to maintain order. But it was different outside the harbor.


    Not being on that Gold Strong Man��s domain, he wouldn��t go as far as confronting Lis over a pirate.


    Gazing at the stars twinkling like diamonds on the ck velvet sky, it was deep into the night, but Lis was not at all anxious.

 Chapter 338 - 330: The Hunt Begins!_3

    [Blood Shark] Patrick never sleeps outside overnight, so he would inevitably use the road in front of Lis to return to the [Hurricane].


    Therefore, after Lis confirmed that Patrick had entered the town, he stayed here alone, instructing Evar to return to the [Eagle] and bring Charles and Basel over.


    After Lis had lured Patrick away, their three��s task was to directly take control of the [Hurricane] to prevent any disturbances to Lis��s battle.


    After all, Lis hade to regard it as his possession and naturally could not tolerate any damage to it.


    As for Charles and the others, Lis wasn��t particrly worried.


    Although there were many pirates on the [Hurricane], there were no other Gold-level professionals present. With their top Silver-level strength, controlling the situation shouldn��t be a problem, or at least they could hold out until Lis returned.


    As Lis was continuously revising the n in his mind, a burly figure appeared at the dock entrance.


    Lis��s attention instantly focused there, sensing a formidable Gold Rank aura emanating from this person!


    Looking at the face that almost matched the wanted poster, Lis quickly confirmed this was [Blood Shark] Patrick.


    Watching Patrick walk towards the [Hurricane], Lis began to hold his breath and concentrate, gathering his magic power.


    Because Lis��s affinity with the Shadow ne and ability to hide his presence vastly exceeded Patrick��s, Patrick didn��t notice Lis��s covert actions at all.


    In an instant, Lis had fully gathered his magic power, and a broad beam of bright white light burst forth from his hands, smashing directly at Patrick.


    Six-Circle Magic [Rejection Technique]!


    In a good mood while walking towards the [Hurricane], Patrick suddenly sensed a spiritual warning, and a huge white pir of light hammered towards him from behind.


    Ambush?!


    But at this moment, Patrick had no time to defend himself and could only raise his arms in front of his body.


    When the white pir of light struck him, he felt an irresistible gargantuan force impact his body, uncontrobly pushing him backward, directly flinging him over a hundred meters away.


    Finally regaining control of his body, Patrick shook his arms only to realize he was now far from the dock, standing on the surface of the sea.


    He was amazed to find he hadn��t received even a scratch; it seemed the spell��s purpose was merely to force him away from the dock.


    After casting [Rejection Technique], and unsurprisingly watching Patrick��s figure fly backwards, Lis too shed forward, quickly flying towards the spot where Patrick fell, with his Jade Wand in hand.


    The principle of the Six-Circle Magic [Rejection Technique] is somewhat simr to the [Resistance Ring], which also belongs to the Protection Magic category, generally used by mages to repel close-range enemies.


    The effect of the [Resistance Ring] surrounds the user, while [Rejection Technique] is a directional spell, but its effect is much more potent; if it hits the enemy, the repelling effect is several times stronger than the [Resistance Ring].


    However, for most mages, the [Resistance Ring] is clearly more practical.


    But here, Lis chose the [Rejection Technique] to push Patrick into the sea and away from the port area.


    After ensuring he was unharmed, Patrick also saw the figure rapidly approaching him.


    @@novelbin@@


    This aura... Silver Level?


    Patrick almostughed out of anger, his fury from the recent attack boiling over even more.


    Since when did a Silver Level Mage have the courage to strike at him, [Blood Shark] Patrick?


    Sure enough, it must be those pirates newly emerged in Treasure Pearl Sea trying to rise above me, huh?


    With a gesture from his right hand, a massive silver-white me suddenly emerged in front of the approaching figure, the fierce ze threatening topletely engulf him.


    Druid Magic [Starfire Technique]!


    Although Patrick specialized in [Natural Transformation] as a Druid, he had mastered several Druid spells, and using them was no less potent than a typical Gold Mage��s attack.


    Seeing this, Lis quicklyyered several Elemental Shields in front of him.


    At this moment, he dared not underestimate Patrick in any way, as this was Lis��s first time engaging face-to-face with a Gold-level powerhouse. It was quite different from using aerial advantages to mock Abbas in previous encounters.


    The three Elemental Shields shattered suddenly under the assault of the [Starfire Technique], but Lis had already rushed through the area engulfed in mes.


    Within Patrick��s sight, that ck figure suddenly burst through the massive clump of silver-white mes, quickly closing the distance with only few sparks on his body, seemingly unaffected at all.


    Looking at the magic wand in his hand and the magic light of the shields that had flickered on his body just moments ago, Patrick immediately realized the attacker was a Silver Level Mage.


    What��s going on? A Silver Level Mage daring to strike?


    And his speed, how could it be so fast?


    Patrick was slightly stunned, but his abundantbat experience made him instinctively prepare for closebat.


    From his robust muscles alone, it was clear that he excelled at hand-to-handbat.


    But just as the two were about to collide, Lis seemingly defied thews of physics and abruptly halted mid-air, his wand beginning to flicker with blue-purple electricity.


    At that moment, Patrick could have moved forward to prevent Lis from casting, but he was stunned.

 Chapter 339 - 330: The Hunt Begins!_4

    He sensed the aura of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts from Lis, just like those two underlings before him.


    "Hahahaha, good!"


    "I didn��t expect you toe to me, my Lord��s prey!"


    Patrickpletely ignored the spell Lis was charging, looking at him with great joy.


    "Imagine using you as a sacrifice, my Lord would surely be pleased!"


    Lis, seeing the confident expression on Patrick in front of him, paid it no mind.


    Six-Circle Arcane [Lis��s Thunder Domain]!


    Countless thick purple-blue thunderbolts fell from the sky, fiercely smashing towards Patrick.


    Patrick frowned as he watched the thunderbolts striking towards him.


    This feeling, this thunder spell obviously was somewhat beyond the Silver Rank��s strength, posing a slight threat to him.


    But that was all, Patrick dodged most of the thunderbolts, and the remaining aftershocks were nothing to him.


    Many sailors and inders near the docks had noticed the situation here, casting their gazes in this direction.


    Lis, seeing that the arcane he had just cast had no effect, paid it no mind either, and immediately released a blue fireball towards Patrick, then turned and flew towards the deep sea without seeing how effective it was.


    Although Patrick was a Druid, his agility wasn��t lower than a Silver-level Assassin even as a Gold Rank.


    After dodging the fireball and seeing Lis seemingly trying to escape, he quickly pursued him.


    Typically, Patrick would not let go of someone who dared offend him, let alone prey marked by the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts; how could he possibly let him go easily?


    Not having fought in earnest just now, Patrick, to be safe, directly used his most proficient skill, Druid [Natural Transformation]!


    Wrapped in a magic light, Patrick��s body transformed into a seven-meter-long gigantic blood-colored shark.


    Bang!


    The huge shark fiercely mmed into the sea, sending water sshing into the night sky.


    Immediately, a huge triangr ck fin appeared on the sea surface, cutting through the water as it rapidly pursued in the direction Lis had fled.


    Meanwhile, Lis quickly flew towards the deep sea; Giant Horn Ind was no longer visible.


    Suddenly, countless water spears shot out from the sea below towards him.


    Lis continuously used his Magic Shield to block the water spears but his speed inevitably slowed down.


    A huge blood-colored figure then blocked Lis��s path��it was Patrick, now in his Blood Shark Form.


    Patrick intercepted Lis and, without hurry, slightly opened his mouth brimming with sharp teeth and smiled at Lis.


    However, his smile was rather too monstrous, enough to make ordinary people faint in terror.


    But Lis paid it no mind, instead looking at the Blood Shark before him with an inquisitive gaze.


    It made one wonder, what��s inside the body of a Druid after transformation��it��s quite intriguing!


    Seeing that Lis did not show the fearful expression he expected, but instead looked at him with that curious gaze, Patrick suddenly felt a bit uneasy.


    Patrick shook his head to cast aside these strange thoughts and said to Lis:


    "What��s your name, as the first sacrifice to my Lord, I allow you to leave yourst words."


    "You mean that Master of Ten Thousand Beasts?"


    Lis also showed a confident smile on his face, thinking you believe you��ve intercepted me, but why couldn��t it be that I have lured you here?


    As soon as Lis finished speaking, three rings in silver, aqua, and blue suddenly appeared, surrounding him.


    Six-Circle Arcane [Lis��s Thunder Domain]!


    Six-Circle Arcane [Lis��s Destructive Storm]!


    Six-Circle Arcane [Lis��s Wave Prison]!


    ?????


    Seeing the terrifying thunderbolts falling before him, the giant tornadoes stirring up countless waves, and the sea water prison that surrounded a hundred-meter radius, Patrick was puzzled.


    What��s this situation?


    The power of these spells before him was obviously several times stronger than before, posing a great threat to him.


    @@novelbin@@


    This Silver Mage��s spells could actually pose a mortal threat to him!


    And just now that was...


    Patrick suddenly realized what those several rings represented and looked towards Lis in the sky, his eyes almost bursting with rage.


    Extraordinary Domain?!

 Chapter 340 - 331: Special Arcane [Lis’s Sage Robe]

    In a corner of the dock, Charles and his twopanions were crouching there, carefully watching the two figures disappearing into the distance on the sea.


    "Do you think Lord Lis will be sessful?"


    Charles muttered, judging from the battle scene they had just witnessed, it seemed that Patrick, the "Blood Shark," appeared to have the upper hand.


    "No problem!"


    Evar dered definitively, then stared intently at Charles.


    Feeling ufortable under Evar��s gaze, Charles quickly added:


    "Of course, I also believe in Lord Lis."


    "Stop looking at me, we have to go take over the Hurricane soon, let��s quickly make a n!"


    Seeing Evar��s gaze move to the distant Hurricane, Charles finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    He didn��t know what Lis had taken Evar to do, but since returning, Evar had developed an extreme respect for Lis, even bordering on fervor.


    But then, if he could also significantly improve his own strength, he would likely feel as grateful as Evar did!


    Basel crouched on the side without saying a word. Ever since he was captured by Lis, he had be even less assertive, but he was still reliable when given tasks.


    Under the cover of night, the three men quietly made their way to the Hurricane docked at the pier.


    -----------------


    Atop the sea,


    Patrick, transformed into a Blood Shark, no longer underestimated Lis once he saw the Extraordinary Domain surrounding him.


    Although he didn��t understand why an Extraordinary Domain would appear around a Silver Level Mage, he couldn��t deny the power of the Domain.


    If it were a Professional who had just advanced to the Golden Rank, they might not understand what an Extraordinary Domain represented, but Patrick was different.


    @@novelbin@@


    He was a core member of the All Beast Church, a disciple of a Legendary Strongman, and had broken through to the Gold Level more than a decade ago.


    Yet even so, he was still quite a distance from mastering an Extraordinary Domain.


    At least for now, he saw no hope of achieving it.


    Because Patrick had thoroughly researched the Extraordinary Domain, he was acutely aware of its terrifying aspects.


    For instance, the spells of this Mage before him could threaten him, but that was about it.


    If he was cautious, he might not even get hurt.


    But under the buff of the Extraordinary Domain and the terrifying spells that Patrick had never seen before, the Mage pushed Patrick to an extremely awkward position.


    The blue-purple Thunder that Patrick could once withstand with his flesh now seemed like a ghost to him, not daring to touch it at all.


    His Spiritual Sense told him that even one streak of Thunder was enough to lightly injure his body, which had been strengthened again through Natural Transformation.


    If it were only one streak of Thunder, it might be manageable, but around him, Thunder fell within a hundred meters of the sea, with dozens of thick bolts striking down at any time.


    Patrick could only dodge desperately, but by now, he had no room to hold back any longer,


    The strengths of a Gold Level Druid were fully evident��abundantbat experience and formidable reaction capacity allowed Patrick to move agilely among the thunder strikes, managing topletely evade all the attacks.


    But Patrick could not feel pleased at this moment, for the thunder would not end there.


    After the Thunder entered the sea, it rapidly spread outward, forming a dense electric that expanded in all directions.


    Patrick could feel his bodying into contact with these residual currents; while they did not harm him directly, they were already causing his body to be somewhat numb.


    If that were all there was to it, it might be fine, but Lis was simultaneously using two other arcane spells.


    The Six-Circle Arcane "Lis��s Destructive Storm" formed a huge sea tornado at the center of this maritime region, its powerful suction drawing in everything from the surrounding area toward its core, while countless pale cyan Wind des scattered in all directions.


    The Six-Circle Arcane "Lis��s Wave Cage" turned the hundred-meter area of sea into aplete prison, with sentient waves resisting any enemy trying to leave the cage.


    This newbination of arcane spells was Lis��stest innovation after acquiring his domain, able to exhibit its greatest power at sea.


    Not only was it extremely damaging, but it also strongly bound and controlled enemies within the domain.


    Patrick had tried it already��even under the sea, the Wave Cage could still take effect, with countless undercurrents impeding his escape.


    At the surface, he would constantly suffer shing from sharp Wind des. The ultra-thin des could easily slice through the tough skin of a Blood Shark and were hard to detect. Before long, Patrick was already bleeding from multiple cuts.


    Patrick knew he could not go on like this. Thebined spells must have received the buff of an Extraordinary Domain, greatly enhancing their power.


    Crucially, the battlefield was the open sea, where Lis��s power was augmented immensely, perfectly harnessing the power of the vast ocean.


    Patrick could feel the wind and water around him, every element of the world, seemingly opposing him. The formidable power mobilized by the Silver Level Mage before him already matched or even surpassed him, an experienced Gold Level Druid.


    Patrick had seen the power of Extraordinary Domains before, but never had he faced such terrifying force firsthand.

 Chapter 341 - 331: Special Arcane [Lis’s Sage Robe]_2

    Lis was well aware that it wasn��t just the power of the Extraordinary Domain at y; he had infused the three divine powers he had obtained into the domain. The divine authority was sufficient to mobilize most of the Power of the World in this area, and only by doing so could he manage to suppress Patrick so utterly.


    However, this was not without cost. Lis, now merely a Silver Level Professional, had otherwise enhanced his body through other professional specialties, but controlling such a massive force over a long period put a great strain on him.


    @@novelbin@@


    As a high-level authority of power, the Extraordinary Domain could mobilize the Power of the World, but it also consumed a significant amount of his own energy.


    Lis��s Magic Power was being consumed at an extremely fast rate. Though his Magic Power far exceeded that of other mages at the same level, he could not engage in a prolonged battle.


    He had to fight quickly!


    Lis was very clear about this, and the same thought had also urred in Patrick��s mind.


    However, he was not nning to continue fighting Lis; instead, he wanted to escape this sea area.


    Faced with such a predicament, he couldn��t help but realize that the Silver Mage before him was a tough nut to crack.


    It seemed that his target today was himself, and more crucially, he genuinely had the capability.


    The most pressing matter for Patrick was to leave this sea area, not to look for Lis in the center of the prison.


    Joking aside, Lis��s position was where the terrifying sea tornado was located, going directly towards it was akin to seeking death.


    Even if he wanted to kill Lis, he had to first escape this prison, not fight in such hostile conditions.


    Although it was somewhat embarrassing for Patrick, a Golden Strong Man, to flee from a Silver opponent, if others found out, his prestige would bepletely obliterated.


    But Patrick knew that now was not the time to hesitate over vanity and face; at a life-and-death moment, he didn��t have time to think more and could only seek the most advantageous way to fight.


    He had to leave this ce!


    Patrick quickly recognized the situation. Originally capable of transforming into a shark, he had some natural advantages in sea battles.


    The ocean was his main arena; other Professionals found it hard to stand their ground on the sea surface, let alone defeat him.


    Even standing on a ship, Patrick, strengthened in power, could easily tear apart those wooden ships without magic protection.


    At the same time, the sea water was his natural barrier. Patrick��s favorite thing to do was to drag his enemies into the ocean and drown them.


    Even the very few mages who could fly, as a Druid, Patrick was not powerless like a warrior; he still possessed long-distance attack spells.


    It was for this reason that even though others had known his strength and methods for over a decade reigning over the Pearl Sea, few could pose a threat to him.


    But today was different. Patrick keenly felt that the ocean, which was once his home field, had turned into the enemy��s aplice, imprisoning him, and he was utterly overwhelmed in this respect by the opponent.


    Even though the opponent was just a Silver Mage!


    Is this the power of the Extraordinary Domain?


    Patrick gritted his teeth, fear beginning to take root in his heart.


    With a jerk of his streamlined shark body, he suddenly burst from the sea, unstoppable as he crashed into the edge of the Water Prison.


    He knew that in mid-air, he would be attacked by Thunder and invisible Wind des, but staying under the sea would only lead to a slow death.


    Under the sea, countless currents incessantly entwined and enveloped his body, making it impossible for him to muster the strength to break through the Water Prison.


    Boom!


    Patrick mmed into the Water Prison, the blue cage shook momentarily, and then he was repelled back at an even faster pace, stirring up towering waves.


    Lis furrowed his brows, as the controller of the Wave Cage, he clearly felt the ferocity of Patrick��s attack.


    After all, Patrick was a Golden Strong Man; Lis��sbination of arcane spells couldn��t restrain him for long.


    After using [Natural Transformation], Patrick��s highest Intelligence Attribute was now proportionally added to his Strength, making his strengthparable to that of a warrior of the same level.


    Patrick also noticed the shaking of the Water Prison. With a few more attacks of that intensity, he believed he could break through the blockade.


    Patrick��s spirits lifted, and he quickly gathered his strength to continue attacking the Water Prison.


    Lis, watching the ferocious, giant, blood-red shark below through the sea tornado, was not surprised.


    Even with the support of the Extraordinary Domain, he could not rely solely on spells to trap and kill Patrick.


    Since he had made his decision, Lis hesitated no longer. His jade green Magic Wand sparked with Magic Light as multiple Beneficial Magic Spells buffed his body.


    [Bear��s Tenacity, Cat��s Grace, Bull��s Power, Fox��s Cunning, Owl��s Wisdom]!


    Four Rings Magic [Advanced Deflection Field]!


    Five-Ring Magic [Reaction Armor]!


    Six-Circle Magic [Magic Resistance Shield]!


    Finally, as thest Magic Light shed in Lis��s hand, an ethereal Armor appeared on his body and then vanished from sight.


    Because most of Patrick��s attacks had now turned physical, the protective spells Lis applied to himself were targeted against physical attacks.


    Storing the Jade Wand in his storage ring, Lis pulled out a Longsword that glinted with cold light, its hilt embedded with a blue-purple gemstone.


    This was one of the Gold Level weapons Lis had specifically prepared to deal with Patrick, costing him twenty thousand Gold Coins.

 Chapter 342 - 331: Special Arcane [Lis’s Sage Robe]_3

    Lis did not feel the slightest bit of pity, for an ordinary weapon could never breach Patrick��s defense.


    After all, as long as Lis managed to sessfully kill Patrick, the value of "Hurricane" alone would be incalcble.


    Warrior Battle Skill "Courage Cloak"!


    Warrior Battle Skill "Advanced Magic Weapon"!


    Warrior Battle Skill "All Attributes Enhancement"!


    Warrior Battle Skill "Danger Prediction"!


    Hunter Battle Skills "Advanced Windwalking Technique"!


    In a blink of an eye, Lis bestowed himself with all the non-conflicting buff skills, instantly elevating his presence to a terrifying degree.


    Patrick, with his acute perception of nature, clearly sensed the threating from above, but he did not turn back to face it.


    Having shielded himself with Magic Protection, Patrick had made up his mind that even if he had to endure a few Magic Attacks, he would break through the opponent��s spell seal as quickly as possible.


    Lis��s figure shed, instantly melding into the shadows.


    assassinbat technique "Stealth"!


    With the effects of the "Water Walking" and "Advanced Flying Skill" previously cast upon himself, Lis rapidly approached Patrick.


    At this moment, Patrick also sensed something amiss. Though he couldn��t detect Lis��s position, the "Anger of the Lord of Ten Thousand Beasts" status on Lis served like a beacon, alerting Patrick that his enemy was continuously closing in on him.


    Patrick was once again provoked toughter.


    Well, well, a Mage daring to engage in closebat, aren��t you afraid I��ll tear you to shreds?


    Suddenly, Patrick realized that he faintly sensed the presence of his adversary materializing behind him.


    "How is this possible... so fast?"


    Isn��t the opponent a Mage?


    The only thought left in Patrick��s mind was to barely turn his head, only to see Lis, gripping the sharp Longsword in reverse, appearing behind him.


    assassinbat technique "Backstabbing"!


    In Patrick��s incredulous gaze, Lis��s Longsword viciously stabbed into the back of the blood-red shark.


    Using a Longsword to execute assassinbat technique was an unfortunate choice for Lis, for he was short on time and had failed to procure a suitable Gold-Level Dagger, and so he reluctantly tried using the Longsword.


    Though somewhat awkward to use, the effect was still satisfactory; over half of the Longsword plunged into Patrick��s body before his tense muscles stopped it from going any deeper.


    As Patrick felt the intense pain from his back, his eyes were filled with astonishment.


    What��s happening?


    With his richbat experience, Patrick naturally recognized that Lis had just executed the assassin skill "Backstabbing".


    A Silver Mage wielded a Longsword to perform the assassin skill "Backstabbing," severely wounding him, a Gold-Level Druid.


    Althoughmon sense made Patrick reluctant to believe it, the severe pain in his back could not be faked.


    This guy is dangerous!


    Just the Magic he cast made him fearful, and this formidable closebat ability was just as indisputable.


    Even with his mind fluttering with thoughts, Patrick, experienced inbat, immediately reacted, and a terrifying surge of Magic Power burst from his body, expelling Lis along with the surrounding seawater.


    Lis retreated a dozen meters before steadying himself on the surface of the sea.


    With the Longsword hanging low, its crimson blood steadily dripped into the azure waters, gradually diffusing.


    The "Backstabbing" just now was so effective, in part because of the surprise attack. As a Mage, Lis��s sudden closebat caught Patrick off guard, and the preemptively used Elemental Shield was nearly ineffective against physical attacks.


    On the other hand, it was the use of the Extraordinary Domain.


    Yes, the Extraordinary Domain is not exclusive to Mages; it can bless various Magic Attacks as well as be applied to the Combat Skills of warriors and assassins.


    When using Combat Skills, the Extraordinary Domain can likewise bestow the Power of the World to enhance the power of the strike.


    Lis��s "Backstabbing" was saturated with the power of "Hurricane" and "Wave" Domains.


    @@novelbin@@


    The "Hurricane" Domain granted Lis��s attack greater swiftness, while the "Wave" Domain imbued his strike with the relentless,yered power of ocean waves, enabling him to easily prate the enhanced body of the Gold-Level Druid.


    However, although Lis��s first attack was notably effective, he did not feel the remainder of the battle would be easy.


    As a seasoned Gold Strong Man, Patrick had been through more battles and life-or-death crises than Lis and wouldn��t fall for the same ploy a second time.


    Just as Lis had anticipated, Patrick managed to control the bleeding from the wound on his back by flexing his muscles. His sanguine eyes were fixed on Lis, but his emotions had cooled.


    At this point, he no longer underestimated Lis as a Silver Professional but regarded him as a true Strong Man.


    This was an adversary capable of truly threatening his life!


    A blood-colored protective barrier appeared around Patrick, resisting the asional Thunder and Wind de, and he had no intention of continuing to flee.


    After experiencing Lis��s prowess in closebat firsthand, Patrick knew very well that he couldn��t possibly break through this Water Prison with Lis interfering.


    What would follow...


    Was a fight to the death!


    Patrick��s eyes instantly turned a vivid red, as an invisible Fear Spirit radiated violently from his body in all directions.


    This wave of Fear was too fast; Lis could not avoid it.


    ---------------


    [You have been affected by Druid Patrick (LV135)��s Skill "Fear Spirit"!]


    ["Fear Spirit": The Fear Spirit emanating from the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts. Any creature within a 50-meter radius must pass a willpower check or will be affected by a Fear Technique equivalent to the level of the caster!]

 Chapter 343 - 331: Special Arcane [Lis’s Sage Robe]_4

    [You are subject to a consciousness judgement from Fear Aura.]


    [Judging.....]


    [Your specialty, Nether River��s Blessing, is activated, Solid Soul effect in effect!]


    [You have negated the consciousness judgement from Fear Aura!]


    ---------------


    Lis only felt a slight dizziness before quickly recovering.


    He noticed the information on the system panel. Fear Aura?


    Lis had encountered a simr skill when facing the Witch Demon McAy, but he had not expected Patrick to possess this ability as well.


    Was it derived from the Fear Divine Position influenced by the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts?


    Patrick noticed that Lis almost immediately recovered without being affected and charged towards Lis with an emotionless expression.


    The shock Lis had brought him was too much; the failure of the previously invincible Fear Aura was just one aspect of it.


    In Lis��s field of vision, Patrick��s speed suddenly surged to the limit, streaking across the sea like a white line and appearing before Lis.


    His cold, merciless eyes were filled with murderous intent, and he opened his huge mouth bristling with dense, triangr teeth, lunging to bite Lis.


    The seven-meter-long massive body created an overwhelming sense of oppression, but Lis remained unmoved, the longsword in his hand instantly vanishing, reced by a thick shield shimmering with silver light in front of him, firmly grasped in both hands to meet Patrick.


    Combat Skill, Shield m!


    ---------------


    [You switched weapons, All Techniques Return to Storage - Lis effect triggered!]


    [You have entered the Storage status, skill damage increased by 10%.]


    ---------------


    Holding the Gold-level Shield, Lis waspletely protected and showed no sign of retreating.


    ng!!!


    A massive boom echoed as Patrick��s gigantic body was forcibly blocked by Lis in midair.


    Feeling a numb sensation in his hands, Lis furrowed his brow.


    Something��s not right!


    Even if he was using a Gold-level Shield, even if the All Techniques Return to Storage effect was activated, he shouldn��t have been able to block Patrick��s attack so perfectly.


    If Patrick was serious, the gap between them in closebat was still quite significant.


    Just as Lis subconsciously sensed something was amiss, Patrick shook his body, and his thick tail fin zipped underneath the shield like lightning, striking towards Lis��s body.


    Damn it! He was aiming for this!


    Boom!


    @@novelbin@@


    At that moment, Lis couldn��t react in time and was sent flying by Patrick, crashing deep into the sea, with a huge column of water shooting straight into the sky.


    Patrick took a breath, looking towards where Lis had vanished.


    As a Druid capable of transforming into a shark, Patrick naturally contemted how to better exploit this body��sbat methods.


    His tail was the strongest part of his body, and even a Gold-level Warrior could not afford to take a hit from it unguarded, let alone a silver.


    Although that was themon assumption, Patrick did not rx; his subconscious told him that the enemy before him couldn��t possibly be taken down just like that.


    Huff~


    Lis burst forth from beneath the sea, standing above the water��s surface.


    Blood flowed from his mouth, and his left hand, which had been directly hit by Patrick, was in an odd twisted state, clearly broken.


    But Patrick noticed that there was ayer of shattered illusory armor around Lis��s body, slowly rotating and recovering.


    With a pale face, Lis gritted his teeth as he looked at Patrick.


    Luckily!


    Luckily, after the enhancement from Stephen��s Wisdom, he had finally created his own unique Protection system arcane, otherwise he would have been unable to withstand Patrick��s full-powered strike, and would have been turned into minced meat on the spot.


    Although he still had the Dimension Shield from the Space Ring given by his teacher as a trump card, Lis truly felt like he had just walked the line of death.


    ---------------


    Special Arcane, Lis��s Sage Robe


    [Effect: An original creation by the Arcanist Lis, a Protection system arcane that acts automatically and permanently.


    Continuously depletes spiritual power and Magic Power, generating a Sage Robe around the user to automatically resist attacks sustained by the user.


    Special Effect: The Sage Robe has multiple properties such as deflection, reflection, crystallization, and fracture cushioning; it enhances protection against physical attacks by 50%!]

 Chapter 344 - 332: The Rise of the King!

    The tattered Sage Robe surrounding his body was slowly mending, continuously drawing a vast amount of Magic Power and spiritual power from Lis��s body.


    If it hadn��t been for the Sage Robe automatically blocking most of Patrick��s strength just now, Lis reckoned his current state would be much worse than just a broken arm.


    Not only that, his internal organs had also taken a hit, sustaining not- insignificant injuries.


    Even so, the deep, marrow-prating pain was still relentlessly stimting Lis��s nerves.


    This was the first time he had been so grievously injured since his rebirth.


    Putting away his Shield, Lis wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, yet a faint smile appeared on his face.


    That��s right!


    Just like this!


    The exhration of pursuing the limit amidst life and death battles caused Lis��s body to tremble slightly with excitement.


    In all his previous fights, either Lis had used various methods to dominate the battlefield, or his opponents were too weak and his own strength was more than enough to crush them.


    He had never felt the sensation of a real battle; it was as if he were in a game from his previous life.


    Although Lis kept reminding himself that this was a real world and that death was truly the end, he, who had never beenpletely trapped in a death crisis, couldn��t imagine what it would feel like?


    Lis had thought that, as someone from the peaceful era of his previous life, he would fear and dread, be afraid of death, and even turn tail at the face of it.


    But now, Lis realized his most genuine desire.


    To fully exert his strength in battle, to surpass his own limits, and to strive to reach new peaks.


    So, am I a battle maniac?


    Lisughed self-deprecatingly, and the Jade Wand suddenly appeared in his hand.


    The effect of [All Laws Return to Storage] was triggered!


    Six-Circle Magic [Acid Mist Technique]!


    Massive clouds suffused with a faint green hue appeared above the sea region, whilst at the same time, both the Arcane Destruction Storm and the Thunder Domain ceased.


    Patrick realized he was enveloped in dense fog that only allowed him to see about two to three meters around his body, and his sense of direction began to fade.


    @@novelbin@@


    Even just contacting the green-tinged fog gave Patrick��s extremely tough sharkskin a sensation of corrosive burning.


    [Acid Mist Technique] was somewhat simr to the Five-Ring Magic [Thick Fog Skill], but it also carried a strong acidity, capable of dealing continuous damage and slowing enemies.


    Yet, what Lis valued more was its special effect of obscuring sight and confusing perception!


    Although there were no longer Wind des or Thunder strikes, the Water Prison was still present, constantly restricting his movements.


    Patrick cautiously observed his surroundings and tried to heal his injuries as much as possible.


    As a Druid, he did possess some Healing abilities.


    But Lis would not give him enough time to recover his Status!


    Zing~


    The crisp sound rang out as an Arrow glowing with cyan and blue hues shot through the fog with incredible speed from behind Patrick,nding on his back in the blink of an eye.


    Only then did Patrick react, barely moving his body to dodge the Arrow, but even so, the terrifying attack still took away a small chunk of flesh.


    Struggling to stem the bleeding at the wound, Patrick became somewhat perplexed.


    What was this?


    After the Skills of Professions such as Mage, assassin, and warrior, was his enemy now resorting to a Hunter��s bow and arrow attack?


    But the Arrows didn��t give him a moment to breathe, as several more shot out from the fog, targeting various parts of his body.


    The exceedingly fast and powerfully heavy bow and arrows forced Patrick to be preupied with defending, and he continued to umte injuries, with one long Arrow even piercing through his tail.


    With continuous heavy blows, Patrick could barely control the loss of blood, and the sea region gradually became saturated with scarlet.


    Not far away, Lis also breathed a sigh of relief, putting down the pale cyan golden longbow in his hand.


    The left arm that Patrick had injured earlier had already recovered under the effect of the Spell [Recover from Severe Injuries], and though it was still somewhat ufortable, it was enough for him to operate the longbow.


    Just now, Lis had used the [Closterman Heavy Arrow Skill]!


    This was a special Hunter technique Lis had learned from Charles, originating from Charles��s master, Closterman.


    Such a powerful technique could exert strength beyond the limits, and it was a particrly precious secret skill.


    Charles, with his muscr physique, owed it to training to master this Combat Skill.


    This secret technique demanded that the Hunter professional��s Strength Attribute meet the level of a same-tier warrior, and during use, it could not be interrupted by external factors, requiring the cooperation of teammates.


    Lis perfectly fulfilled the learning requirements of this secret technique.


    Cooperation?


    I��m a kaleidoscope of fight myself, my own cooperation will do just fine!


    Charles didn��t hesitate, for the requirements to learn the secret technique were indeed very high, so his teacher didn��t mind him teaching it to others.


    It was just that Charles never imagined Lis would learn it so quickly, nor that he would use Experience Points to raise the Skill Level to an extremely high realm in one go.


    Seeing the [Closterman Heavy Arrow Skill] taking effect, Lis found he could not keep it up.


    After all, the secret technique that could heavily injure a Gold Level entity like Patrick had its hefty costs.


    Lis��s right hand was already beginning to tremble, and even with the healing from the Spell, it would take a while before he could wield any strength again.


    But that��s fine, he could still cast Spells, as long as he could hold the Magic Wand.


    Soon, Patrick noticed that a new surge of Spellwork was striking toward him from within the fog.


    Trying his best to dodge while doing so, Patrick could no longer afford to wait any longer.

 Chapter 345 - 332: The Rise of the King!_2

    ```


    Although he was seriously injured, as a Druid he naturally had the ability to heal himself.


    Logically, he could have engaged in a war of attrition with Lis, but Lis��s performance in the recent battle had been too unexpected.


    The turn of events left him dizzy,pletelycking theposure, determination, and courage to fight a war of attrition with Lis.


    Patrick let out a low growl, and his body seemed to growrger, with a deep ck color surging beneath his crimson skin.


    Elemental Shields of different types formed around his body, warding off the Spells Lis used.


    Lis flew in mid-air, attacking with Spells while also careful to avoid revealing his position.


    Although Lis chose Spells rted to wind, water, and thunder, all connected to his Extraordinary Domain abilities, for the time being, he couldn��t breach Patrick��s shields, created at no regard for cost.


    Lis naturally noticed the changes in the giant shark below and felt vaguely uneasy.


    It seemed as if some terrifying entity was about to descend...


    No!


    He couldn��t wait any longer!


    Lis knew all too well that when facing these Evil God believers, one must never let their guard down.


    These madmen could spring a big surprise on you at any moment!


    Not to mention, Patrick was a Gold Level fighter of the All Beast Church; without a doubt, he was about to invoke the power from the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts.


    Eventually, under Lis��s relentless onught, Patrick��s numerous Shields were finally all shattered.


    But beneath the dissipating smoke, what Lis saw was a giant ck shark emitting an extremely ominous aura.


    The originally seven-meter-long body had now swelled once again, reaching twelve meters.


    The shock waspletely different from before; Lis only felt a wave of evil and fierce auraing, which alone could chill the bones of an ordinary Silver Level Professional.


    But that wasn��t much for Lis, who had a particrly resilient Spirit Will; however, he noticed the madness in Patrick��s triangr shark eyes, now devoid of any glint of Wisdom.


    Patrick had now be aplete and utter beast.


    But still, it was an extremely powerful beast!


    In an instant, Lis noticed Patrick��s turn towards his own direction, and rm bells rang in his heart.


    Without any hesitation, he used a "Teleportation Technique" to leave his position.


    The giant fan-shaped tail swept through the spot where Lis had just been, the air seeming to emit a burdened explosive sound.


    Lis appeared somewhat upset in another location.


    Patrick��s recent attack meant that Lis��s fog was no longer effective, as he now seemed to fight entirely on instinct and perception.


    The power of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts had enhanced Patrick��s physical attributes in all aspects, allowing him to track Lis��s position by feel alone.


    Since that was the case, Lis attempted to once again merge into the shadows, slowly circling around Patrick��s body.


    @@novelbin@@


    This time, hidden by the power of Shadow, Patrick didn��t directly lock onto Lis but instead circled around restlessly, continuously mming the sea surface below him.


    Perhaps due to his loss of sanity, Patrick chose not to attack the Water Prison directly but continued to search for Lis��s position.


    He couldn��t drag this out!


    Although Lis was certain Patrick couldn��t maintain this state for long, his own Magic Power was already running low.


    In order to truly injure the Gold Level Patrick, all of Lis��s Skill attacks had consumed a great deal of Magic Power, and he still had to sustain the consumption of the Sixth Circle Arcane "Lis��s Wave Prison" and the special arcane "Lis��s Sage Robe."


    Even though Lis continually used Magic Potions to recover Magic Power, it was like a drop in the bucketpared to the expenditure.


    The only reason Lis could still keep going was because of his many Mage specialties and the boosts from "Sphinx��s Wisdom."


    Lis put away his Magic Wand and gripped the Longsword in his hand.


    He was well aware of the difficulty in a Cross-level Challenge, but now that he had reached this point and Patrick��s final card had been forced out,


    he wouldn��t be satisfied without giving it his all!


    Lis calmly observed the giant ck shark in front of him, beginning to approach slowly.


    In this state, Patrick��s speed, Strength, and perception had all greatly increased, making closebat even more dangerous than before.


    Explore more at Freewebnovel


    If he took a direct hit, even with the Sage Robe��s protection, Lis would lose his fighting capability instantly and have to abandon the hunt.


    So, there could be no more mistakes this time!


    Lis felt himself entering a state of extreme concentration, where every muscle in his body and every drop of seawater around him were crystal clear in his perception.


    Whoosh~


    Lis appeared behind Patrick, Longsword shing down!


    Assassin Combat Skill "Shadow Raid"!


    The deep grey Shadow Power wrapped around Lis��s Longsword, as he became like that sharpest and most venomous de of an assassin, mercilessly piercing into Patrick��s body.


    The Longsword was gripped by the muscles of the giant shark before it could fully prate, but Lis seemed to have anticipated this.


    Sixth Circle Arcane "Lis��s Blue me Demon Sword"!


    Ghostly blue mes emerged anew from the Longsword,ying im to the giant shark��s body, tearing and burning through his flesh.


    ```

 Chapter 346 - 332: The Rise of a King!_3

    Seeing that his objective was achieved, Lis immediately withdrew, extinguishing the Blue me on his Longsword at the same time.


    At this moment, saving even a bit of Magic Power was good.


    The agonized roar of the giant shark suddenly erupted, causing Lis��s brain to feel somewhat dizzy.


    At the same time, a violent fluctuation of Magic Power spread rapidly outward from the shark��s body, even pushing away the water beneath it.


    But the counterattack of the massive shark had no effect; Lis had already anticipated this and was far away.


    However, the ghostly blue me continued to burn on the back of the shark, gnawing at its flesh and Magic Power like a maggot in a bone, causing it unbearable pain.


    Just as the giant shark attempted to deal with the threat on its back, Lis, wielding a Long Spear, reappeared at its right side, once again leaving a bloody wound on the shark��s body with the sharp point of the spear.


    Under the buff of the Extraordinary Domain, Patrick��s formidable physical defense was not invincible to Lis.


    Without pausing, Lis once again submerged into the Shadow, dodging the shark��s iing tail.


    Feeling the terrifying force that had just missed him by a hair��s breadth, Lis did not show fear in his eyes but continued to press forward.


    @@novelbin@@


    He mercilessly mmed a two-meter diameter Heavy Hammer onto Patrick��s dorsal fin, a Transcendent weapon that was so heavy it was quite useless for anything else; Lis could only barely control the direction of the hammer using inertia.


    Lis smashed Patrick��s dorsal fin, breaking it outright, and the crimson blood and striking white bones were particrly conspicuous in the sunlight.


    So... it��s just like the structure of a real shark!


    This thought shed through Lis��s mind, and at this moment his consciousness was also reaching its limit.


    Just then, he saw the look in Patrick��s eyes.


    In those pitch-ck eyes was a mixture of anger, hatred, and a hint of pleasure from finally catching you.


    What?


    It was all an act!


    He had not lost his rationality!


    As Lis thought of escaping, dense green vines suddenly appeared in the space around him, wrapping around his body.


    These vines seemed to have the effect of interfering with Lis��s use of Magic Power, causing the Magic Power that he was rapidly mobilizing to falter for an instant.


    Clenching his teeth, Lis��s face looked somewhat unpleasant.


    So, everything prior was an act by Patrick, all to catch the opportunity to control him?


    For this, he even sustained multiple injuries from Lis��s attacks, biding his time without making a move before he was certain.


    Patrick��s heart was filled with relief; if Lis hadn��t continuously inflicted heavy damage on him, he might not have regained a sliver of his rationality from the "Fallen" state.


    This was power derived from the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts, and for him, a Golden Druid who had not even mastered the Extraordinary Domain, it was very difficult to shake off the influence of Divine Power and regain consciousness.


    Patrick could already sense that if he did not die this time, his strength would take a great leap forward, and even ascending to the next level and mastering the Extraordinary Domain was not impossible.


    What about now?


    Patrick looked at the temporarily controlled Lis in front of him, and various thoughts shed through his mind in an instant.


    The consciousness that he had regained was barely enough to control his body and Lis, and he had no energy left for anything else.


    In this situation, he could control Lis for at most a second or two before being broken free from.


    Then there would be no chance left!


    Patrick��s eyes sharpened; this was the only way!


    A surge of extremely powerful Soul Strength suddenly invaded Lis��s mind.


    -----------------


    [You have been invaded by Druid Patrick��s (LV135) Soul Invasion!]


    [Soul Invasion has begun!]


    -----------------


    Lis felt a wave of dizziness in his mind, sensing a powerful soul invading his body, seeking to wrest control of it from him.


    [Soul Invasion]?


    This was familiar to Lis, and he had received relevant exnations from Mr. Stephens.


    It was a move that cut off all retreat; sess or martyrdom!


    Gold-level professionals could forcibly project their souls out of their bodies to invade someone else��s, vying for control of the body with its owner.


    This soul-level struggle was extremely dangerous; a slight misstep could spell the scattering of one��s soul.


    Only the Soul Strength of Gold-level professionals was sufficient to temporarily leave the body and invade another��s.


    This move seemed mighty, but it also came with significant limitations.


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    Firstly, when the user��s soul leaves the body to enter another��s, it��s akin to fighting in someone else��s home ground; unless the soul is overwhelmingly powerful, the attempt could easily fail, leaving no chance of returning to one��s own body.


    Secondly, even if one could control the other��s body, that body, after all, isn��t one��s own, and itspatibility with the soul is uncertain; also, any attempt to return to the original body carries considerable repercussions, essentially a pyrrhic victory.


    Therefore, few people employ this ability, even when facing life-or-death battles.


    After all, with the Soul Strength of someone on the Gold Rank, trying to forcefully annihte another soul inside their body is exceedingly difficult.


    If the target were a Silver Mage or even a Bronze professional, one could overpower them using the inherent strength of a Gold Rank; why use such a risky Skill?


    But Patrick could no longer care, he had to bet on this one chance despite the countless troubles it would causeter!


    Who would have known this Silver Mage was so strong, dominating the fight by mastering the Extraordinary Domain?


    If he did not seize this opportunity to control Lis and take a life-or-death strike, he probably wouldn��t get another chance.


    Besides, with so many secrets on him, taking over his body would surely not be a loss!

 Chapter 347 - 332: The Rise of a King!_4

    So, with that thought in mind, Patrick charged straight into Lis��s body, hoping to wrestle control of it from him.


    At first, when Lis was unprepared, Patrick managed to invade Lis��s mind quite smoothly, continually encroaching upon his consciousness.


    But after Lis became alert, Patrick realized something was amiss.


    The Sea of Consciousness he faced suddenly became extremely hard, leaving no room for him to continue to intrude.


    Whether he attempted to break through head-on or disseminate his Soul Power into fine needles wandering throughout the mind, he found no chance to continue the upation, even being gradually pushed outward by Lis��s constant assaults.


    If one were to enter Lis��s Sea of Consciousness, they would see the area representing Patrick, which originally upied one-third, being steadily eroded under the push of Lis��s robust Soul Power.


    Around Lis��s white Sea of Souls, faint glimmers of cyan, blue, and silver light circted.


    Patrick��s soul roared incessantly there, but Lis paid no heed.


    The current Lis was like a person who had struck a jackpot, relentlessly attacking the remnants of Patrick��s soul without a break.


    He hadn��t expected Patrick to be so reckless as to dare to enter his Sea of Consciousness.


    He had sessfully fused with Divinity and digested the remnants of a deity��s will. Although his Soul Strength was still far from Legendary, he was one of the toppetitors at the Golden Rank, not someone who could be matched by a Gold Level like Patrick.


    To dare directlypare Soul Strength with him?


    Then I won��t be polite!


    Under the tide-like attacks of Lis, the remnants of Patrick��s soul cracked under the onught and let out a final, resentful roar within Lis��s mind before dissipating without a trace.


    After carefully inspecting the Sea of Consciousness and ensuring there were no other threats, Lis slowly opened his eyes.


    With a somewhat fatigued look, Lis was surrounded by an invisible, transparent "Dimension Shield".


    This was a Seventh Rank Protection Magic activated from the Teleportation Ring after Lis sensed something was wrong, enough to protect him from other harm.


    But it seemed to be of little use now, as the thorns around Lis��s body had disappeared. The ck giant shark that Patrick had transformed into was gradually fading and shrinking, until only his pale body was left floating on the surface of the sea.


    "Blood Shark" Patrick, dead!


    -----------------


    Aboard the "Hurricane",


    Charles, Basel, Evar, and a few others were fighting hard.


    They had not expected to encounter such stubborn resistance on this pirate ship; despite the attacks of the three of them, apart from those who had fled at the beginning, the remaining pirates organized by the leading three Silver Level Professionals managed to forcefully block their assault.


    The ominous aura emanating from those three Silver Level individuals made Charles instantly realize that these men were likely minions of the All Beast Church, which is why they could coordinate so seamlessly, working together to disrupt the assault from the three of them.


    Facing too many enemies, even Charles found no opportunity to use the "Closterman Heavy Arrow Skill".


    Watching the enemy��s position gradually stabilize, even seeing a few pirates trying hard to turn the ship��s Magic Crystal Cannons towards them,


    the terrifying might sent shivers down Charles��s spine.


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    @@novelbin@@


    Charles hesitated in his heart, struggling to make a decision.


    Right at this moment, a figure suddenly appeared above the "Hurricane".


    Bang!


    A body was hurled onto the center of the deck where the battle was fiercest, with a pale but recognizable face, and a burly body...


    "Boss Patrick!"


    "This can��t be!"


    "Who is it!!!"


    ...


    While everyone shouted in shock, plunging into disbelief and panic, the great pirate who had dominated the Pearl Sea for over a decade and caused the Bodichi Navy great embarrassment, Golden Strong Man Patrick, had died!


    At this moment, everyone��s attention was drawn to the silently standing figure in midair.


    Young! Handsome!


    These two words appeared in the minds of all the pirates.


    Although it was clear from the blood and severely damaged clothes that he had been through a severely fierce battle, the person standing now was him, while Patricky fallen.


    It was indeed Lis!


    The ship that was previously rife with fiercebat suddenly fell deathly silent.


    Though no aura was sensed from Lis, his indifferent expression and the deadly aura emanating from him shook everyone present, as if their souls were to freeze on the spot!


    This night, the image would be deeply imprinted in the depths of every pirate��s soul.


    Tonight, on the Pearl Sea.


    A new king had risen, stepping on the body of the great pirate Patrick!

 Chapter 348 - 333: Breakthrough, Gold Level!

    On the Hurricane,


    Under the deep darkness of the night, Lis��s lean and tall figure hovered in mid-air, his body faintly surrounded by an illusory transparent armor, adding a touch more mystique.


    Everyone on the ship was stunned by this sudden event and looked up at Lis.


    Lis didn��t care, he looked down at the somewhat trembling pirates below, and not one of them dared to raise a weapon against him now.


    His eyebrows furrowed slightly, and the Sixth Circle Magic "Lis��s Thunder Domain" was once again cast from his hands.


    Blue-purple thunder roamed through the mid-air, yet it did not pour down as it had during the previous battle at sea, but under Lis��s skillful control, it precisely struck certain individuals among the pirates.


    The leading three Silver Level Professionals, and a third of the Bronze Level pirates.


    Lis did not randomly choose his targets; the overtly emanating aura of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts from thempletely exposed their identities.


    They must all be followers of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts, underlings of Patrick.


    That��s why they resisted so fiercely!


    The Bronze Level pirates couldn��t resist Lis��s lightning and were directly killed by the thunderps.


    The three Silver Level pirates were only of average strength, and although theysted a few moments longer, they quickly turned to ash under the continual onught of countless thunderbolts, leaving no bodies behind.


    Dingling~ ng~


    Seeing the tragic fate of their formerpanions, the remaining pirates almost wet their pants, hastily threw away their weapons, and knelt down to beg for mercy.


    Lis didn��t look at these frightened little Calrams, instead turning his head toward Charles and the others.


    Charles and Basel were shocked, still staring at the lifeless Patrick on the deck, somewhat unable to react, while Evar was already looking at Lis with respect.


    To Evar, wasn��t it natural for Lis to kill Patrick, so why be surprised?


    "Evar, the three of you tie these people up and then set sail for the Eagle," said Lis.


    After giving a brief instruction, Lis��s figure disappeared into thin air.


    Seeing this, Charles and the others did not hesitate and quickly went forward to tie up all the pirates on the scene.


    The remaining dozen or so pirates did not resist and obediently let Charles and others tie them up like dumplings.


    Of course, they couldn��t resist even if they wanted to, as all the Silver Level pirates had already been killed by Lis, leaving the rest without the ability to resist Charles and the others.


    Although there were still some pirates in the port town of Giant Horn Ind, the people there probably knew what had happened here, but Charles and the others still barely managed to take control of the Hurricane and set off immediately.


    The pale blue pirate ship slowly disappeared into the dark sea, leaving those who came to their senses toote bewildered.


    When Charles and the others brought the Hurricane to the side of the Eagle, they allowed the sailors on board to take control of this powerful transcendent ship, but they could not find Lis.


    @@novelbin@@


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    Above a sea area far from the Eagle,


    Lis sat cross-legged on the sea surface, his eyes tightly closed in a state of meditation, recovering his depleted spiritual power.


    Around his body, countless dazzling magic elemental particles turned into streams of light in various colors, continuously flowing into Lis��s body, replenishing his magic power and also gradually easing the injuries on his body.


    As time passed, the dark night sky gradually hid its stars, and the eastern horizon at the sea-sky interface was already beginning to show a faint dawn.


    The pressure emanating from Lis��s body was also growing stronger, whether it was the seagulls in the sky or the fish under the sea, they all feared approaching the sea area where Lis was.


    "Huh~"


    A long timeter, Lis opened his eyes and stood up, flexibly moving his left hand.


    After resting and healing for most of the night, although he had not fully recovered to his previous state, it was no longer going to affect his breakthrough.


    At the same time, the aura emanating from Lis was somewhat different from before.


    It was as if he had undergone a rebirth and honing, shedding his previous frivolity and beginning to disy a truly dazzling brilliance.


    The fierce battle with Patrick had brought Lis to the brink of death several times.


    There is huge terror between life and death, and having personally tasted the vor of death, Lis had made it through.


    He was the final victor, naturally entitled to take everything!


    And now, he was about to receive the final reward of the ind.


    Lis called up the system panel, and numerous pieces of information refreshed and appeared.


    -----------------


    Ding~


    [Limited Challenge Quest Triggered!]


    [Objective: Defeat Golden Druid Patrick!]


    [Reward: Depending on the taskpletion]


    ...


    [You have annihted Patrick��s soul!]


    [Patrick is dead!]


    [You have killed a Golden Level Druid (LV135)!]


    [You gain 2000w Experience Points!]


    ...


    [You have overpowered the Golden Level Druid Patrick in a weak-strong battle,pleting the limited challenge quest!]


    [Judging...]


    [Judgment (1/2): Cross-level challenge...Juding sessful, rewards significantly increased!]


    [Judgment (2/2): All-out battle...Judgment sessful, rewards increased!]


    [Judgment (hidden): Cross-level kill... Judging sessful, rewards significantly increased!]


    [Taskpletion 200%, reward issuing...]


    [You gain 2000w Experience Points!]


    [You gain specialties [Body of Nature],[Fearless]!]


    [You gain skills [Newborn],[Moonfire Skill]!]


    [You gain milestones [Great Achievement��One],[Giant Horn Ind Hunting]!]


    ...


    [Specialty [Body of Nature]: As stewards of nature, druids also receive nature��s gifts; your Strength Attribute Points +10%, Endurance Attribute Points +10%, and moderately increase your resilience and elemental resistance.]

 Chapter 349 - 333: Breakthrough, Gold Level!_2

    [Specialty [Fearless]: Your fearless spirit means you no longer fear challenges, your Spirit Resilience+5%, highest attribute+10%]


    [Druid Skill [Newborn]: Instant cast skill, immediately restores 30% of your maximum Life Value, can be used in all forms; cooldown time: 5 minutes]


    [Druid Skill [Moonfire Skill]: You call forth a beam of moonlight to scorch your enemies, dealing (500+100% Intelligence Attribute) points of Magic damage, and continuing to inflict burn damage of (30% Intelligence Attribute) per second]


    [Milestone [Giant Horn Ind Hunt]: On May 11 of the Chenxi Calendar year 641, the mysterious captain of the Pirate Hunter - Eagle sessfully hunted down the great pirate [Blood Shark] Patrick. Pirates, sailors, and merchants on the Treasure Pearl Sea, and even the adjacent nations of Treasure Pearl Sea began to spread tales of your might. Reward: Nation Legend Level+1]


    @@novelbin@@


    [Milestone [Strongman��s Third Step]: Relying on your own strength, you have defeated a Gold Level Strong Man while at Silver Rank, taking a firm step on the path to bing a legend. Reward: All Attributes+5%, 100 free attribute points]


    ...


    [You have gained new insights in battle!]


    [Your exclusive specialty [All Techniques Return to Storage - Lis] has evolved!]


    [Exclusive Specialty [All Techniques Return to Storage - Lis] (40%)]


    [Introduction: You have integrated variousbat techniques, advancing further from a solid foundation, and have begun forming a battle style unique to you, showing glimpses of otherworldly mastery.]


    [Effect: Each time you switch weapons in attack, you enter the [Stored] status for five seconds, increasing your Skill damage by 10%. Every Skill you master makes yourbat techniques more refined; for 1~20 Skills, each Skill grants a 1% damage bonus; for 21~50 Skills, every two Skills grant a 1% damage bonus;...]


    [[All Techniques Return to Storage - Lis] current damage bonus total: 35%]


    ...


    -----------------


    Wow~


    Lis looked at the rewards gained from killing Patrick and clicked his tongue in wonder.


    It was a task nearly impossible toplete, and the rewards were indeed generous, dazzling Lis��s eyes.


    He remembered the specialty [Body of Nature] very clearly; it was one of the core skills of a Druid specializing in [Natural Transformation], significantly enhancing the physical strength after shape-shifting and improving resistance, making it one of the most useful core specialties.


    There��s no need to say much about [Fearless]; it was a testament to the breakthrough of Lis��s Spirit Will in the battle with Patrick, but even more precious was the boost of 10% to his highest attribute, effectively increasing Lis��s Intelligence Attribute.


    To be honest, many of the specialties Lis acquired before were enhancements to Strength and Resilience Attributes, adding to others was rare, almost making Lis feel he was bing a muscle-bound strongman.


    Skills [Newborn] and [Moonfire Skill] are both exclusive to Druids, but the most valuable among them is thebat healing Skill [Newborn].


    Patrick had also used this skill in battle, and its effects were quite formidable.


    Although it could only be used on oneself, itpensated for Lis��sck of recovery ability.


    Mages�� only healing skills were [Healing Light Wounds], [Healing Moderate Injuries], and [Healing Heavy Wounds], most of which healed bodily injuries, and restored very little Life Value.


    Moreover, this was an instant-cast skill, which was incredibly useful in actualbat.


    As for [Moonfire Skill], its effect was quite ordinary and didn��t match the power of the new arcane spells created by Lis.


    The Milestone [Giant Horn Ind Hunt] must reflect the impact of Lis��s hunting [Blood Shark], with a decent addition to Nation Legend Level.


    Lis distinctly remembered the Milestone [Strongman��s Third Step], which was part of a series of milestones, and he hadpleted the previous two steps in battles before.


    But the rewards for this third step were more numerous and much richer.


    The breakthrough in the exclusive specialty [All Techniques Return to Storage - Lis] was unexpected for Lis, but it seems the previous trials allowed him to hit a stride and progress further in his exclusive specialty.


    To be honest, during the battle with Patrick, Lis found the use of various Professional Skills to be smoother and more natural, fitting more seamlessly with his desires, and he had many new ideas forbining different Professional Skills andbat methods, which might also be influenced by the breakthrough of the specialty.


    After reviewing his gains from battle, Lis took a deep breath.


    Up next, the big one wasing!


    -----------------


    ...


    [You have killed the Gold Level Druid Patrick!]


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    [Your Golden Rank Breakthrough Task [Cross-level Challenge] isplete!]


    [Task evaluation in progress...]


    [Hidden evaluation triggered: Cross-level kill... Evaluation sessful! Task reward significantly increased!]


    [Task Completion: 200%]


    [Rewards are being distributed...]


    [You have obtained the Status [World Baptism] (Legend)!]


    [Status [World Baptism] (Legend): At the moment youplete a tier breakthrough, you are granted an additional opportunity for a baptism by Power of the World!]


    ...


    [Detectionplete: your Golden Rank Breakthrough Task has been fulfilled!]


    [Would you like to begin the tier breakthrough?]


    [Yes/No]


    -----------------


    Lis nced at the newly acquired [World Baptism] status, raised an eyebrow, but without hesitation, he chose to begin the tier breakthrough.


    Boom!


    A terrifying surge of Magic Power burst forth from inside Lis, the violent waves forcibly pushing down the sea surface beneath him for a hundred meters, forcefully repelling the surging waters around and even creating a small tsunami, startling flocks of distant seabirds into flight.


    A massive and terrifying vortex of Magic Power formed above Lis��s head, continuously drawing Magic Power from the surrounding area towards Lis, solidifying into a liquid form and pouring directly into his body.

 Chapter 350 - 333: Breakthrough, Gold Level!_3

    Washing over Lis��s flesh, assaulting the sea of his consciousness.


    At this moment, it was not only Lis��s body, but his soul too endured unbearable pain.


    That sensation felt like disassembling and crushing Lis��s body and soul piece by piece, then throwing them into the furnace of Magic Power for continuous tempering and purging of unnecessary impurities.


    Lis felt his consciousness blurring, but having gone through the extreme pain of merging with divinity, these sensations weren��t enough to make him cry out in pain.


    At that time, he gritted his teeth, even channeling that pure Magic Power actively to refine every part of his body, all to achieve a better transformation effect.


    Lis��s skin was red-hot, caught in the vortex of Magic Power essence, and under extreme pain, every cell, every muscle, every bit of his spirit underwent a painful transformation, emitting an immense vitality and vigor.


    At that moment, threads of a white special power began to surround Lis��s body, merging directly into him despite the terrifying magic whirlpool.


    If Lis could see the situation at that time, he would realize this white, special power was the pure Power of the World.


    Its appearance also signified that Lis had officially broken through in tier, ascended to the Gold Rank, and had begun to undergo the baptism of the world��s power.


    -----------------


    [Breaking through to Gold Rank...]


    [Your main profession, Arcanist, is promoted: Intermediate��Advanced!]


    [Your mastery over Magic Elements bes more thorough, Elemental Affinity further enhanced, you begin to ess deep-level powers of the world, receiving an additional 20% Intelligence bonus!]


    ...


    [Your body��s strength increases, sensory abilities enhanced, metabolism boosted, adaptability to harsh environments improved, potential abilities enhanced!]


    [You ascend a higher level, taking a more solid step, your strength greatly enhanced!]


    [Upon ascension to Gold Rank, each level increase in attribute points boosts: from 3 points per level �� 6 points per level]


    [You receive attributepletion, your Strength +600, Agility +600, Intelligence +600, Charm +300, Mysterious +300, Endurance +300]


    [You receive 300 free attribute points]


    ...


    [Your life evolves to a new level, your body begins transforming toward a legend, bing more robust and sturdy, while filled with rich Magic Power]


    [Your Life Value, Mana Value conversion bonuses increase, conversion bonus +50%]


    [Life Value = Endurance Attribute Points * 36 + Strength Attribute Points * 18]


    [Mana Value = Intelligence Attribute Points * 54]


    ...


    [You be a Gold Level life, obtaining the specialty [Gold Level Tier Bonus]]


    [[Gold Level Tier Bonus]: All resistances +20%, top attribute +20%, remaining attributes +10%, potential points +30]


    [Your specialty [Silver Level Tier Bonus] has been lost]


    ...


    [You ascend to a new level, your Talent [All-Purpose] gains enhancement]


    [[Talent: All-Purpose]


    Effect: Your talents break limitations, capable of learning and mastering other profession��s specialties and skills; the more non-main profession skills you master, the faster your growth rate (current extra experience bonus: 50% (up from 20%)); restrictions on use of certain Extraordinary Items are reduced; your affinity for certain special powers increases]


    ...


    [Detection of your tier breakthroughpleted]


    [[World Baptism] status triggered!]


    [Second baptism by the Power of the World begins!]


    [You advance further on the transcendent path, your life level is elevated!]


    [Baptism underway...]


    -----------------


    The pure white power that had gradually dissipated from around Lis began to surge again, more powerful and plentiful than before, like a pure white waterfall, rushing into Lis��s body.


    This reignited the furnace inside Lis, which had just run out of fuel and was about to rest, starting to burn vigorously again!


    Boundless heat radiated from Lis��s body, the air around him began to sear and twist, and the sea water below him started to churn and steam.


    Ordinary humans could not even get close to Lis��s body; they would be torn to shreds by the surging Magic Power halfway there.


    -----------------


    [Second World Power Baptismpleted!]


    [You gain additional Life Value, Mana Value conversion bonuses, conversion bonus +20%!]


    [Life Value = Endurance Attribute Points * 40 + Strength Attribute Points * 20]


    [Mana Value = Intelligence Attribute Points* 60]


    [You gain the special specialty [World Baptism]!]


    [Special Specialty [World Baptism]: You have received Gaia World��s grace, favored by this world, all attributes +5%, Gaia World affinity increased]


    ...


    [Rank advancementplete!]


    [Congrattions! You have sessfully advanced to the Gold Rank!]


    -----------------


    Phew~


    Lis Kain opened his eyes and took a deep breath. The pain that had prated deep into his bones and soul had vanished like the tide, reced by an even greater sense of strength.


    Standing on the ocean surface and stretching his body, the surging magic power flowed freely and boiled within Lis, cleansing his newly transformed body. Lis didn��t feel any burden from the tremendous amount of magic power; instead, he felt rxed, as if his body had been forged from steel.


    At the same time came a clearer perception. Lis projected his spiritual power outward from his body effortlessly breaking through the previous limits of the Silver Rank, and quickly spread it far and wide.


    The feathers on the seabirds and the scales on the fish were all clearly visible in Lis��s mind. Even the speed at which Lis analyzed and thought increased dramatically.


    Only around a distance of one thousand meters did Lis begin to feel strained and retracted his spiritual power.


    For a moment, Lis felt a heady sense of control over everything, as if he could do anything.


    But soon, Lis sobered up.


    This was just an illusion brought on by the sudden acquisition of powerful strength. He was still far from his goal!


    Even so, Lis couldn��t help but smile, revealing the joy in his heart.


    He had be a Gold Level power, and almost a year had passed since Lis��s rebirth!


    In this year, Lis hardly ever rxed; he used "Prophet" abilities to grasp power, explore secret realms, and acquire treasures.


    He had faced the arrival of the Divine Incarnation of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts, thwarted the schemes of the Demon Prince Demogorgon, and in the lingering spirits of gods...


    Thinking about it, he really had gone through a lot this year!


    Lis was somewhat emotional, yet he was deeply immersed in this miraculous journey, enjoying the sensation of wielding great extraordinary powers.


    "I��m already at the Gold level, then what��s next... Legend ?"


    Though the Legendary Rank was even further from the current Lis, the adventures along the way had built his confidence immeasurably.


    He believed that as long as he continued on, he would eventually reach that higher realm!


    After a moment of silence, familiarizing himself with the stronger powers within his body, Lis casually opened the system panel to start reviewing the attributes of the Gold Level.


    -----------------


    Attribute Panel:


    Name: Lis Kain


    Race: Human


    @@novelbin@@


    Level: 101


    Life Value: 55512/55512


    Mana Value: 201786/201786


    Status: Normal


    Experience: 0/10,000,000 (unallocated experience [29,644,396 points])


    Main Profession: Arcanist (Advanced)


    Secondary Profession: None


    Talent: All-Purpose (Legendary)


    Attributes:


    Strength 1678 (Attribute modifiers)


    Agility 1518 (Attribute modifiers)


    Intelligence 2587 (Attribute modifiers)


    Charm 918


    Mysterious 892


    Endurance 1067


    Luck 4 (+3)


    Free Attribute Points: 0


    Specialties: Redacted


    Skills: Redacted


    Milestones: Redacted


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    Legend Level: Redacted


    Equipment: Jade Wand, Jade Talisman, Concentration Ring, Secret Treasure: Acadia��s Lucky Brooch, Shadow Dragon Skin Gloves, Token: Ludwig��s Dragon Scale, Sphinx��s Wisdom, [Storm Trident] (Damaged)


    Evaluation: Have you be stronger? Perhaps, but before true power, you are still weak!


    -----------------

 Chapter 351 - 335: Hurricane and Chattering Ariel

    ```


    On the [Hurricane],


    about half a day had passed since they realized Lis was missing.


    Although Lis had appeared injuredst night, Charles and the others were not particrly worried.


    This was the very person who had just in the great pirate [Blood Shark] Patrick, after all. The ones who should be worried in this ce ought to be others.


    Charles and Basel were leaning against the ship��s rail, watching Helen, who was excitedly darting about the [Hurricane] like a little rabbit.


    Touching here, looking there!


    As Helen grew and progressed, her personality became increasingly cheerful.


    And it was indeed curious where the All Beast Church had found this Magic Ship for Patrick.


    Besides the unusual pale aqua exterior that differed frommon ships, special carved patterns were scattered throughout the ship, with arcs of blue magic light asionally shing across.


    The interior of the ship was also exquisitely arranged, and in addition to the luxuriously appointed captain��s quarters and several high-end cabins, there were crew quarters, washrooms, dining areas, and storerooms that were all far more upscale than those on the [Eagle].


    The whole ship did not look like a famed pirate ship but more like a luxury sightseeing vessel used by Great Nobles on expeditions.


    The only ufortable thing was that aside from those high-end cabins, the rest of the areas were left filthy by the pirates who had been on the [Hurricane], an unbearable sight.


    After discussing with Evar, Charles sent some of the captured pirates to clean up, while the crew of the [Eagle] happily took on the role of supervisors, unlikely to encounter any problems.


    While Charles and Basel were gleefully cking off and Evar was meticulously inspecting the facilities of the [Hurricane], Lis suddenly appeared on deck.


    Charles, who noticed first, hurried over, ready to tter the big shot, when Lis cast a nce his way.


    In that moment, Charles froze, feeling an extremely terrifying aura engulf his whole body.


    Although the sensation quickly disappeared, Charles��s back was still drenched in ayer of cold sweat.


    What... what��s happening?


    Did he get stronger?


    And his aura is so much stronger than before!


    Charles knew this kind of change well; it was the transformation of crossing a rank, and Lis��s serene and satisfied face also confirmed this.


    It couldn��t be that he advanced to a Legendary Strongman!


    So, he had been promoted from Silver to Gold Level?


    @@novelbin@@


    Charles shuddered inwardly, taking a deep cold breath to himself.


    Could it be that he really was still Silver Level when he killed [Blood Shark] Patrick?


    The rest, Charles couldn��t bring himself to ponder, nor did he want to.


    Lis��s performance was about to overturn his entire worldview.


    He just wanted to find a ce to be alone and quiet...


    Lis nced at Charles and saw him standing there, his eyes filled with shock, realizing that he had discovered the truth about the breakthrough to Gold Level.


    After all, having just broken through, his control over his own aura was still a bit unskilled.


    However, having advanced to Gold Level, there was no need for Lis to be as cautious as before.


    For instance, having multiple Professional Skills, Your journey continues on NovelBin.C?m


    or holding a Marquis title in the Feis Kingdom...


    Now a Gold Level Arcanist, with his tremendously increased Attributes, he might not be the opponent of high-ranking Gold Levels, but defending himself was not an issue.


    As for Legendary Strongmen, those big figures were too preupied to pay attention to Lis.


    And the ns Lis had made for the future were all cautious. Both Dillon Kingdom and Boditch Kingdom were the kind that had no Legendary figures stationed.


    Even in times of war, no Legend had been seen taking the field.


    While it was an unspoken rule among Legends not to engage in wanton killing of civilians, there were still cases where a Legend saw their country on the verge of extinction and decided to intervene, striking at the enemy��s military and its Nobles and officials.


    Simultaneously, it was because most of the ruling areas on the Fanor Continent were Human Kingdoms, unlike other continents where more Legends sponsored by Kingdoms could be found, and other Legends rarely made their presence known to outsiders.


    On other continents, like the Eson Continent, many regions were directly controlled by Extraordinary Organizations and the Church of the Gods, with Legendary Strongmen as organizational leaders, often making public appearances.


    Lis gave Patrick��s corpse, which was still lying on the deck and had seemingly been left untouched by Charles and the others in the ce he had dropped it, a cursory nce.


    Lis had already collected all the treasures on Patrick��s body, but there was nothing too valuable.


    Besides a few Gold Level Equipment pieces that Lis had no use for and some Gold Coins in the storage ring, there was nothing else.


    It seemed all the wealth Patrick had plundered must have been offered up to the All Beast Church.


    Patrick��s trip to the port of Giant Horn Ind was probably for this reason!


    "Hang him at the ship��s bow!"


    Lis said to Charles, pointing at Patrick��s corpse.


    "Oh... oh, yes, will do."


    Hearing Lis��s voice brought Charles back to his senses.


    Charles called for help, and together they used ropes to tie the corpse to the ship��s bow.


    Meanwhile, Lis, who wasn��t concerned about this now, took an excited Helen and began to tour the [Hurricane].


    This Magic Ship, besides its borate and luxurious decorations, what Lis saw was the perfectly hidden Magic Pattern Circuit within the patterns.

 Chapter 332 The Rise of the King!

    The tattered Sage Robe surrounding his body was slowly mending, continuously drawing a vast amount of Magic Power and spiritual power from Lis''s body.


    If it hadn''t been for the Sage Robe automatically blocking most of Patrick''s strength just now, Lis reckoned his current state would be much worse than just a broken arm.


    Not only that, his internal organs had also taken a hit, sustaining not- insignificant injuries.


    Even so, the deep, marrow-prating pain was still relentlessly stimting Lis''s nerves.


    This was the first time he had been so grievously injured since his rebirth.


    Putting away his Shield, Lis wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, yet a faint smile appeared on his face.


    That''s right!


    Just like this!


    The exhration of pursuing the limit amidst life and death battles caused Lis''s body to tremble slightly with excitement.


    In all his previous fights, either Lis had used various methods to dominate the battlefield, or his opponents were too weak and his own strength was more than enough to crush them.


    He had never felt the sensation of a real battle; it was as if he were in a game from his previous life.


    Although Lis kept reminding himself that this was a real world and that death was truly the end, he, who had never beenpletely trapped in a death crisis, couldn''t imagine what it would feel like?


    Lis had thought that, as someone from the peaceful era of his previous life, he would fear and dread, be afraid of death, and even turn tail at the face of it.


    But now, Lis realized his most genuine desire.


    To fully exert his strength in battle, to surpass his own limits, and to strive to reach new peaks.


    So, am I a battle maniac?


    Lisughed self-deprecatingly, and the Jade Wand suddenly appeared in his hand.


    The effect of [All Laws Return to Storage] was triggered!


    Six-Circle Magic [Acid Mist Technique]!


    Massive clouds suffused with a faint green hue appeared above the sea region, whilst at the same time, both the Arcane Destruction Storm and the Thunder Domain ceased.


    Patrick realized he was enveloped in dense fog that only allowed him to see about two to three meters around his body, and his sense of direction began to fade.@@novelbin@@


    Even just contacting the green-tinged fog gave Patrick''s extremely tough sharkskin a sensation of corrosive burning. Explore hidden tales at My Virtual Library Empire


    [Acid Mist Technique] was somewhat simr to the Five-Ring Magic [Thick Fog Skill], but it also carried a strong acidity, capable of dealing continuous damage and slowing enemies.


    Yet, what Lis valued more was its special effect of obscuring sight and confusing perception!


    Although there were no longer Wind des or Thunder strikes, the Water Prison was still present, constantly restricting his movements.


    Patrick cautiously observed his surroundings and tried to heal his injuries as much as possible.


    As a Druid, he did possess some Healing abilities.


    But Lis would not give him enough time to recover his Status!


    Zing~


    The crisp sound rang out as an Arrow glowing with cyan and blue hues shot through the fog with incredible speed from behind Patrick,nding on his back in the blink of an eye.


    Only then did Patrick react, barely moving his body to dodge the Arrow, but even so, the terrifying attack still took away a small chunk of flesh.


    Struggling to stem the bleeding at the wound, Patrick became somewhat perplexed.


    What was this?


    After the Skills of Professions such as Mage, assassin, and warrior, was his enemy now resorting to a Hunter''s bow and arrow attack?


    But the Arrows didn''t give him a moment to breathe, as several more shot out from the fog, targeting various parts of his body.


    The exceedingly fast and powerfully heavy bow and arrows forced Patrick to be preupied with defending, and he continued to umte injuries, with one long Arrow even piercing through his tail.


    With continuous heavy blows, Patrick could barely control the loss of blood, and the sea region gradually became saturated with scarlet.


    Not far away, Lis also breathed a sigh of relief, putting down the pale cyan golden longbow in his hand.


    The left arm that Patrick had injured earlier had already recovered under the effect of the Spell [Recover from Severe Injuries], and though it was still somewhat ufortable, it was enough for him to operate the longbow.


    Just now, Lis had used the [Closterman Heavy Arrow Skill]!


    This was a special Hunter technique Lis had learned from Charles, originating from Charles''s master, Closterman.


    Such a powerful technique could exert strength beyond the limits, and it was a particrly precious secret skill.


    Charles, with his muscr physique, owed it to training to master this Combat Skill.


    This secret technique demanded that the Hunter professional''s Strength Attribute meet the level of a same-tier warrior, and during use, it could not be interrupted by external factors, requiring the cooperation of teammates.


    Lis perfectly fulfilled the learning requirements of this secret technique.


    Cooperation?


    I''m a kaleidoscope of fight myself, my own cooperation will do just fine!


    Charles didn''t hesitate, for the requirements to learn the secret technique were indeed very high, so his teacher didn''t mind him teaching it to others.


    It was just that Charles never imagined Lis would learn it so quickly, nor that he would use Experience Points to raise the Skill Level to an extremely high realm in one go.


    Seeing the [Closterman Heavy Arrow Skill] taking effect, Lis found he could not keep it up.


    After all, the secret technique that could heavily injure a Gold Level entity like Patrick had its hefty costs.


    Lis''s right hand was already beginning to tremble, and even with the healing from the Spell, it would take a while before he could wield any strength again.


    But that''s fine, he could still cast Spells, as long as he could hold the Magic Wand.


    Soon, Patrick noticed that a new surge of Spellwork was striking toward him from within the fog.


    Trying his best to dodge while doing so, Patrick could no longer afford to wait any longer.

 Chapter 333 Breakthrough, Gold Level!

    On the Hurricane,


    Under the deep darkness of the night, Lis''s lean and tall figure hovered in mid-air, his body faintly surrounded by an illusory transparent armor, adding a touch more mystique.


    Everyone on the ship was stunned by this sudden event and looked up at Lis.


    Lis didn''t care, he looked down at the somewhat trembling pirates below, and not one of them dared to raise a weapon against him now.


    His eyebrows furrowed slightly, and the Sixth Circle Magic "Lis''s Thunder Domain" was once again cast from his hands.


    Blue-purple thunder roamed through the mid-air, yet it did not pour down as it had during the previous battle at sea, but under Lis''s skillful control, it precisely struck certain individuals among the pirates.


    The leading three Silver Level Professionals, and a third of the Bronze Level pirates.


    Lis did not randomly choose his targets; the overtly emanating aura of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts from thempletely exposed their identities.


    They must all be followers of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts, underlings of Patrick.


    That''s why they resisted so fiercely!


    The Bronze Level pirates couldn''t resist Lis''s lightning and were directly killed by the thunderps.


    The three Silver Level pirates were only of average strength, and although theysted a few moments longer, they quickly turned to ash under the continual onught of countless thunderbolts, leaving no bodies behind.


    Dingling~ ng~


    Seeing the tragic fate of their formerpanions, the remaining pirates almost wet their pants, hastily threw away their weapons, and knelt down to beg for mercy.


    Lis didn''t look at these frightened little Calrams, instead turning his head toward Charles and the others.


    Charles and Basel were shocked, still staring at the lifeless Patrick on the deck, somewhat unable to react, while Evar was already looking at Lis with respect.


    To Evar, wasn''t it natural for Lis to kill Patrick, so why be surprised?


    "Evar, the three of you tie these people up and then set sail for the Eagle," said Lis.


    After giving a brief instruction, Lis''s figure disappeared into thin air.


    Seeing this, Charles and the others did not hesitate and quickly went forward to tie up all the pirates on the scene.


    The remaining dozen or so pirates did not resist and obediently let Charles and others tie them up like dumplings.


    Of course, they couldn''t resist even if they wanted to, as all the Silver Level pirates had already been killed by Lis, leaving the rest without the ability to resist Charles and the others.


    Although there were still some pirates in the port town of Giant Horn Ind, the people there probably knew what had happened here, but Charles and the others still barely managed to take control of the Hurricane and set off immediately.


    The pale blue pirate ship slowly disappeared into the dark sea, leaving those who came to their senses toote bewildered.


    When Charles and the others brought the Hurricane to the side of the Eagle, they allowed the sailors on board to take control of this powerful transcendent ship, but they could not find Lis.


    ----------------- Stay tuned with My Virtual Library Empire


    Above a sea area far from the Eagle,


    Lis sat cross-legged on the sea surface, his eyes tightly closed in a state of meditation, recovering his depleted spiritual power.


    Around his body, countless dazzling magic elemental particles turned into streams of light in various colors, continuously flowing into Lis''s body, replenishing his magic power and also gradually easing the injuries on his body.


    As time passed, the dark night sky gradually hid its stars, and the eastern horizon at the sea-sky interface was already beginning to show a faint dawn.


    The pressure emanating from Lis''s body was also growing stronger, whether it was the seagulls in the sky or the fish under the sea, they all feared approaching the sea area where Lis was.


    "Huh~"


    A long timeter, Lis opened his eyes and stood up, flexibly moving his left hand.


    After resting and healing for most of the night, although he had not fully recovered to his previous state, it was no longer going to affect his breakthrough.


    At the same time, the aura emanating from Lis was somewhat different from before.


    It was as if he had undergone a rebirth and honing, shedding his previous frivolity and beginning to disy a truly dazzling brilliance.


    The fierce battle with Patrick had brought Lis to the brink of death several times.


    There is huge terror between life and death, and having personally tasted the vor of death, Lis had made it through.


    He was the final victor, naturally entitled to take everything!


    And now, he was about to receive the final reward of the ind.


    Lis called up the system panel, and numerous pieces of information refreshed and appeared.


    -----------------


    Ding~


    [Limited Challenge Quest Triggered!]


    [Objective: Defeat Golden Druid Patrick!]


    [Reward: Depending on the taskpletion]@@novelbin@@


    ...


    [You have annihted Patrick''s soul!]


    [Patrick is dead!]


    [You have killed a Golden Level Druid (LV135)!]


    [You gain 2000w Experience Points!]


    ...


    [You have overpowered the Golden Level Druid Patrick in a weak-strong battle,pleting the limited challenge quest!]


    [Judging...]


    [Judgment (1/2): Cross-level challenge...Juding sessful, rewards significantly increased!]


    [Judgment (2/2): All-out battle...Judgment sessful, rewards increased!]


    [Judgment (hidden): Cross-level kill... Judging sessful, rewards significantly increased!]


    [Taskpletion 200%, reward issuing...]


    [You gain 2000w Experience Points!]


    [You gain specialties [Body of Nature],[Fearless]!]


    [You gain skills [Newborn],[Moonfire Skill]!]


    [You gain milestones [Great Achievement��One],[Giant Horn Ind Hunting]!]


    ...


    [Specialty [Body of Nature]: As stewards of nature, druids also receive nature''s gifts; your Strength Attribute Points +10%, Endurance Attribute Points +10%, and moderately increase your resilience and elemental resistance.]

 Chapter 335 Hurricane and Chattering Ariel

    ```


    On the [Hurricane],


    about half a day had passed since they realized Lis was missing.


    Although Lis had appeared injuredst night, Charles and the others were not particrly worried.


    This was the very person who had just in the great pirate [Blood Shark] Patrick, after all. The ones who should be worried in this ce ought to be others.


    Charles and Basel were leaning against the ship''s rail, watching Helen, who was excitedly darting about the [Hurricane] like a little rabbit.


    Touching here, looking there!


    As Helen grew and progressed, her personality became increasingly cheerful.


    And it was indeed curious where the All Beast Church had found this Magic Ship for Patrick.


    Besides the unusual pale aqua exterior that differed frommon ships, special carved patterns were scattered throughout the ship, with arcs of blue magic light asionally shing across.


    The interior of the ship was also exquisitely arranged, and in addition to the luxuriously appointed captain''s quarters and several high-end cabins, there were crew quarters, washrooms, dining areas, and storerooms that were all far more upscale than those on the [Eagle].


    The whole ship did not look like a famed pirate ship but more like a luxury sightseeing vessel used by Great Nobles on expeditions.


    The only ufortable thing was that aside from those high-end cabins, the rest of the areas were left filthy by the pirates who had been on the [Hurricane], an unbearable sight.


    After discussing with Evar, Charles sent some of the captured pirates to clean up, while the crew of the [Eagle] happily took on the role of supervisors, unlikely to encounter any problems.


    While Charles and Basel were gleefully cking off and Evar was meticulously inspecting the facilities of the [Hurricane], Lis suddenly appeared on deck.


    Charles, who noticed first, hurried over, ready to tter the big shot, when Lis cast a nce his way.


    In that moment, Charles froze, feeling an extremely terrifying aura engulf his whole body.


    Although the sensation quickly disappeared, Charles''s back was still drenched in ayer of cold sweat.


    What... what''s happening?


    Did he get stronger?


    And his aura is so much stronger than before!


    Charles knew this kind of change well; it was the transformation of crossing a rank, and Lis''s serene and satisfied face also confirmed this.


    It couldn''t be that he advanced to a Legendary Strongman!


    So, he had been promoted from Silver to Gold Level?


    Charles shuddered inwardly, taking a deep cold breath to himself.


    Could it be that he really was still Silver Level when he killed [Blood Shark] Patrick?


    The rest, Charles couldn''t bring himself to ponder, nor did he want to.


    Lis''s performance was about to overturn his entire worldview.


    He just wanted to find a ce to be alone and quiet...


    Lis nced at Charles and saw him standing there, his eyes filled with shock, realizing that he had discovered the truth about the breakthrough to Gold Level.


    After all, having just broken through, his control over his own aura was still a bit unskilled.


    However, having advanced to Gold Level, there was no need for Lis to be as cautious as before.


    For instance, having multiple Professional Skills, Your journey continues on My Virtual Library Empire


    or holding a Marquis title in the Feis Kingdom...


    Now a Gold Level Arcanist, with his tremendously increased Attributes, he might not be the opponent of high-ranking Gold Levels, but defending himself was not an issue.


    As for Legendary Strongmen, those big figures were too preupied to pay attention to Lis.


    And the ns Lis had made for the future were all cautious. Both Dillon Kingdom and Boditch Kingdom were the kind that had no Legendary figures stationed.


    Even in times of war, no Legend had been seen taking the field.


    While it was an unspoken rule among Legends not to engage in wanton killing of civilians, there were still cases where a Legend saw their country on the verge of extinction and decided to intervene, striking at the enemy''s military and its Nobles and officials.


    Simultaneously, it was because most of the ruling areas on the Fanor Continent were Human Kingdoms, unlike other continents where more Legends sponsored by Kingdoms could be found, and other Legends rarely made their presence known to outsiders.


    On other continents, like the Eson Continent, many regions were directly controlled by Extraordinary Organizations and the Church of the Gods, with Legendary Strongmen as organizational leaders, often making public appearances.


    Lis gave Patrick''s corpse, which was still lying on the deck and had seemingly been left untouched by Charles and the others in the ce he had dropped it, a cursory nce.


    Lis had already collected all the treasures on Patrick''s body, but there was nothing too valuable.


    Besides a few Gold Level Equipment pieces that Lis had no use for and some Gold Coins in the storage ring, there was nothing else.


    It seemed all the wealth Patrick had plundered must have been offered up to the All Beast Church.


    Patrick''s trip to the port of Giant Horn Ind was probably for this reason!


    "Hang him at the ship''s bow!"


    Lis said to Charles, pointing at Patrick''s corpse.


    "Oh... oh, yes, will do."


    Hearing Lis''s voice brought Charles back to his senses.@@novelbin@@


    Charles called for help, and together they used ropes to tie the corpse to the ship''s bow.


    Meanwhile, Lis, who wasn''t concerned about this now, took an excited Helen and began to tour the [Hurricane].


    This Magic Ship, besides its borate and luxurious decorations, what Lis saw was the perfectly hidden Magic Pattern Circuit within the patterns.

 Chapter 352 - 335: Hurricane and Chattering Ariel_2

    Dense Magic Pattern Circuits covered all parts of this ship.


    With Lis��s expertise in Magic Runes, he could tell that these numerous Magic Pattern Circuits were not particrly profound, most of them weremon "Solid" and "Magic Transmission" runes.


    But this did not mean it was a simple matter.


    If it were so, Magic Ships wouldn��t be such a precious existence.


    Take, for example, the future three Pirate Kings, one of whom piloted not a Magic Ship but arge sea vessel that was simply fortified with magic.


    Being able to bnce the massive Magic Pattern Circuits spread throughout the entire ship, and establishing targeted enhancements that perfectly merged with the power blessed by the Legendary Wind Element Lord.


    The Magic Rune Master who created the "Hurricane" might even surpass the Magic Rune Master Daher in proficiency with Magic Runes.


    Thinking of Daher, Lis couldn��t help but recall those acquaintances in Bright City.


    Risa, Taya, Uncle Joyce, Mr. Stephens, Mora, and the others...


    However, this trip hadsted long enough; it wouldn��t be long before he could return to Bright City.


    Before that, he still had to make another trip to Luminous Stone City, the Royal Capital of Boditch Kingdom, to assist the two Dukes who were still in a deadlock there.


    The sooner the fight with Boditch Kingdom ended, the sooner he could take possession of Danerluo Port.


    Walking with Helen, from the very top of the ship��s cabin down, the "Hurricane" had a total of three levels of cabins.


    The very top housed the captain��s quarters and the premium cabins, where some of Patrick��s personal items were ced, none too precious.


    Further down were the crew��s cabins, the kitchen, and the washroom.


    Even further down were the watertightpartments, storeroom, and other ces.


    The pirates, who were cleaning, saw Lis leading a flushed and sweaty Helen and quickly bowed their heads to make way.


    The scene of Lis dropping Patrick��s body and killing three Silver Pirates with a wave of his hand was still vivid in their minds.


    In their hearts, Lis was an even more powerful being than Patrick.


    When Lis reached the bottomyer, he saw several sailors guarding the doors of two cabins.


    "Lord Lis!"


    Seeing Lis walk down from above, the sailors who were chatting immediately straightened up and bowed, showing their respect for Lis.


    Although they knew Captain Lis was strong, their deep awe of Lis burgeoned from the depths of their hearts after he boldly killed the "Blood Shark" Patrick, these men who had lived on the Pearl Sea.


    "What are you doing here?"


    Lis looked at these few sailors, who had been with him aboard the "Eagle" hunting pirates on the Pearl Sea for several months; naturally, he trusted them more.


    "We are holding the other pirates here, Lord Evar told us to guard this ce," said the sailor standing at the forefront.


    "I see..."


    Lis nodded and walked over to the cabin door, peeking inside through the window on the door.


    Many pirates were sitting inside, their heads hung low in dejection, silent.


    Lis shook his head; if it were up to his original intentions, he wouldn��t have spared a single one of these pirates, tossing them all into the sea to feed the fish.


    But the milestone he obtained from Patrick had changed Lis��s thoughts.


    One generally needed to consider the fame of thepleted event to get a regional or even national Legend Level.


    @@novelbin@@


    The notoriety of "Blood Shark" in the Pearl Sea was well-known, with rumors even among neighboring countries, which is why it achieved a national Legend Level.


    Unlike when he was in Dillon Kingdom, Lis, now promoted to Gold Level after killing Patrick, did not intend to conceal his identity any longer.


    Instead, he nned to use the deeds of killing the "Blood Shark" to spread his name across the Pearl Sea.


    This would alsoy the groundwork for the future development of Danerluo Port.


    He intended to throw these pirates into Danerluo Port.


    It was like sending an advance greeting to them!


    Just as Lis was about to leave, he suddenly heard a continuous mumbling.


    "Why am I so unlucky?"


    "I just wanted to travel to the Pearl Sea..."


    "Why bully me, I��m just a poor, weak, and helpless little Silver..."


    "I��m even willing to join you, why am I still locked up..."


    "Now look what��s happened, that terrifying guy is dead..."


    "It��s over, I��m not going to die here, am I..."


    "No, I��m so handsome and dashing, I don��t want to die a virgin..."


    ...


    Silver?


    Lis turned his head, intrigued.


    He thought he had already eliminated all the Silver Pirates; how could there still be one?


    Moreover, he had not detected the presence of any Silver-level energy in his perception.


    Lis looked toward the direction of the voice and saw a somewhat skinny figure crouched in the corner, wrapped tightly in a gray, tattered robe, looking pitiful.


    Lis focused his mind, extending his spiritual power toward the direction of the figure.


    After circling around the skinny figure a few times, Lis raised an eyebrow.


    Indeed, it was Silver-level strength, and the figure appeared to be a Caster.


    But the aura was concealed too well, nearly as good as Lis, who had an exceptionally high affinity with the Shadow ne.


    The incessant chatter continued, grating on Lis��s nerves.


    Wait a minute!


    Lis suddenly realized something and looked back at the skinny figure.


    [Mage��s Hand] pulled off the robe from the figure, revealing short brown hair and beneath it, a delicate face that Lis found somewhat familiar.


    Lis grabbed the person and brought him out of the cabin.

 Chapter 353 - 335: Hurricane and Chattering Ariel_3

    ced in front of the door, Lis shook his head.


    This talkative mouth...


    This stealth ability...


    This spellcaster��s ability...


    No mistake, this is one of the future Pirate Kings, "Chatterbox Ariel"!


    This guy��s poprity among yers is fairly high.


    Not for any other reason but it��s evident from his nickname.


    Simply because he��s too talkative, never stopping even for a moment, and what��s more, it��s all utterly pointless prattle, truly a torment.


    He��s also the most peculiar one among the three Pirate Kings.


    Nothing like a king��s demeanor, his favorite thing to do is to grab someone and chat.


    @@novelbin@@


    He enjoys it, but for others, it��s pure torture.


    So much so that his crew can��t stand it, and his pirate ship has won the throne for the highest turnover rate among pirate members.


    The reason he is so well-known among yers is precisely this.


    All captives caught by him are tied up and treated well, only to serve as his conversation partners.


    That��s truly terrifying, dude!


    yers are willing to die, and if the death is interesting, countless yers would volunteer to experience it.


    But being caught by him is simply a fate worse than death, passively enduring his endless babble.


    And the worst part is, Ariel is a Gold High Order minstrel, and his talent ensures that his words carry Magic Power, meaning even if you shut your hearing, his voice can still directly enter your mind.


    The feeling, as those lucky enough to have experienced itment, is like having the Great Compassionate Mantra st in your head in 360-degree surround sound.


    Therefore, the fate of being caught by Ariel ranks in the top three of the "Most Uneptable Endings" chosen by yers.


    It��s more unbearable than being sealed away, second only to being permanently banned.


    Although Lis himself wasn��t caught by Ariel, an underling from his studio was once unfortunate enough to be Ariel��s captive.


    For a month, he didn��t dare to log in!


    As long as Ariel is free, whenever he sees you��re awake, he��lle to talk to you about life.


    s...


    Lis looked at the "younger version" Ariel in front of him, shaking and mumbling, feeling a headache but also a pleasant surprise.


    No matter what, this guy... is indeed strong!


    Unlike Helen, who has a plethora of strong subordinates, and unlike the Master of Undead, Calvo, whose strength mostly resides on that Ghost Ship, Ariel��s status as one of the Pirate Kings is entirely due to his own strength.


    As a minstrel, Ariel not only has outstanding skills, but his forte is the enchanting and heart-stirring arias!


    He even has the glorious feat of controlling a Golden Strong Man with his original poems and singing!


    That��s even harder than killing one!


    His nature is not bad, but pirates with a bit of strength are unwilling to join his ranks and endure his nagging.


    So, the reputation of the "Poet Pirate Group" is entirely Ariel��s doing.


    Hmm...


    It might also have to do with his peculiar hobby.


    "What��s your name?"


    Lis looked at the "younger version" Ariel in front of him.


    "My name is Ariel."


    "Ie from Gefa City in the southern part of King Bodich��s Kingdom."


    "My lord... Are you the hero who killed Patrick?"


    "Really, I adore you!"


    "That guy is too inconsiderate, disliking me for talking too much?"


    "I..."


    Seeing that Ariel wanted to continue, Lis quickly waved his hand to stop him.


    Ariel stopped, his thick Adam��s apple moving up and down several times, suppressing the urge to continue pouring out his heart.


    Right now, he is not the future invincible Pirate King, and feeling the dreadful aura of Lis, he could just barely control his urge to talk.


    Lis felt a headache, as he could already sense Ariel��s world-shocking talent for gabbing.


    Oh dawn above, how did he manage to spout all those words in just ten seconds, and so clearly without any mumble?


    At that moment, Lis felt as though his brain was being DDOS attacked.


    Lis began to doubt whether his idea to recruit him was the right one.


    No, it can��t be wasted, such a great talent!


    What if he bes mute in the future?


    Lisforted himself, looking at Ariel and saying:


    "I am Lis Kain, the new captain of the ��Hurricane��. From now on, you��ll follow me, got it?"


    Ariel nodded repeatedly and raised his right hand to vow:


    "Rest assured, Lord Lis!"


    "You saved me from the clutches of that Demon Patrick, you are my lifesaver!"


    "Ah~, at this moment, I can��t help but want to sing a hymn!"


    "Wise and mighty, radiating Holy Light Lord Lis pulled Ariel from the Abyss."


    "Oh Lord Lis!"


    "You are so great, so kind!"


    "Like the dawn��s first light, you cast upon Ariel��s heart, scarred all over!"


    "Your smile is like the nourishing rain, moistening Ariel��s mind long dried out!"


    "You are the angel sent from heaven, dispelling my Fear and sorrow!"


    "Oh, Lord Lis~"


    "You..."


    "Can it!"


    Lis couldn��t stand Ariel��s barrage of words anymore, let alone his dramatic and intive singing tone.


    A Human Immobilization Technique pinned Ariel in ce, most importantly, shutting his mouth.


    Looking at Ariel��s somewhat wronged and bewildered eyes, Lis felt a bit overwhelmed.


    Maybe the arcane he researched next should indeed be a Silence Technique!

 Chapter 354 - 336: The Towering Waves of Giant Horn Port

    The next morning, Giant Horn Ind Port.


    The few clouds in the sky had lost the rosy glow of dawn andzily drifted, but the slight sea breeze could not dispel the slight heat brought by the early summer sun.


    The dockworkers, like industrious ants, were moving various goods and supplies between ships and warehouses, yet many whispered among themselves, stealthily ncing towards one side of the dock.


    That was where the pirate ship Hurricane had docked yesterday, but now it waspletely empty.


    If that were all, it wouldn��t matter much, as pirate ships that stay just one night and then leave weren��t unheard of.


    Currently, quite a few people were gathered at that dock, arguing loudly, sparking some curiosity among the dockworkers.


    But it was just curiosity, after all; they saw that the dock manager was there too and knew that this was not something they could freely discuss.


    However, there was still a hint of schadenfreude in their exchanges, as, although these pirates adhered to the rules of this gray port and wouldn��t strike ordinary people, being scolded or kicked around by them was something the manager wouldn��t fuss over much.


    ...


    "Manager Lais, you��ve seen the situation yourself, someone definitely took action against our captainst night!"


    "They must have lured Boss Patrick somewhere else, then sent someone to steal our ship in the meantime!"


    "This is Giant Horn Port, where we��ve always followed the rules; now that someone��s causing trouble, don��t you think we deserve an exnation?"


    Delion said to the calm-faced dock manager Lais, struggling to contain his bad temper despite his angry expression.


    He couldn��t help it; he was just a High-level Bronze pirate, who had finally managed toe ashore yesterday and naturally wanted to indulge a bit.


    But when he woke up, he found the Hurricane was missing.


    And from people around other ships, he��d heard there had been sounds of a fightst night and ims of seeing Boss Patrick battling someone.


    What now, should they just stay here waiting for the Hurricane to return?


    There were quite a fewrades around him feeling the same, but being one of the strongest among them, he was pushed forward to negotiate with the dock manager.


    This was because the Silver Pirates on the ship, as per Boss Patrick��s orders to return to the ship daily, had made a representative out of him, an otherwise average-strength pirate.


    Truth be told, while he trusted Boss Patrick��s strength greatly, the peculiar circumstances today made him uneasy.


    After all, Patrick was a Druid capable of turning into a massive shark, clearly holding a huge advantage in sea battles.


    Even if chasing a foe, the Hurricane might have been unwittingly stolen, he should have returned by now.


    How could there be no news for so long?


    Delion didn��t know what had happened, but now he could only hope that the powers behind Giant Horn Port, the ones in control, would ask the Golden Strong Man stationed there to search for Boss Patrick.


    @@novelbin@@


    Manager Lais, while listening to Delion��s words, nodded repeatedly and surveyed the surroundingndscape.


    Ah, what a clear sky!


    Ah, how blue the water!


    Yes, today is a good day to bring out my treasured James Red Wine and enjoy it with some fresh tuna.


    Seeing Manager Lais y dumb and evade responsibility, Delion looked displeased but was powerless.


    He couldn��t afford to make a scene; after all, this manager also had Silver level strength.


    His manner clearly showed he wasn��t interested in dealing with the situation and intended to drag it out.


    What other choice did he have?


    Delion nced at hisrades looking to him, even considering using Patrick��s name to threaten Lais, but a bad premonition halted his impulse.


    Lais nced at Delion out of the corner of his eye, yet his mind was as clear as a mirror.


    Did he not know what these pirates were thinking?


    Thinking Lord Halil would intervene was absolutely out of the question!


    Whatever had happenedst night, the Golden Strong Man Halil stationed at the port had already sensed it.


    Since the incident urred outside the port, Halil was disinclined to get involved.


    Moreover, in his view, though the Silver pirate who had attacked Patrick was powerful, he was still just Silver, and Patrick dealing with him wasn��t too troublesome.


    So when their presences faded into the distance, Halil didn��t bother much further.


    But then there was aplication; some timeter, Halil sensed the Silver��s presence had returned to the port, right at the Hurricane��s location, yet he couldn��t feel Patrick��s presence.


    Having waited all night without a sign of Patrick��s return, Halil suddenly had an absurd suspicion.


    So early in the morning, Halil had called Lais over, instructed him thoroughly, and told him to stay at the dock today to see if anything else happened.


    Otherwise, Lais would have left already, as he really wasn��t interested in chattering with these minor pirates.


    Watching Lais absent-mindedly kicking small stones into the sea, causing little sshes, Delion couldn��t hold back any longer.


    "Lord Lais, aren��t you afraid..."


    Just as Delion was trying to continue, he was interrupted by a loud shout from someone nearby.


    "Look, isn��t that the Hurricane?"


    "Exactly, I told you, Boss Patrick would surely be fine!"

 Chapter 336 The Towering Waves of Giant Horn Port

    The next morning, Giant Horn Ind Port.


    The few clouds in the sky had lost the rosy glow of dawn andzily drifted, but the slight sea breeze could not dispel the slight heat brought by the early summer sun.


    The dockworkers, like industrious ants, were moving various goods and supplies between ships and warehouses, yet many whispered among themselves, stealthily ncing towards one side of the dock.


    That was where the pirate ship Hurricane had docked yesterday, but now it waspletely empty.


    If that were all, it wouldn''t matter much, as pirate ships that stay just one night and then leave weren''t unheard of.


    Currently, quite a few people were gathered at that dock, arguing loudly, sparking some curiosity among the dockworkers.


    But it was just curiosity, after all; they saw that the dock manager was there too and knew that this was not something they could freely discuss.


    However, there was still a hint of schadenfreude in their exchanges, as, although these pirates adhered to the rules of this gray port and wouldn''t strike ordinary people, being scolded or kicked around by them was something the manager wouldn''t fuss over much.


    ...


    "Manager Lais, you''ve seen the situation yourself, someone definitely took action against our captainst night!"


    "They must have lured Boss Patrick somewhere else, then sent someone to steal our ship in the meantime!"


    "This is Giant Horn Port, where we''ve always followed the rules; now that someone''s causing trouble, don''t you think we deserve an exnation?"


    Delion said to the calm-faced dock manager Lais, struggling to contain his bad temper despite his angry expression.


    He couldn''t help it; he was just a High-level Bronze pirate, who had finally managed toe ashore yesterday and naturally wanted to indulge a bit.


    But when he woke up, he found the Hurricane was missing.


    And from people around other ships, he''d heard there had been sounds of a fightst night and ims of seeing Boss Patrick battling someone.


    What now, should they just stay here waiting for the Hurricane to return?


    There were quite a fewrades around him feeling the same, but being one of the strongest among them, he was pushed forward to negotiate with the dock manager.


    This was because the Silver Pirates on the ship, as per Boss Patrick''s orders to return to the ship daily, had made a representative out of him, an otherwise average-strength pirate.


    Truth be told, while he trusted Boss Patrick''s strength greatly, the peculiar circumstances today made him uneasy.


    After all, Patrick was a Druid capable of turning into a massive shark, clearly holding a huge advantage in sea battles.


    Even if chasing a foe, the Hurricane might have been unwittingly stolen, he should have returned by now.


    How could there be no news for so long?


    Delion didn''t know what had happened, but now he could only hope that the powers behind Giant Horn Port, the ones in control, would ask the Golden Strong Man stationed there to search for Boss Patrick.


    Manager Lais, while listening to Delion''s words, nodded repeatedly and surveyed the surroundingndscape.


    Ah, what a clear sky!


    Ah, how blue the water!


    Yes, today is a good day to bring out my treasured James Red Wine and enjoy it with some fresh tuna.


    Seeing Manager Lais y dumb and evade responsibility, Delion looked displeased but was powerless.


    He couldn''t afford to make a scene; after all, this manager also had Silver level strength.


    His manner clearly showed he wasn''t interested in dealing with the situation and intended to drag it out.


    What other choice did he have?


    Delion nced at hisrades looking to him, even considering using Patrick''s name to threaten Lais, but a bad premonition halted his impulse.


    Lais nced at Delion out of the corner of his eye, yet his mind was as clear as a mirror.


    Did he not know what these pirates were thinking?


    Thinking Lord Halil would intervene was absolutely out of the question!


    Whatever had happenedst night, the Golden Strong Man Halil stationed at the port had already sensed it.


    Since the incident urred outside the port, Halil was disinclined to get involved.


    Moreover, in his view, though the Silver pirate who had attacked Patrick was powerful, he was still just Silver, and Patrick dealing with him wasn''t too troublesome.


    So when their presences faded into the distance, Halil didn''t bother much further.


    But then there was aplication; some timeter, Halil sensed the Silver''s presence had returned to the port, right at the Hurricane''s location, yet he couldn''t feel Patrick''s presence.


    Having waited all night without a sign of Patrick''s return, Halil suddenly had an absurd suspicion.


    So early in the morning, Halil had called Lais over, instructed him thoroughly, and told him to stay at the dock today to see if anything else happened.


    Otherwise, Lais would have left already, as he really wasn''t interested in chattering with these minor pirates.


    Watching Lais absent-mindedly kicking small stones into the sea, causing little sshes, Delion couldn''t hold back any longer.


    "Lord Lais, aren''t you afraid..."


    Just as Delion was trying to continue, he was interrupted by a loud shout from someone nearby.@@novelbin@@


    "Look, isn''t that the Hurricane?"


    "Exactly, I told you, Boss Patrick would surely be fine!"

 Chapter 355 - 336: The Towering Waves of Giant Horn Port_2

    "Damn it, I wonder if boss Patrick has properly tormented those damned little thieves fromst night!"


    ...


    Listening to the excited voices of hispanions nearby, Delion felt an inexplicable sense of unease growing within him.


    Watching the Hurricane approaching rapidly with sails hoisted, he could no longer suppress his instinctive urge to leave and turned to go.


    "Mr. Delion, where are you off to?"


    Manager Lais watched him with a smile that seemed like a kind reminder:


    "The Hurricane is back, aren��t you waiting to greet your captain?"


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    "Heh, I suddenly remembered I forgot something in the tavernst night, so I��m hurrying back to get it. Otherwise, if I dy boss Patrick��s time, I��ll be in big trouble."


    "Is that so?"


    With that, Lais stopped obstructing Delion and watched his hurried figure, signaling to his subordinates beside him with a look.


    The subordinates immediately caught on and followed closely behind.


    Lais turned to watch the increasingly striking Hurricane in his field of view, feeling somewhat emotional.


    Could it really be as exaggerated as Lord Halil said?


    ...


    In no time at all, the Hurricane had arrived at the docks of Giant Horn Port, the pale blue light on the ship��s hull gradually dimming, and its speed decreasing as well.


    "Wait, what��s that hanging from the bow?"


    "Is it a person?"


    "Haha, it must be those little thieves fromst night!"


    ...


    "Wait... That��s not boss Patrick, is it?"


    The pirates on the docks were ecstatically shouting when a voice tinged with terror and disbelief cut through the crowd.


    As the Hurricane drew closer, more people caught sight of the body hanging from the bow.


    A coarse rope around its neck suspended arge and sturdy body beneath the ship��s figurehead, still swaying back and forth slightly.


    Although the face was not clear, the blood-colored shark tattoo on the chest unmistakably revealed the corpse��s true identity.


    Blood Shark Patrick!


    The crowd on the docks suddenly plunged into chaos, bystanders shocked that Blood Shark Patrick, who had roamed the Pearl Sea for more than a decade, had been killed��a feat not even the Bodichi Navy had achieved!


    As for the pirates who hade from the Hurricane, they were now pale-faced, struck with inexplicable terror.


    Was boss Patrick dead?


    How could this be possible?


    But no matter how much they didn��t want to ept it, this was a fact that had already urred.


    As they turned to flee, they were all stopped by the subordinates brought by Lais.


    Although Lais had been mentally prepared, seeing the familiar yet lifeless appearance of Patrick sent a chill down his spine.


    Since the enemy had truly managed to kill this great pirate, no matter by what means, they definitely had Gold Level strength.


    For such a powerful adversary, Lais felt it was best to maintain a certain level of respect.


    @@novelbin@@


    When the Hurricane finally cut through the azure sea and stopped a dozen meters from the dock, a figure appeared at the bow of the ship.


    Charles looked down at the crowd on the dock and suddenly seemed to enjoy the feeling of looking down from above, shouting loudly:


    "Listen up, down there, our boss has killed Blood Shark Patrick, the Hurricane now belongs to the Eagle Pirate Group. If you know what��s good for you, hand over Patrick��s men quickly!"


    Hearing the demand, the dock instantly erupted into chaos.


    "The Eagle Pirate Group, is it that odd pirate group that��s always wandering around the Pearl Sea, hunting other pirates?"


    "They actually killed Patrick?!"


    "How strong must their captain be!"


    Lais naturally heard Charles��s demand but still hardened his resolve as he spoke:


    "No offense intended, but trying to take those people like this doesn��t fit with the rules of Giant Horn Port. It would be better for your captain to have a word with Lord Halil!"


    That was the reason Halil had asked him to stand guard here.


    Eventually, the people would have to be handed over, but they couldn��t be given up so easily, as that might break all the hard-earned rules established here.


    It would be better to have the opposing captain meet with Halil, on one hand to recognize this top contender newly emerged on the Pearl Sea, and on the other, to earn a favor in passing.


    By showing mutual respect, everyonees out ahead!


    After hearing Lais��s response, the person on the ship withdrew his head.


    Just as Lais felt a bit nervous, he suddenly sensed the air around him bing dry and scorching hot.


    Amidst the crowd��s stunned gazes, a massive blue fireball with a diameter of ten meters appeared at the bow of the Hurricane, floating silently in the air.


    The fireball was swirling with mes like liquid, and though it was distant, Lais could feel its horrific heat and unmatched power.


    This was clearly the strength of the Golden Rank!


    Lais��s forehead began to bead with sweat, unsure if it was from the heat or from fear.


    "This..."


    "Listen up!"


    Charles��s head popped up again from the bow, shouting:


    "Our captain says stop the nonsense and hand over the men quickly, or he won��t be polite!"


    What kind of brute is this, doesn��t he know any protocol?


    Although Lais was inwardly indignant, he dared not move a muscle at the moment.


    He wasn��t sure if saying another word would cause the opponent to actually throw that giant fireball down, and there��d be no ce to reason afterwards.


    Just then, a burly figure emerged on the dock, staring at the huge blue fireball in midair, his brow deeply furrowed.

 Chapter 356 - 336: The Towering Waves of Giant Horn Port_3

    "This seems rather inappropriate, doesn��t it?"


    Lais looked at the familiar figure that had suddenly appeared and let out a sigh of relief, quickly saying:


    "Lord Halil, I..."


    Halil waved his hand, signaling Lais to be silent.


    Truth be told, he was also somewhat uneasy. As the guardian of this gray harbor, he naturally couldn��t allow anyone to attack the port; he had no choice but to show himself.


    He had thought it was merely a matter ofmunication, but who could have expected the other party to strike so abruptly?


    But facing the terrifying fireball in front of him, clearlyunched by the one who had killed Patrick, he could not locate his opponent��s position, nor could he even detect their presence.


    The only auras on the "Hurricane" in front of him were silver and bronze, definitely not theirs.


    This was far more frightening than merely concealing one��s presence; if he were attacked, he might not even be able to defend himself.


    A few moments after Halil appeared, a figure also emerged atop that fireball, looking down at Halil.


    Halil took note of this figure immediately and looked intently.


    The young and handsome face of Lis Kain appeared before Halil, bringing him a slight shock.


    So young, looking only about twenty years old.


    Halil could hardly believe it, knowing only a Legendary Strongman could alter their own appearance.


    @@novelbin@@


    So, unless some special artifact was used, this person had indeed be a Gold-level strongman at around twenty years old.


    Moreover, one capable of killing a seasoned Gold-level fighter like Patrick, which was not something a newly advanced Gold-level could aplish.


    Most importantly, a Gold-level professional so young surely wouldn��t have a simple background!


    Halil had never heard of such a young strongman in the Boditch Kingdom; could he be from another kingdom?


    Most importantly, even though Lis Kain stood before him, he still couldn��t sense Kain��s presence, as if there was only emptiness there.


    Could it be a problem with his eyes?


    Looking at the calm but potentially explosive blue fireball beneath Lis Kain��s feet, Halil already felt a hint of retreating.


    "I am Halil, the leader here. May I inquire as to your name?"


    Halil extended goodwill towards Lis, hoping to ease the chilling atmosphere at the dock.


    Moreover, Charles had just affirmed that they were the "Eagle Pirate Group." Although the "Eagle Pirate Group" had already made a name for itself on the Pearl Sea, the identity of its leader remained unknown to outsiders.


    "Lis Kain, captain of the ��Eagle Pirate Group.��


    Lis said with a smile, but his next words took Halil byplete surprise.


    "Of course, I am also Marquis Kane of the Feis Kingdom."


    The Feis Kingdom! Marquis Kane!


    Not only were Halil and the people on the dock stunned, but even Helen and Charles, who were still watching the drama unfold from the "Hurricane," were also shocked.


    Helen��s delicate hand tightly gripped the corner of Charles��s clothes as she asked quietly:


    "Uncle Charles, did you know the master is a Marquis of the Kingdom?"


    Charles looked at Helen and shook his head.


    Don��t ask me; I know nothing!


    And the dock was now aplete mess, with Halil even more shocked!


    He did not doubt the truth of Lis��s words; after all, a young Gold-level professional was even rarer than a kingdom��s Marquis.


    And this also exined why Lis could be a Gold-level at such a young age.


    Especially since the Feis Kingdom had a Legend Mage, "Judgement me," making it naturally well-endowed in terms of mage capabilitiespared to the Boditch Kingdom.


    But still, a Marquis!


    The family Halil belonged to was also merely a noble family with a marquis title.


    However, now that the Feis Kingdom was at war with the Boditch Kingdom, why would a Marquis from the Feis Kingdom appear here at such a sensitive time?


    Halil looked toward Lis, silent for a moment, unable to help but specte. Stay connected through NovelBin.C?m


    As the war had dragged on for half a year, many in the Boditch Kingdom had started to see the reality.


    With the Church of the Gods not intervening, the Boditch Kingdom was no longer able to resist the invasion from the Feis Kingdom, and its downfall was only a matter of time.


    Even though the frontline was still at a stalemate near Luminous Stone City, from the Boditch Kingdom��s reallocation of navy troops to the frontline, the situation was already quite dire.


    Many coastal nobles had already begun moving their wealth, preparing for the worst.


    Halil was also one of the major participants in this, so facing a Marquis from the Feis Kingdom, he was somewhat at a loss.


    "Even if you are a Marquis of Feis, you cannot just disregard the rules of Giant Horn Port."


    After a moment��s hesitation, Halil still spoke up to Lis.


    There was no choice; the port of Giant Horn was the most critical part of his family��s escape n. He couldn��t just let Lis act recklessly.


    Even though he had already been prepared to make a deal with Lis, protocol had to be followed.


    Lis��s lips curved slightly upward as he gently waved his Jade Wand.


    Truth be told, he didn��t care about Halil��s attitude.


    After all, he was here to pick a fight!


    If the other party was too cooperative, it wouldn��t be easy to strike directly. Now, this was just perfect!


    He knew that after the fall of the Boditch Kingdom, many Boditch nobles had fled southward, the rest entering the Pearl Sea.


    Although the nobles of the Boditch Kingdom were all decadent types, their reactions when faced with the threat of extinction were remarkably rapid.

 Chapter 357 - 336: The Towering Waves of Giant Horn Port_4

    Now, the important inds and ports on the Pearl Sea are basically under the control of those coastal nobles.


    Even some of the pirates are remotely controlled by these nobles.


    This won��t do!


    The Pearl Sea is regarded by Lis as his own backyard; although he has no intention of annihting these lingering nobles, the necessary disys of power and cooperation must be evident.


    All this is predicated on first being able to shock these people.


    Toy the foundation for his future deration of sovereignty!


    "Since you put it that way, then..."


    As Lis spoke, the fireball at his feet suddenly sprung to life and hurtled towards Halil.


    Halil was somewhat taken aback and hurriedly drew his longsword to strike at the falling fireball.


    No, you can��t just start swinging the moment there��s a disagreement, are you really a noble?


    But before the words could escape his lips, the terrifying heat stifled them back.


    Halil dared not take it lightly; his earthy yellow Combat Energy clung to his longsword as he shed at the falling fireball.


    A Golden Warrior��s Combat Energy can break a spell, which is what high-level warriors rely on in battles against caster professionals.


    The dark blue fireball was split in half by Halil, and the tiny mes scattered in every direction.


    Most fell into the sea, but many alsonded on the people and goods on the dock, quickly spreading.


    "Lord Lis, don��t you think this is a bit too much?"


    Halil looked at Lis with a face full of anger, as if ready to make a move on Lis if not given an exnation.


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    "Actually... I can be even more extreme!"


    Lis said with a smile, unconcerned.


    The moment the words left his mouth, Halil saw a sky-blue halo sh around Lis.


    Boom, boom, boom~


    Deafening noises began to echo in everyone��s ears, gripping all hearts with the feeling of an impending natural disaster.


    The sea beneath the dock began to recede, exposing the sandy beach cluttered with shells and crabs, and the rotting, dark wooden piles that reached deep into the water.


    In front of everyone, the endless sea began to churn, and waves rose against allmon sense, higher and higher.


    Those on the dock, like Lais and others, stared in fear, their faces pale as they watched the blue wave lift Lis to a height of ten meters, then twenty, and finally reaching thirty meters in the air.


    The massive wave, hundreds of meters long, was suspended in mid-air. The blockade of sunlight and the unspeakable heaviness of the scene left people on the dock struggling to breathe.


    The "Hurricane" rose into the air along with the waves; Helen��s eyes sparkled with excitement, her hands gripping the ship��s gunwale tightly, her gaze on Lis filled with fervor.


    Those who lived by the sea knew that the ocean was not as calm as it appeared; horrific hurricanes and towering waves could bring endless sorrow to those living by the shore.


    It was a natural disaster, beyond human resistance!


    Lais was slightly better off, merely with his thighs uncontrobly trembling. Most people had already copsed to the ground, their faces pale as they prayed to the gods.


    Even the controlled pirates were the same. Even though they had been released, they forgot to run and were sitting on the ground. Some had even wet themselves.


    Halil watched the scene unfold, his expression rigid and pale.


    @@novelbin@@


    Having just shattered Lis��s spell, he felt somewhatcent, but now faced with this terrifying scene, he began to sweat profusely.


    Even though he, as a Gold-level Warrior, might survive this terror of a tsunami, there was no doubt that Giant Horn Port behind him would bepletely leveled.


    That was something he could not ept.


    Now, he wished he could p himself from ten minutes ago. With everything under control, couldn��t he have justplied with the situation? Why stir up all this trouble?


    Now, he was thoroughly stuck between a rock and a hard ce!


    Halil was certain that he had just sensed the aura of an Extraordinary Domain emanating from Lis.


    His scalp felt chilled as he remembered the body of Patrick still hanging on the bow of the "Hurricane."


    He was such a fool!


    This was the man who had directly killed Patrick; it wouldn��t be surprising at all for him to wield an Extraordinary Domain!


    Watching the smiling Lis perched atop the huge tsunami, Halil sheathed his longsword and sped his heavy hands together in front of him. With a ttering smile, he said:


    "Noble Marquis Kane, I was just sharing a little joke with you. Please forgive my presumption!"


    "I have them all under control, please take them away."


    "I don��t know them that well!"


    Halil was truly from the heart. To serve a big boss, how could he show weakness?

 Chapter 358 - 337 Let’s Give the King a Big Surprise!

    On the "Hurricane,"


    Lis, having left Giant Horn Port, wore a calm expression as he directed Charles and the others to bring the pirates that Halil had handed over and confine them in the lowermost deck, together with the other captives.


    After witnessing Lis��s power, Halil dared not dy at all, quickly handing over all his subordinates from the "Blood Shark" and very politely saw Lis off.


    In the end, he even presented Lis with a pile of precious gifts as an apology.


    @@novelbin@@


    Only when he saw Lis ept the gifts did Halil finally breathe a sigh of relief.


    It was critical; he certainly did not want to provoke this Marquis of the Feis Kingdom, who had already mastered the Extraordinary Domain.


    So young, Lis��s future was something he no longer dared to specte about; it was most important to send this big shot on his way.


    Such a person could not possibly stay in the Pearl Sea forever, acting as a pirate!


    Perhaps he hade here only to hunt down Patrick of the "Blood Shark."


    Halil thought as much, but what he didn��t foresee was that Lis would soon return to the Pearl Sea, albeit in a different capacity next time.


    ...


    Lis casually passed the Space Ring Halil had given him to Helen and asked her to take care of it.


    He had already checked it; they were all rather precious and exquisite goods, with plenty of beautiful gemstones, also worth around ten thousand Gold Coins.


    Lis had no use for them, but Helen would probably like them.


    Helen held the azure-colored ring tightly in her right hand, but did not rush to check its contents and instead looked at Lis.


    "Teacher, are you really a Marquis of the Feis Kingdom?"


    After a moment��s hesitation, Helen asked Lis.


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    "Of course, why?"


    Lis looked at Helen with a smile and yfully ruffled her head.


    The golden, soft hair passed through Lis��s fingers, giving off a brilliant feel under the early summer sun.


    "I just didn��t expect Teacher to be a noble too..."


    Helen muttered, resting her chin on the boat��s rail. She was technically a princess of the Bodichi Kingdom, her body coursing with noble blood, but her bitter and painful experiences had left her with a dim view of these so-called nobles.


    Turns out her Teacher was also a noble, and a Marquis at that, ranking among the Great Nobles.


    Perhaps the nobles of the Feis Kingdom were far superior to those of the Bodichi Kingdom, which is why Bodichi Kingdom could not withstand the invasion from Feis Kingdom and kept retreating in defeat.


    Helen had learned about the war between the two kingdoms from chatting with Charles and others, but as a princess of the Bodichi Kingdom in a sense, she hoped for the early downfall of the Bodichi Kingdom.


    Lis, looking at the suddenly somber Helen, somewhat guessed what this little one was thinking. He patted her head and quietly watched her face buried in her clothes; he did not speak.


    At this moment, under Lis��s control, the "Hurricane" was moving westward away from Giant Horn Ind.


    The "Hurricane" was a Magic Ship blessed by the legendary Wind Element Lord and could sail normally even without wind, its speed nearly twice that of simr ships.


    Also, the entire ship was covered with special Magic Patterns that absorbed and stored Magic Power, which could be consumed to elerate again if necessary.


    Indeed, it was a Magic Ship with special enhancements to its speed.


    The "Hurricane" also possessed certain magical attack and defense capabilities, capable of releasing Wind des to attack enemies, their powerparable to regr cannons though still somewhat inferior to the power of a Magic Crystal Cannon.


    This ship even had the ability to repair itself by consuming Magic Power, although only for rtively minor damage.


    Lis, having studied the "Hurricane," realized it was a highlyprehensive Magic Ship. The Magic Pattern Circuit formed aplete loop on its own, and his intervention in arranging the Magic Patterns would have been superfluous, possibly even disrupting the ship��s Magic Pattern Circuit.


    Thus, these past days Lis had been merely studying the Magic Patternbinations on the "Hurricane" rather than actively intervening as he had with the "Eagle."


    A light sea breeze brushed over his face as Lis took a bottle of Muge Wine from his storage ring.


    This was a famous wine from the Thousand Wind Hills in the southern part of the Feis Kingdom, Uncle Joyce��s favorite liquor; he had packed quite a lot for Lis before his departure.


    The dark red liquid poured into the ss, and the fragrance of the fruitwoods quietly diffused through the air.


    Handing Helen a small cup, Lis also swirled a cup of the fine wine in his hand, savoring it alone while leaning against the ship��s rail.


    Although Helen was still a child, for some reason she really enjoyed drinking.


    That must be Charles��s influence!


    Initially, Lis had stopped her, but upon reflection, considering Helen was a Warrior, her physique was already much stronger than an adult��s, so a little drink was probably harmless.


    Therefore, Lis had chosen the Muge Wine, which had a gentle and delicate taste, from his collection.


    Helen��s eyes lit up at the sight of the wine ss.


    Though she preferred beer, asionally drinking wine with her teacher was also nice.


    "Little Helen, do you know where we��re heading?"


    Lis asked, smiling at Helen, who was slowly sipping her wine like a little cat.


    "It should be... to the west, Teacher. Are we going to a port of Bodich?"


    Helen tilted her head, pondered, and said.


    Although she disliked Bodici, wherever her teacher went, she would follow, so she did not mind it.


    "That��s both right and wrong."


    Lis shook his head, then continued:


    "You know, the Feis Kingdom is currently at war with the Bodici Kingdom, and the front line is now near Luminous Stone City."

 Chapter 359 - 337 Let’s Give the King a Big Surprise!_2

    ```


    "I��m nning to make a trip there. This war has been dragging on for far too long; I��m going to add fuel to the fire."


    Helen looked up at Lis, her lips sealed in silence.


    "Do you want to see your father?"


    Lis spoke indifferently, as if taking part in such a battle between kingdoms was no significant affair for him.


    "He is not my father!"


    Helen clenched her teeth and dered resolutely.


    For her, he was the originator of her mother��s and her own endless suffering in their earlier years. Remembering her mother��s resentful gaze and tightly clutching her dry, rough hands as she passed away, Helen doubted she could resist the urge to sh him with her sword upon seeing him again.


    "The Boditch Kingdom is doomed to fall this time, and His Majesty the King will naturally follow suit. Don��t you think this is a good opportunity?"


    Lis ced his wine ss, with a hint of crimson liquid left, on the ship��s rail and looked at Helen.


    His intention was now crystal clear; it all depended on whether Helen was willing.


    Lis still remembered, after Luminous Stone City had fallen following a protracted siege, thest resistances werepletely eradicated, leaving the Boditch Kingdom utterly powerless against the Feis Kingdom.


    Thereafter, the upation and cleansing of Boditch Kingdom��s territory proceeded without major setbacks, and Feis Kingdom finally managed to devour this long-coveted piece of fat.


    During the cleansing process of Boditch Kingdom, there would also be many side plots and tasks for yers to experience.


    One of the more famous ones was the task of tracking down the King of Boditch.


    After Luminous Stone City fell, the king chose not to hold the line but escaped through a secret tunnel. He then dodged Feis Kingdom��s manhunt within the Boditch territory.


    Due to his exceptional ability to flee, yers jokingly referred to him as "Where is the king today?"


    When the king was finally caught on the southern border and handed over to Feis Kingdom, marking the end of the task, yerspiled a record of the elusive king��s tracks, including the secret tunnel he used to flee Luminous Stone City.


    @@novelbin@@


    So as soon as Luminous Stone City fell to Feis Kingdom, Lis would just have to wait at the entrance of the tunnel with Helen, and they would be able to catch the king.


    Lis nced at Helen, who was lost in memories of the past, and shook his head.


    The reason he wanted to take Helen to see His Majesty the King was for Helen��s own sake.


    Engrossed in her training, Helen was so diligent that there was no need for Lis to spur her on; instead, he often had to remind her to rest.


    But continuing like this was not good; Lis could see Helen was desperate for greater strength, driven more by the obsession in her heart.


    That King of Boditch, John Bertic.


    If they did not seek out this man now, he would soon lose his life, leaving Helen with potential regrets.


    As Helen��s mentor, Lis felt he needed to take care of his apprentice��s psychological well-being.


    "Then Teacher, I want to go!"


    Helen looked at Lis with determination.


    She did not know what she would say to the King of Boditch upon meeting him, but she felt it was necessary to see him, whether for her mother��s sake or her own.


    "Good, then you��lle with me."


    "Let��s go and give the king a big surprise!"


    Lis patted Helen��s head and turned his eyes towards Ariel, who was knocked out by an impatient Evar.


    Ah well, let this guy stay on the Hurricane and keep watch!


    Lis insisted it wasn��t because Ariel��s incessant chatter was annoying; it was purely because talent should be used in the right ce.


    Evar, who had received a divine power inheritance, for some unknown reason, had an affinity with nature which reassured Lis.


    What��s more important, Lis needed to keep Basel close at hand.


    Enjoy new stories from NovelBin.C?m


    Now only Helen, with her Luck Aura, could control the guy with that particr stroke of luck, otherwise, Lis feared the Hurricane itself could be sunk by him!


    ...


    Thanks to the Hurricane��s incredible speed, Lis andpany soon arrived at Danerluo Port.


    As one of the Boditch Kingdom Coast��srgest ports, Danerluo Port naturally enjoyed unique advantages.


    Located at the center of the eastern coast of the Boditch Kingdom, ships can catch the yearly monsoon from here, heading eastward and southward, saving significant time. Also, being an exceptional deepwater port with an ideal geographic location, Danerluo Port is situated to the east, with hills on either side to block the fierce summer storms, making it a favorite stop for numerous seafaring merchants.


    Leveraging its port advantages, Danerluo Port developed rapidly; despite being just a port, the city��s size and prosperity rivaled thergest in the eastern part of the Boditch Kingdom, and so it didn��t belong to thends of the Great Nobles but was under the direct control of the Boditch Royal Family.


    Lis stood at the bow of the ship, gazing at the familiar port and city emerging in the distance, feeling somewhat nostalgic.


    Unlike the gray port on Giant Horn Ind, this was an absolute hub of traffic on the Pearl Sea, with countless merchant ships entering and leaving the harbor at all times. To better utilize the coastal space, they had specially employed Mages to build stone docks stretching into the sea. On top of the northern hill stood a towering lighthouse that directed merchant ships looking to harbor there.


    The city on the west side of the port was no different, filled with an assemge of merchants, a ce where wealth converged couldn��t possibly be simple. Even under the corrupt officials of the Boditch Kingdom, it still thrived, to the point where it was hardly less prosperous than the Lower City District of Bright City.


    ```

 Chapter 360 - 337 Let’s Give the King a Big Surprise!_3

    Of course, the more ipetent and corrupt the officials, the better these merchants thrive!


    During the "Divine Revtion" version 3.0, he had spent a significant amount of time in this city, bing quite familiar with it, whether it was ocean exploration or opening up the story in another world.


    He never expected that in the blink of an eye, he would be reborn into this world, and this city would soon be his future territory.


    As the [Hurricane] gradually approached Danerluo Port, Lis, with his keen vision, naturally noticed a flurry of chaos at the harbor. In no time, dozens of fully armed warriors arrived on the docks, their weapons firmly trained on the [Hurricane].


    Lis could also feel two Gold-level presences rapidly approaching, with him as their target.


    Do they think I��m the [Blood Shark]? Continue your saga on NovelBin.C?m


    Lis shook his head, unconcerned, and waited quietly at the bow of the ship.


    It wasn��t long before Lis saw two figures bypassing the docks of Danerluo Port and charging towards the [Hurricane] that was underway.


    One was using a Flying Technique, probably a Gold-level Mage.


    The other was charging over directly atop the sea surface; it looked like another Gold-level Warrior.


    It must be said, even at Gold level, the number of those in the Warrior profession is truly high!


    Lis was indifferent; he didn��t feel any threat from these two Gold-level professionals.


    Neither of them seemed as experienced as Halil, who was stationed at Giant Horn Port��one could tell they hadn��te up through many battles, but had climbed up the ranks step by step.


    Most of the powerhouses stationed in cities are like this. After breaking through to the Gold level, it bes very difficult to continue improving their strength.


    However, this isn��t without its benefits. Once you��ve be Gold level and have no hope of breaking through to Legend, who wouldn��t want to live a little better?


    These two had descended before the [Hurricane], blocking its path.


    "What��s the situation?"


    The Gold Mage Ivor looked at the [Hurricane] in front of him, somewhat uncertain and asked hispanion for advice.


    As soon as he got the report from the dock manager, he hurried over.


    @@novelbin@@


    The [Hurricane] appearing outside the port, seemingly preparing to enter, raised the question: What was going on?


    Could it be that Patrick, that guy, wanted to attack Danerluo Port?


    But as he approached the [Hurricane], he began to hesitate again.


    Though there was indeed a Gold-level presence on the ship, it was clearly not the [Blood Shark].


    Had the [Hurricane] changed hands?


    This wouldn��t be anything unusual for other pirate ships, but the [Blood Shark] Patrick was something else. The Kingdom Navy had chased him multiple times, and each time he��d managed to escape. Ivor knew firsthand how troublesome the [Blood Shark] was on the high seas.


    "What else can we do but ask directly!"


    The Golden Warrior Grace said sternly, showing no other emotions.


    Even if it really was the [Blood Shark], he wouldn��t stand a chance with two Gold-level professionals teaming up.


    After all, the reason he was troublesome was because he was too slippery on the high seas, but his actual strength wasn��t that strong.


    While the two discussed, a young man appeared on the [Hurricane], slowly flying towards them.


    Both noticed the Gold-level presence they had sensed was emanating from this person, and were surprised by Lis��s youth.


    "May I know your name, sir, and this [Hurricane], is..."


    Ivor greeted Lis with a slight bow as a gesture of goodwill, while Grace, standing beside him, kept quiet and watched Lis��s actions cautiously.


    The two had been stationed at Danerluo Port for a long time and had developed an understanding between them.


    "I am Lis Kain,"


    Lis said with a smile, then continued,


    "As for the [Hurricane], of course, it was taken from the hands of Patrick."


    Ivor was surprised�� if that was true, could it be that Patrick...


    Lis didn��t y coy but was straightforward and forting.


    "The [Blood Shark] Patrick died at my hands, his body and those of his pirate followers are all on the ship."


    "I am here to collect their bounties mainly."


    Looking at the harmless smile on Lis��s face and his calm words, Ivor suddenly felt like he might have encountered a tough figure.


    Pirates in the Pearl Sea had their own bounties set, some by the Bodichi Navy, others offered by merchants pooling funds.


    Due to a significant reduction in the Bodichi Navy��s power, the Pearl Sea was now a ce where heroes rose together, quite chaotic.


    But for those Gold-level pirates, the amount of bounty didn��t mean much, as almost no one could collect on their heads.


    Keep in mind, previously, the more powerful the pirate, the more they were the target of the Bodichi Navy��s cleansing operations. Those who could still roam free under these circumstances were not matched by lone mercenaries and bounty Hunters.


    So, Lis was the first person Ivor and Grace had seene to im the bounty of a Gold-level pirate.


    The key point was that the amount was no more than ten thousand Gold Coins. Not to mention someone who could kill Patrick, even I...


    No, I still care quite a bit about that.


    "Mr. Lis, we are honored that you��vee to our Danerluo Port, how about youe and sit with us for a while?"


    Ivor said with a smile, his attitude much more amenable than before.


    "Of course, I also have some matters I would like to discuss with both of you,"


    Ivor and Grace both tensed up.


    As expected, collecting the bounty was just incidental; this man had other motives.

 Chapter 361 - 337 Let’s Give the King a Big Surprise!_4

    Immediately, Lis instructed Evar and then proceeded directly to Danerluo Port with Ivor.


    Ivor also instructed the manager of the dock to properly host the "Hurricane," after which he led Lis towards the city.


    Soon, the trio arrived inside a luxurious estate, and Lis nced around to find that this ce was no less impressive than the noble estates of Bright City.


    Indeed, it was Danerluo Port, and as one of the city��s main figures, the two had indeed reaped considerable benefits.


    "Mr. Lis, please have a seat."


    Ivor personally ushered Lis to the guest room, sat him on the sofa, and gestured for a maid to bring steaming hot coffee and delicate pastries.


    "Mr. Lis, may I know if there is anything else you are here for in Danerluo Port?"


    Lis smiled and rxed into the sofa.


    Frankly, after drifting at sea for so long, the solid feeling of standing on the ground was truly satisfactory.


    "Of course, there is also something I would like to discuss with both of you."


    Lis nodded, set down his coffee cup and said with a smile:


    "I heard that the Boditch Kingdom is at war with the Feis Kingdom, and the situation in Luminous Stone City isn��t looking good?"


    "Ah... indeed, that��s the case."


    Ivor almost didn��t react, then suddenly switched to this topic.


    However, Ivor did not conceal anything; to Lis, also a Gold Rank, this information was not confidential.


    Moreover, anyone with clear eyes could see that the Boditch Kingdom was driven to desperate straits by the significant mobilization of the Boditch Navy, with almost no chance of turning the situation around.


    Ivor and Grace were also secretly nning to leave the Boditch Kingdom before the arrival of the bad news.


    For this reason, they had already repeatedly refused the conscriptionmands from the Boditch Royal Family.


    Both he and Grace were direct Gold-level descendants trained by the Royal Family, and even they were unwilling toply with themands, which shows to what extent the Royal Family��s authority had declined.


    "Then let me introduce myself first."


    Lis looked towards them, the smile on his face deepening.


    "I am the captain of the ��Eagle��..."


    Ivor and Grace nodded, as the de facto controllers of Danerluo Port, they naturally collected all kinds of information about the Pearl Sea, aware of this peculiar pirate ship that had appeared several months ago.


    It had been hunting pirates while also "amicably collecting" fees from passing merchant ships, self-proimed as "pirates" by a group of people.


    But it was surprising that their captain turned out to be a Gold-level Mage who had also sessfully killed Patrick and taken the "Hurricane."


    Ivor saw a new power rising on the Pearl Sea.


    However, that wasn��t a big deal; pirates whosted ten years on the Pearl Sea like the "Blood Shark" were rare, most pirates disappeared after a few years or even months, whether due to retirement or being killed by others remained unknown. Your journey continues on NovelBin.C?m


    "Apart from that, I also hold the title of Marquis Kane from the Feis Kingdom."


    Huh?!


    Ivor and Grace exchanged nces, their expressions grave.


    The Feis Kingdom was Boditch Kingdom��s enemy!


    @@novelbin@@


    Why would a Marquis appear here?


    Felling the atmosphere in the room suddenly be serious, Lis nonchntly waved his hand.


    "What, are you going to capture me and send me to Luminous Stone City?"


    "...Of course not, you jest, Mr. Lis."


    Ivor said cautiously, utterly puzzled as to why a noble from the Feis Kingdom woulde here, and why had he been loitering on the Pearl Sea for so long?


    Moreover, a Marquis?


    This was a Great Noble, whose status could easily be verified, no one would foolishly impersonate someone else, especially not a Gold-level powerhouse?


    Both Ivor and Grace, as Gold-level professionals directly loyal to the Boditch Royal Family, naturally also held titles, though they were merely Barons for now.


    "Of course there is something!"


    The corners of Lis��s mouth curved slightly, carrying a hint of confidence.


    "I��ll get straight to the point."


    "Gentlemen, would you be interested in working for me?"

 Chapter 362 - 338: The Two Who Nodded and Bowed

    What?


    Ivor and Grace were somewhat surprised, and the scene fell into silence for a while.


    Lis didn��t care and continued to taste different pastries by himself.


    After waiting for a while, Grace waved her hand to dismiss a maid standing by and looked at Lis, asking,


    "I admit that you are very strong, able to kill that guy Patrick, but that alone is not enough to make us serve you."


    "After all, we are both Guardians of Danerluo Port."


    Lis understood the meaning of Grace��s words; as Gold-level Strong Men stationed at Danerluo Port, whoever they chose to serve could take control of this important harbor without any hindrance.


    This was also their capital, and even though they had prepared a way out, it didn��t mean they had no other options.


    When the Feis Kingdom Army arrived, they couldpletely choose to surrender to the Feis Kingdom.


    @@novelbin@@


    Being not born of the Bodici Noble families, they would easily be epted by the Feis Kingdom.


    Lis naturally knew these things, which was why he chose to recruit these two persons.


    As one of the most important ports, Danerluo Port, though directly under the Royal Family��s control, other Nobles of the Boditch Kingdom also had their people secretly ced there.


    Even if the Boditch Kingdom fell, those Nobles wouldn��t easily give up their arrangements.


    In Lis��s memory of the future, these two were also among the defenders of Danerluo Port, well-regarded, and as NPC characters Lis was familiar with, he had chosen to recruit them.


    On one hand, Gold-level strength was incredibly important there, and on the other hand, it was because he needed these two to clear the secretly hidden people in Danerluo Port.


    "This time when I return to the kingdom, I will request the King to grant me Danerluo Port as my fiefdom."


    "Additionally, my teacher is the ��Judgement me��!"


    Lis said with a smile, then offered no further exnation.


    Ha, thinking too easy, huh!


    Danerluo Port is something those Great Nobles have their eyes on; how could it be so easily granted to you?


    Even if your teacher is the ��Judgement me��, what of it?


    ��Judgement me��...


    Ivor suddenly realized, looking at Grace with shock.


    Experience new stories on NovelBin.C?m


    The ��Judgement me��, that Legendary Arcanist of the Feis Kingdom?!


    That��s a top-notch strongman on the Fanor Continent, whose fame has spread across the entirend.


    You...


    Ivor suddenly came to his senses, realizing that such a young Gold-level Mage was rare and unbelievable.


    But if he is the disciple of that person, it somehow makes more sense.


    That��s a Legendary Strongman!


    One who stands at the pinnacle among Legends!


    Ivor had even heard that this individual is the strongest Mage on the Fanor Continent!


    His student being so young, it��s quite possible he could reach or even break through to be a Legend, much like the ��Judgement me�� Stephens.


    Ivor suddenly understood why Lis had been so confident in obtaining Danerluo Port as a territory.


    Not just his extraordinarily strong Talent, but the power behind him could ensure he got thend he deserved for his merits.


    Suddenly, Ivor was tempted.


    Now it seemed that this Marquis Kane, both in strength and background, was faultless. If they decided to pledge allegiance to the Feis Kingdom, he was indeed a very good choice.


    Compared to the talent-rich court of the Feis King, this very young man, who personally invited them, surely didn��t have enough forces under him yet.


    If they pledged their service now, they might gain the greatest benefit.


    Ivor looked at Grace and saw that his friend too was somewhat tempted.


    Lis also noticed the two Gold-level individuals�� temptation and decided to stoke the mes further.


    "Gentlemen, although Mr. Stephens will note to the domain with me, I can still invite other Legends here."


    Lis paused for a moment and leaned back in the sofa, saying,


    "I can secure an opportunity for both of you to be guided by a Legend, how does that sound?"


    Upon hearing this, Ivor and Grace immediately stood up, their eyes aze.


    "Mr. Lis, are you serious?"


    No wonder the two were so excited, after all, that was a Legend!


    It��s the lifelong pursuit of countless Gold Professionals!


    One must realize that, although there might not be a shortage of Legendary Strong Men on the vast Fanor Continent, for Human Kingdoms, they are as rare as diamonds in sand��a very rare urrence.


    At least, there are no Legendary Strong Men in the Boditch Kingdom.


    Being guided by a Legendary Strong Man is the wish of countless Golden Professionals.


    But to Legends themselves, they don��t really care much about Professionals below them, even those Gold Professionals just a step away.


    That one step is like a chasm!


    The gap between Legend and Gold is even wider than that between ordinary people and Gold.


    Strictly speaking, Legends are beings who havepleted their transformation and fully realized Transcendent existence.


    If Silver still has some chance of defeating Gold, there has never been a Gold Level defeating a Legend.


    If Gold Level represents human strength, then Legendary power could be likened to a level of doomsday cmity.


    Breaking mountains and splitting valleys is but a mere task; overturning the heavens and the earth is nothing out of the ordinary...


    Given time, the destruction of an entire city is just a matter of time.


    This is why during the Blood Sacrifice Chaos, Bright City chose to establish a protective array around the battlefield immediately, to restrain the destruction of the city due to the battle of Legends.

 Chapter 363 - 338: Two People Ready to Bow at First Greeting _2

    In a past life��s plot, Feis Kingdom reacted a bit too slow, leading to most of the Lower City District under Bright City being destroyed, resulting in extremely tragic losses.


    Generally speaking, other than those of special concern or professionals with truly extraordinary talent, it was even hard for most to catch a glimpse of a legend, let alone receive their guidance.


    Therefore, receiving instruction from a legendary strongman was incredibly important for Ivor and hispanion.


    Even if Lis might deceive them, they both decided to give it a try.


    At worst, they would first agree and then arrange for someone to go investigate Feis Kingdom.


    At the very least, they could give up the Danerluo Port and leave the Andes Kingdom since they had already prepared a retreat.


    If this Marquis Kane truly was a disciple of [Judgement me], then his credibility would be much higher.


    However,...


    Another Legendary Crown?


    Ivor felt a bit wistful; if it was true, he couldn��t imagine how profound Marquis Kane��s background must be.


    Lis was not surprised; he naturally knew how tempting this was for these Gold-level professionals.


    Perhaps this might not greatly increase their strength, but the name of a legend alone was enough to attract them.


    If not for this, the King of Feis wouldn��t respect [Judgement me] so much that most of the time he wouldn��t care when the teacher wandered about nor grudged the use of vast resources.


    This was the status of a top-tier legend.


    "Of course, I wouldn��t lie about this,"


    Lis leaned back on the sofa, smiling as he spoke.


    After all, this really wasn��t a big deal for him.


    Mr. Stephens probably wouldn��te to his own territory; the big shot couldn��t stay in one ce for long.


    But Uncle Joyce could!


    With his Shadow clone, Uncle Joyce could roam around Fanor Continent without stepping outside; it didn��t matter too much where his actual body was.


    Moreover, before leaving Bright City, Uncle Joyce said that once he reached the Gold Level, he would tell him some things about the family.


    He guessed that it was very likely the lost [Az Floating City].


    That being said, at least Uncle Joyce would take him on a trip to the Floating City.


    And Lis was very clear that Az Floating City should currently be in the Treasure Pearl Sea, so Uncle Joyce would definitelye to the Boditch East Coast.


    What��s more, Lis felt that there was no need to go to any extra trouble; it was very likely that Uncle Joyce would follow him directly over here.


    Ivor and Grace exchanged a nce and earnestly said,


    "If you can keep your promise, then we are willing to swear to you, offer our loyalty to you, always follow your footsteps, and your will shall be our mission."


    "Oh?"


    Lis raised an eyebrow, visibly surprised.


    This was the highest level of allegiance oath among nobles!


    Unless it was made under the witness of the god of oaths, the oath itself didn��t hold much binding power.


    But for nobles who generally value honor, anyone who vites a pledge of loyalty loses all basic decency and ends up being shunned by other nobles.


    Ivor and Grace also had their considerations; being Gold Level strong men cultivated by the Boditch Royal Family from orphans, naturally, they were not constrained by families.


    Or rather, their family should be considered to start with them.


    Although they obeyed the Boditch Royal Family, ever since they broke through to the Gold Rank, even King Bodich had to respect their will.


    But to them, the Boditch Royal Family was not worth their loyalty.


    The royal family had done too many things that were unforgivable, so much so that even they, as strong men who were in some sense of the word part of the royal family, could not stand it.


    Ivor and Grace had previously discussed their future choices; they had talked about Duke Baird and Duke Rame, who were the main force in the attack on Boditch Kingdom, but had not made up their minds.


    Now that they had met Marquis Kane, who supposedly had a legend to rely upon if the situation was true, there would be no need to hesitate any longer.


    "Well then,"


    Lis stood up and said with a smile,


    "I know you still have some uncertainties in your heart, but that doesn��t matter."


    "What you need to do now is to defend this city well, and wait for my return.


    "I think, by the time you meet that personage, you should have no need for hesitation."


    "Yes, Lord Lis."


    The two also stood up, respectfully speaking.


    After instructing the two on certain matters, Lis got up and left Evar��s estate.


    After respectfully seeing Lis off into the carriage waiting at the entrance of the estate, Evar watched the carriage gradually fade into the distance, sighed with a mix of emotion and wistfulness, and said:


    "Grace, what do you think?"


    Grace, of course, knew what his friend was referring to, and after a moment of silence, he said in a low voice:


    "If what Marquis Kane says is true, then it��s actually an opportunity for us."


    "You have to realize, the favor of a legend is a rare opportunity indeed!"


    Evar knew what Grace was alluding to; Legendary Strongmen, as beings who stood at the pinnacle of power on this continent, were sparse in number, but they weren��t entirely without trace.


    Some legends resided in certain ces permanently and would also recruit subordinates.


    If one simply wished to join a force with a Legendary figure, then being a Golden Rank Professional was sufficient.


    But to receive guidance from a legend was significantly more difficult.


    Take, for example, the Magic Rune Master Yousef Daher; he was not from the Feis Kingdom, but in order to receive guidance from the "Judgement me," he chose to join the Royal Magic Academy and serve the Feis Royal Family, providing a great many high-level enchanted products.


    Even so, whether he managed to receive that guidance or not entirely depended on the mood of the "Judgement me," otherwise, Daher could just keep waiting!


    "Indeed!"


    Evar felt somewhat thankful but thenughed at himself:


    "In that case, I actually hope what Marquis Kane said is true. Serving him could be a rare opportunity after all!"


    ...


    The departing Lis, however, did not exhibit any particrly surprised emotions.


    As someone who had been a Gold-level Mage in his past life, he naturally knew the appeal of Legendary Strongmen to Gold-level professionals; but as yers did not need guidance and instead relied on Experience Points to level up, they were not so fanatic about legends.


    But... female legends were a different story, such as the battlefield Valkyrie Taya Fis, who consistently ranked in the top three in poprity among the yers of the Fanor Continent.


    His sess in bringing the Golden Strong Men Evar and Grace to his side wasrgely due to leveraging the status of the Legendary figures, Uncle Joyce and Mr. Stephens.


    Otherwise, even with his own strong abilities and remarkable talent, achieving legend status was a matter for the future; the likelihood of convincing two peers with the same prospect was very low.


    But this wasn��t a sustainable strategy. Setting aside Mr. Stephens, even if Uncle Joyce was willing to help, it was ultimately not Lis��s own strength.


    This time, Lis nned to establish Danerluo Port as his main base. Relying too much on others wasn��t equivalent to having one��s own power, and even for Uncle Joyce, it was the same.


    Uncle Joyce had already provided ample assistance to Lis, who didn��t want to depend on him for everything.


    Lis had Evar and Grace make some arrangements in Danerluo Port, for better future control of the big city.


    ...


    "So, that��s the situation. The ��Hurricane�� is in your hands now, Evar."


    @@novelbin@@


    Lis, apanied by Helen and Basel, stood in front of the carriage and spoke to Evar and Charles.


    "I left space coordinates on the ��Hurricane.�� If there��s trouble, crush the crystal ball I gave you, and I wille over."


    "While I��m away, continue hunting pirates. I suspect the news of my killing the ��Blood Shark�� will soon spread across the Treasure Pearl Sea, and at that time, few will dare to provoke you."


    With Evar on the verge of breaking into Gold Level, and Charles and Ariel there, the ��Hurricane�� should be well protected.


    "Yes, Lord Lis."


    Evar said firmly, with Charles nodding repeatedly at his side.


    As for Ariel, the talkative one had already been reprimanded by Evar; his special mental magic was of no use against Evar, who had been enhanced with Divine Power.


    "And Ariel, too, make sure he learns the rules."


    Lis nced at the forcibly subdued Ariel and then instructed Evar.


    In his past life, once Ariel reached his peak of strength, almost no one could address his annoying habit of being talkative.


    Better to see if he was salvageable now rather thanter.


    "Let��s go!" Readtest stories on NovelBin.C?m


    Lis took onest look at Danerluo Port in the distance. The next time he returned, it would be his territory.


    So...


    Next stop, Luminous Stone City!

 Chapter 364 - 339 The Beginning of the War’s End

    ```


    Luminous Stone City, within the Royal Pce,


    This ce was the heart of the Royal Pce, where the eye was greeted by opulent colors of gold. Even the stone walls were covered with a thinyer of gold, borately carved with intricate patterns by skilled artisans, paired with enormous crystal chandeliers. Their reflections on the spotless ck marble floor tiles cast a unique elegance.


    In the center of the pce stood the throne, atop three-tiered steps and adorned with various gemstones, pearls, and crystals, but the person seated above was cursing vehemently.


    "Damn those guys!"


    "You damned swine, didn��t you assure us that those Feis people would soon be gone?"


    "How long has it been, how long!"


    @@novelbin@@


    "They are now right outside the city! Outside!"


    "I can��t sleep well anymore. I give you whatever you want, and this is the result you show me!"


    "You bunch of XXXXX, I really wish I could kill you all!"


    John Bertic��s face was stormy, but the extravagant clothes he wore and the massive crown did nothing to impart a regal aura. Instead, his furious, writhing figure on the throne resembled a starved, crazed pigpletelycking any deterrence amidst the splendor of the pce.


    The ministers below had ashen faces, wiping nonexistent saliva from their faces. One of them, with an ingratiating smile, said:


    "Your Majesty, please be assured, the Feis Kingdom��s army has been firmly blocked by our great army ten kilometers outside Luminous Stone City. They can��t possibly break through our defenses."


    "Moreover, the elite forces we��ve called from across the country are also gradually arriving. When the time is right, we can drive those detestable Feis people back, and even reim the western territories!"


    Looking at his subordinates�� emphatic promises, John remained skeptical.


    After all, he had been terribly let down by these ministers before!


    At first, it was, "No worries, Your Majesty, the Feis Kingdom only defeated our Kingdom��s army by a sneak attack. There��s no need for concern."


    Then it was, "Please rest assured, Your Majesty, this is just a minor ident. The Kingdom Army and the territorial Nobles haven��t fought in a while. Soon, we will be able to make a strongeback."


    They went on to say, "Although we��re at a disadvantage on the front lines, our soldiers are fighting to the death, achieving rare victories on some battlefields!"


    Then, the Feis Kingdom��s army appeared right at the gates of the Royal Capital, Luminous Stone City.


    It was only then that King Bertic realized to what perilous state the situation had degraded.


    If it weren��t for these ministers being Nobles of the Boditch Kingdom for generations, John might even suspect they had been bought by the Feis Kingdom.


    Indeed, all of the Boditch Kingdom��s ministers were from Noble families; there wasn��t a single minister ofmoner or even middle-ss origin.


    As a result, these ministers shared the same traits as John��they were all proficient in indulgence but utterly ipetent when it came to real work.


    If not for the King and these Nobles recognizing the importance of power and continuously cultivating Extraordinary Professionals among their ranks, the Boditch Kingdom would have fallen into chaos long ago.


    Hence, no longer trusting the judgment of these Nobles, John directly ordered all possible fighting forces of the Kingdom and the Noble Guard to converge on Luminous Stone City, such as the navy from the East Coast.


    This was a devastating blow to the order in other areas of the Kingdom. Just during this period, there had already been several incidents of disorder, but John didn��t hesitate and continued on his solitary course.


    To him, other ces were inconsequential; what mattered most was to defend Luminous Stone City at all costs.


    For a kingdom, the fall of the Royal Capital was uneptable; even someone as ipetent as him knew that once it reached that stage, given the Boditch Royal Family��s "fine" image in the eyes of the people, it would be difficult to marshal the power to take back the capital.


    "It had better be as you say!"


    John Bertic, huffing with anger, stood up and strode away to seek out his beauties for entertainment.


    The more serious the situation became, the more debauched he grew, venting his internal anxiety and fear through such means.


    The ministers left inside the pce exchanged silent nces and then departed in small groups.


    There was no helping it; for these ministers of Great Noble birth, intrigue, ttery, and sycophancy were a forte, but they were clueless when it came to matters of national import.


    Even their strength as Extraordinary Professionals was boosted through precious artifacts and was only good enough to bully servants andmon folk.


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    It wasn��t entirely their fault; they were just following the example set by His Majesty the King above them.


    However, among the departing ministers, there were always a few "smart ones," who had quietly gathered to discuss something.


    ...


    Twenty kilometers outside Luminous Stone City, in Jin Sen Town,


    This ce once belonged to a Viscount, but now it had been transformed into a huge military camp.


    The army of the Feis Kingdom was stationed here, and unlike thex discipline of the Boditch Kingdom Army, the majority of these soldiers were earnestly training. The sun drenched their clothes in sweat, and even the soldiers on distant guard duty were alert, paying close attention to every passerby.


    No wonder they were so diligent; the wealth they had plundered along the way was immense. So much so, that even after the Nobles and officers took most of it, there was still enough left for the soldiers to be well satisfied with their share.


    That was why the Feis Kingdom��s army was so spirited.


    ```

 Chapter 365 - 339 The Beginning of the War’s End_2

    After several days of continuous battle, the army was ready to regroup and train for a period of time, which was also a chance to assimte the gains from before.


    The previous encounters could hardly be called war; the resistance the Feis Army met was like a child wielding a longsword and charging at a heavy armor knight, dropping the sword before even making contact and identally stabbing himself.


    This indeed caught the Feis Army off guard.


    Not until they pushed the frontline to Luminous Stone City did they meet substantial resistance.


    The Boditch Royal Mage Group and a considerable number of troops created significant trouble for the Feis Army. After attacking for a period without gains, and suffering considerable losses instead, it was no surprise they chose to temporarily retreat and regroup.


    @@novelbin@@


    In the Viscount Castle at the center of Jin Sen Town, the previous owner was nowhere to be found; now it served as themand center for the Feis Kingdom Army.


    Duke Baird and Duke Rame stood before a map of Boditch Kingdom, discussing the recent situation.


    As dukes on the eastern frontier of Feis Kingdom and the first nobles tounch attacks against Boditch Kingdom, they were naturally among themanders of this invasion war.


    Of course, the apparent excuse was still retaliation for Boditch Kingdom��s assassination of nobles during the Sacrificial Festival, but the Boditch Kingdom was nearly annihted in this "minor" retaliation.


    Although Duke Baird and Duke Rame held the highest titles, the real leaders on-site were no longer the two of them.


    Bivis Mn, themander of the Feis Kingdom��s Golden Lion Knights, sat in the main seat, his brow furrowed.


    Duke Baird and Duke Rame had no objections; though theymanded more soldiers, they were in no position to match the kingdom��s strongest military force, the Golden Lion Knights, let alone the fact that Bivis��s presence meant he directly represented King Morton Fis inmanding the war.


    Simrly, after finding out they hadn��t received any messages from Second Prince Yatean Fis whom they had conspired with, both felt somewhat guilty and dared not speak against him.


    Once Bivis led the Golden Lion Knights to the frontline, the two dukes simply and neatly chose to follow hismand.


    Of course, Bivis treated the two dukes with respect, after all, their status and power were not insignificant.


    "ording to the intelligence we��ve gathered, the Boditch Kingdom is now mobilizing all its strength, continuously converging toward Luminous Stone City."


    Duke Baird said, frowning to Bivis.


    He and Duke Rame, like before, had long prepared for the invasion of Boditch Kingdom, and naturally had arranged many spies in secret.


    The movement of many Professionals and armies toward Luminous Stone City could not escape their notice.


    "They��re preparing for a desperate fight!"


    Duke Rame also had a headache. To be honest, the earlier part of the war was so easy, mostly due to problems within Boditch Kingdom itself. But as the kingdom neared copse, even an obsolete state machinery would start to turn, attempting to flee the fate of extinction.


    The Feis Kingdom and its allies now faced this situation, where their army still held superiority in organization, morale, and overall quality over Boditch Kingdom.


    But since they were fighting within Boditch Kingdom��s territory, now that the enemy began relying purely on their numbers to wear down the Feis forces, it became somewhat unbearable for them.


    It would have been bearable if that were the only issue, but now, the enemy��s Royal Mage Corps had appeared on the frontline, unleashing a barrage of attacks on the Feis Army.


    Though their own mages desperately intercepted these attacks, and the army didn��t suffer great casualties, the impact on morale and the progress of the war was significant.


    In warfare, unless you��re a Legend, an extraordinary profession couldn��t have a decisive impact on the course of the battle.


    Extraordinary Professionals are stronger than ordinary people, but how many can they kill on the battlefield before possibly being taken out by a sneak arrow?


    However, there are two exceptions, one of which is the Warrior profession.


    The Warrior profession, due to its numbers, is the profession with the most extraordinary Professionals.


    For this reason, warriors are the only extraordinary Professionals that could potentially form a legion, like Bivis��s Golden Lion Knights.


    A regiment of extraordinary Professionals is indeed able to suppress the tide of war; this also underlined Bivis��s confidence.


    The other exception is the Mage profession.


    As an extraordinary professional, managing a small team of several individuals was feasible, but coordinating hundreds or thousands of professionals proved extremely difficult.


    Apart from the Protecting Church Knights, whichprised warriors and other extraordinary professionals, other armies were basically just masses of people; once the battle started, it all became chaotic, and everyone fought independently.


    However, mages were different; they were like artillery, able to unleash devastating firepower until their magic power was exhausted.


    Gold Level mages were also the most terrifying influence on the battlefield among the extraordinary professionals!


    Therefore, in every battle, mages were the primary target of the enemy; whoever could silence the opposing mages first gained a significant advantage.


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    Regrettably, the Royal Mage Corps of the Feis Kingdom needed to defend Bright City and deal with potential threats from other directions, so not many of them hade to the Boditch battlefield with Bivis.


    Bivis was somewhat troubled, but it wasn��t like he was entirely without options; if all else failed, he could simply resort to a charge.


    The mages�� magic power was limited, and though they could ughter ordinary people quickly, extraordinary professionals were different.


    But this was ast resort, and Bivis did not want to resort to such means against the Boditch Kingdom.


    Since mages were always few in number, if he could find a way to eliminate this mage group, even the Boditch Royal Family would struggle to replenish their ranks from elsewhere.


    "How about sending an assassin squad for a surprise attack?"


    Duke Rame proposed a not-so-feasible solution, but it was quickly rejected by Bivis.


    "It��s pointless. The number of troops the Boditch Kingdom has deployed on the battlefield already greatly exceeds ours, and though their strength is mediocre, setting aside a squad specifically not to engage in frontalbat, but to protect their mage group, should be no problem."


    "I think the Boditch people wouldn��t overlook something like this unless I really have to thank them then."


    Bivis shook his head, unwilling to rely on the ipetence of the enemymanders for the initiative on the battlefield.


    "We��ve been dragging this out here for so long, ording to the previous n, other areas have already been swept through once."


    "It��s indeed time to take down Luminous Stone City and keep pushing forward."


    Duke Baird spoke calmly but pointed out the dilemma facing the several people present.


    The Feis Kingdom��s army had stayed outside Luminous Stone City for so long, not without activity.


    While they were stalled there, they had dispatched a portion of their troops to sweep through the upied regions of the Boditch Kingdom, suppressing any resistance and collecting various supplies and food.


    This was a necessity since the advance had been overly smooth.


    They knew the Boditch Kingdom was weak, but not to such a degree.


    The weing attitude of the people of the Boditch Kingdom was almost as if they were rolling out the food and drink to wee the conquering army!


    Yes, it had been so smooth that the Feis Kingdom had not even had time to prepare for long-distance supply transportation.


    Even though some space storage rings were urgently used to send some supplies, it was not enough to support the army��s continued advance.


    Inevitably, since the Feis Kingdom��s aim was topletely control the territory of the Boditch Kingdom, they didn��t need to do much; with such an excellent predecessor as Boditch, showing even a slight performance superiority made conquering effortless.


    So, unable to engage in extensive plundering and looting from civilians, the food obtained from the castles of the Boditch Kingdom��s nobles was pitifully insufficient; therefore, until the supply lines were established, the army could only remain stalled here.


    The good news is that the first wave of supplies would be arriving in the next few days!


    The bad news was that Bivis and his team could only watch as the Boditch Kingdom desperately moved troops from other regions of the kingdom.


    While the three individuals remained silent on the scene, a messenger ran in, saluted, and said:


    "General Bivis, there is an acquaintance outside the camp asking for you!"


    "He ims to be Marquis Lis Kain!"

 Chapter 366 - 340: I’ll Take Down Luminous Stone City!

    "Lis is here!"


    Lord Bivis heard the messenger��s announcement and was startled for a moment, then spoke with some surprise.


    He naturally knew Lis, even quite well.


    @@novelbin@@


    The first time they met was above McGwire��s Death Tomb when he came to take Taya back to Bright City, and he had a brief encounter with Lis.


    Not long after, he heard that Lis had been taken as a disciple by the kingdom��s pir, the Legendary Mage of Judgement me, which surprised him greatly.


    That was a legendary existence. It had been a long time since he had heard that the mage had taken any disciple, yet unexpectedly, Lis had caught his special attention, clearly indicating Lis was no ordinary person.


    So,ter, when Lis came to seek him out, he did not hesitate to meet directly with Lis, who had already be a Silver Mage.


    However, Lis brought him even more explosive news, the clues to the Blood Sacrifice Chaos.


    After that, it was a series of events like the Sacrificial Festival, knighting, halting assassins, and other big incidents.


    As one of King Morton Fis��s most trusted confidants, Lord Bivis knew more than others.


    For example, the entanglement between the Second Prince of Yatean and Lis, like the mysterious Legendary Assassin behind Lis...


    Whether it was Lis��s own abilities and talents, or the backing behind him, all were more than enough to make Lord Bivis pay great attention to Lis.


    Moreover, Lord Bivis vaguely knew that King Morton was considering granting Princess Taya in marriage to Lis, and Little Taya seemed not to mind...


    In a sense, Lord Bivis had already started to regard Lis as a member of his own family.


    However, sincest year��s Sacrificial Festival, Lis, the Marquis, flourishing in fame, suddenly disappeared without a trace, sparking curiosity among many nobles.


    But due to the presence of Judgement me, it wasn��t the subject of idle gossip, rather there was spection that the young Marquis might have gone somewhere hidden to strengthen his skills.


    And Lord Bivis knew that Lis had gone to the Dillon Kingdom and even aplished something tremendously earth-shattering.


    But why would Lis appear here?


    Lord Bivis was somewhat puzzled, but he still stood up to greet Lis.


    "Lord Bivis, is this Marquis Kane... perhaps the disciple of Judgement me?"


    Seeing this, Duke Rame hurriedly rose and asked Lord Bivis. Enjoy exclusive content from NovelBin.C?m


    Duke Baird, reminded by Duke Rame, also reacted and simrly looked toward Lord Bivis.


    Both of them were barely able to advance to the Gold Level, their potential exhausted with no further opportunities to rise.


    But this did not change their respect for Legendary Strongmen.


    The fact that Marquis Lis Kain was taken as a disciple by Judgement me, though still a secret to the general public, was essential information for the two of them, top nobles of the Feis Kingdom.


    Honestly, the title of Marquis meant far less to Lis than the status of Legendary Disciple.


    And anyone slightly familiar with Judgement me knew that this mage was extremely selective, never sparing a nce for anyone who hadn��t attained Legendary Talent.


    So how impressive must Lis��s talent be to be chosen as a disciple?


    Duke Baird and Duke Rame didn��t know, but they were clear that Lis might very well be another Legendary Strongman in the future.


    If a Gold-level professional is still under the rules of the kingdom and nobility, a Legend has already reached another level.


    This is somewhat akin to leaping out of the conventional five elements!


    Unexpectedly, he hade to Boditch Kingdom, even right outside the military camp!


    To not seize the opportunity to meet this very likely future Legend and make friends would be a missed chance!


    "I��ve long heard of Marquis Kane��s great reputation, Lord Bivis, do you mind if the two of us wee him together?"


    Duke Baird stroked his beard and smiled at Lord Bivis.


    "Alright."


    Lord Bivis, evidently understanding the thoughts of the two Dukes, found this arrangement favorable for Lis as well, so he had no objections.


    ...


    At the castle gate,


    As the major base of the Feis Kingdom Army near Luminous Stone City, the castle was heavily guarded, elite soldiers d in armor patrolling every part of the castle.


    Judging by the Gold Lion emblems on their armor, these must be the soldiers of the Golden Lion Knights led by Lord Bivis.


    Lis nodded in acknowledgment, the morale evident from this disy forming a sharp contrast with the disheartened Boditch soldiers he had seen along the way.


    Lis and his twopanions traveled from the East Coast of Boditch Kingdom to the hearnd near Luminous Stone City, witnessing first-hand the war��s impact on Boditch Kingdom.


    Almost everywhere had begun descending into chaos, many people wearing faces of worry and unease, while the lowest peasants andborers disyed indifferent, numb expressions.


    Like the navy on the East Coast, the soldiers from various Noble Lords had been drawn away to Luminous Stone City, barely maintaining order in their territories, unable tobat thieves and Extraordinary Monsters outside the cities, only cooping up inside the cities hoping the war would soon pass.


    As for those cities directly controlled by the Royal Family, the situation was even worse, hardly managed and slipping into a state of uncontroble chaos.


    Helen stood quietly by Lis��s side, wearing a finely made ck Lolita-style dress, looking like a dainty and adorable porcin doll princess.


    Basel, dressed in a butler��s tuxedo, posed as the attendant of Lis and Helen, but the aura of lethargy he emitted made it evident that he was utterly disinterested in life.

 Chapter 367 - 340: I’ll Take Down Luminous Stone City!_2

    Basel said he was already starting to miss the good old days on the ship, where he could simply sunbathe and drink with Charles while bragging.


    But it was just a thought, for he had realized that nothing so unfortunate had happened to him since he started following Lis and Helen.


    He had grown so fond of the peaceful life over the past half year that he had already started to identify himself as an attendant.


    Shortly after the guard went in to announce their visit, Lis saw three figures walking toward him from the distant castle.


    As expected, it was Bevis at the forefront!


    Once Lis learned that themander of the Feis Kingdom Army this time was him, he chose not to enter Luminous Stone City but to meet Bevis directly.


    It was indeed necessary to have his support!


    "Lis, it��s been a long time!"


    "You...!"


    Bevis caught sight of Lis waiting at the gates of the castle, smiled, and hurried over, treating Lis as an equal rather than with the condescending attitude he had toward his juniors in the past.


    Bevis had wanted to exchange a few more pleasantries, but at that moment he suddenly realized something terrifying.


    This guy...


    Had reached Gold Level???


    Bevis, who had just approached Lis, found himself choking on his saliva, and the words he was about to say were stifled back.


    How was this possible?


    Bevis couldn��t believe it, but his Spiritual Sense told him that Lis was indeed exuding the unmistakable aura of the Golden Rank.


    Rubbing his eyes, Bevis confirmed it again and again.


    No mistake, standing before him was Lis Kain, undeniably real!


    By the God of Dawn!


    This was just too crazy!


    Bevis vividly remembered that when he first met Lis around July ofst year, he was still a bronze professional.


    Not even a year had passed since then!


    A bronze professional breaking through to Gold Level within a year?


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    Bevis had seen plenty of geniuses, being one himself; otherwise, he wouldn��t have been hailed as the number one warrior of the Feis Kingdom.


    But now, Lis had truly shocked him.


    Even Taya, with her top-tier Talent, had taken several years of grueling practice to break through to Gold Level.


    Could it be?


    A thought shed through Bevis��s mind.


    Perhaps Lis had been hiding his strength before, but back then Lis had already been taken as a disciple by the Lord of the Judgement me.


    That would exin why his perception had been wrong.


    It was perfectly normal for him not to notice anything if a Legendary Strongman was concealing Lis��s true capabilities.


    As for why that person had done so, that was beyond his guess.


    Bevis was stunned, and beside him, Duke Rame and Duke Baird also exchanged nces filled with astonishment.


    They were not aware that Lis was only a bronze professional this timest year, but even the intelligence they had received indicated that he was currently silver.


    And now, he was of the Gold Rank!


    Moreover, they both sensed an incredibly vigorous and formidable aura emanating from Lis, leading both to think that he was beyond their match.


    Marquis Kane seemed so young, yet he appeared to be much stronger than anticipated!


    "Ahem!"


    Bevis recovered himself and cleared his throat a few times to break the awkward silence.


    Why ponder so much��was this what a true genius looked like?


    If he were not a disciple of the Judgement me, Bevis would have doubted whether Lis was the Divine Son of a legend.


    With a sigh in his heart, Bevis smiled at Lis and said:


    "Haha, Marquis Kane, what brings you here? You didn��t say a word in advance, I didn��t receive any news!"


    After a brief pause, with a meaningful tone, Bevis added:


    "His Majesty the King has mentioned to me that you caused quite a stir in the north, Marquis Kane. Now, His Majesty won��t have to worry about the threats from the north."


    "Perhaps upon your return to Bright City, your title might need to change once again."


    The two Dukes at his side were somewhat surprised by his words.


    Whatever it was that made Bevis speak so suggests it was no falsehood��he wouldn��t dare imply the King��s intentions without basis.


    The north...


    Could it be?


    Lis was well aware of what Bevis was referring to; it seemed the turmoil in Ice Peak City of the Dillon Kingdom had already been smoothlymunicated to Bright City.


    @@novelbin@@


    Good, it hadn��t been in vain all the effort he��d expended.


    Lis didn��t allow pride to swell but humbly replied:


    "Bevis, you tter me. It was nothing but a fortunate coincidence. I had not anticipated so much happening, and it even rmed my teacher."


    Lis hadn��t hidden his strength just now, revealing some information to Bevis and the others precisely to rify his stance andy the groundwork for future ns.


    The Lord of the Judgement me went too?


    Bevis was taken aback; the waters of Ice Peak City were indeed deep!


    With that thought passing through his mind, Bevis introduced the two individuals beside him to Lis.


    "This is Duke Rame, and this is Duke Baird. During this war, they fought against those Bodici Nobles, forcing them to flee in a most pitiful and disheveled state."


    Lis had of course noticed the presence of the two Dukes; he was quite familiar with them from his previous life.


    After all, in the previous two editions�� main storylines, these two Great Nobles, active on the front lines, were well-known important NPCs to the yers.


    Duke Rame appeared quite young, about forty years old, and though he wore bright silver Armor, he came across as a charming and elegant gentleman.


    Duke Baird looked significantly older, his temples tinged with gray and his goatee neatly trimmed, dressed in an exquisitely tailored brown and grey Noble outfit, his face bearing a gentle smile.

 Chapter 368 - 340: I’m Taking Down Luminous Stone City!_3

    But Lis knew that this was a quite formidable and hot-tempered warrior, often leading his troops in the charge herself.


    "Good morning to both Dukes, it��s an honor to meet you here, I��ve long admired you both,"


    Lis said with a smile, slightly bowing to show respect.


    These two border Dukes were actually Yatean��s aplices, jointly plotting the invasion of the Boditch Kingdom.


    But Lis did not particrly hold a grudge against them, as the matters of Bright City were Yatean��s ns, which had little to do with these two.


    "I had long heard that our dear Marquis Kane is gifted and aplished, and seeing you today proves there��s not a bit of falsehood!"


    Duke Rame said with a smile, pping his hands.


    "Indeed, it makes us feel quite elderly, haha!"


    Duke Baird also said, shaking his head with a sentimental expression.


    The four exchangedpliments for a few moments, very tactfully avoiding any mention of Lis��s strength and "Judgement me," growing much more intimate in their address. Continue reading stories on NovelBin.C?m


    Soon, the group headed inside at Bevis��s reminder.


    Without evasion, Bevis directly led Lis to the core room used forbatmand.


    Pointing to the Magic Map on the table, Bevis said to Lis with a smile:


    "Lis, if I��m not mistaken, you came specifically for the battle at Luminous Stone City?"


    Lis looked at the Magic Map on the table, which faintly glowed with Magic Light and clearly disyed the surrounding terrain, distances, and army deployments. He nodded and said:


    "Indeed, I traveled across the East Sea from Dillon Kingdom to the Bodichi East Coast and was nning on heading straight back to Bright City. But when I heard there was a deadlock here, I decided toe and see."


    Lis spoke easily and casually, and the others did not mind.


    @@novelbin@@


    If anyone had concerns before the war started, the subsequent performance proved that the Boditch Kingdom was quite ineffective.


    It was just a paper tiger, easily toppled with a single push.


    Now, what limited them was rather the slow pace of the Feis Kingdom itself in annexing and upyingnd.


    It wasn��t until Luminous Stone City that they encountered a real challenge, but this was also the Boditch Kingdom��sst struggle and resistance.


    "Oh? Lis, do you have any ideas about the current situation?"


    Duke Rame asked, as they had also been troubled about this matter.


    Lis pointed to the location of the Boditch Army on the map and said solemnly:


    "They have now gathered over two hundred thousand troops here, but except for a very few elite units, most are ordinary soldiers without much training."


    "I��ve observed that their morale is very low, which means they can handle winning engagements, but a setback is likely to cause a morale copse."


    Hearing Lis��s words, the other three nodded.


    "We��re aware of that, but now Boditch has also noticed this problem and has stopped using nking tactics against us, instead defending directly upfront, attacking us with theirrge forces as the core,"


    Duke Rame pointed to therge in between Luminous Stone City and their own location, where the previous battles had urred.


    "Boditch has smartened up, not all of them are fools!"


    Duke Baird chuckled, his face showing a hint of mockery.


    "I know, so a surprise attack from the rear would easily disrupt their formation."


    Lis stated with certainty, but Bevis frowned.


    "Of course we��ve thought of that,"


    Bevis, feeling that Lis might not have experienced this type ofrge-scale battle, reminded him kindly:


    "They��ve noticed this problem, so they have Transcendent Professionals roaming this entire area."


    "Among them, there are many arrays set up by Mages for alerts."


    "Even if we deploy assassin squads, they couldn��t silently break through."


    "Even Space Transmission won��t work, as it would be detected, too far makes it meaningless as they have time to react."


    Bevis cautioned, knowing about the feats Lis had achieved using Space Transmission in Ice Peak City.


    Such tactics depended on catching the opponent off-guard, breaking their will to fight.


    Sometimes, catching ten thousand pigs could be harder than defeating ten thousand soldiers.


    "Naturally, I know,"


    Lis replied with a nod and a smile, clearly aware of these circumstances.


    "Then..."


    Seeing this, curiosity rose in Bevis and the others.


    To them, as a Legendary Disciple, Lis surely wouldn��t aim without a n, and it seemed he was quite confident.


    "I can still muster the manpower, just need you to coordinate with me when the timees!"


    "This time, I��ll take Luminous Stone City!"


    Lis said with a confident smile.


    After all, he couldmand that unruly bunch of yers!

 Chapter 369 - 341 The Chaos of Luminous Stone City

    In Luminous Stone City,


    Lis, d in a ck cloak from head to toe, walked along a secluded path in Luminous Stone City.


    Although the Boditch Kingdom��s defenses around Luminous Stone City were extremely tight at the moment, Lis had easily infiltrated the city.


    The Royal Mage Corps had set up arrays that disrupted space transmission, preventing Lis from teleportingrge forces from Feis Kingdom into Luminous Stone City, but it was still no problem for one person.


    After breaking through to the Golden Rank, Lis found that his control power over Magic Power and various Magic Elements had greatly improved. Many operations that were previously impossible or barely manageable had now be much easier for him.


    Lis chose to travel by carriage from the East Coast to Luminous Stone City so that he would have enough time to familiarize himself with and master the new powers he had acquired.


    Unlike other Professionals, Lis not only improved his Mage abilities but also made leapfrogging progress in other professional skills, requiring more time for integration and mastery.


    However, by now, he had more or less achieved this.


    As he strolled through the streets of Luminous Stone City, Lis took in the sights of the capital of the Boditch Kingdom.


    As the oldest city in the Boditch Kingdom��s history, most of Luminous Stone City��s buildings were made of stone sourced from the nearby Luminous Stone Mountain. This stone, with its hint of gold, was greatly favored by the Boditch Royal Family, giving the city a golden glow in the sunlight that could even seem somewhat holy from a distance.


    Yet outward opulence couldn��t cover the ckness and filth in the shadows; below the hedonistic lives of the upper-ss Noblesy the oppressive and exploitative existence endured by themon people.


    Especially since the outbreak of war with Feis Kingdom, as the front lines continued to fall back to the point where the mes of war had reached the outskirts of Luminous Stone City, adding a touch of madness and impatience to the city��s atmosphere.


    During his walk, Lis saw that the Noble District still maintained an apparent peace, but themoners�� district was near the brink of utter chaos.


    The King and the Nobles directed soldiers to wantonly carry out their will in themoners�� district. They dared not provoke those with Extraordinary professions, but for ordinary people, it was a disaster.


    Their food was confiscated, and adult men were taken away to serve in the servant army, tasked with transporting materials and building fortifications for the front lines, and sometimes they were simply wasted as cannon fodder on the battlefield.


    Some of the Nobles were well aware that the Boditch Kingdom��s demise was inevitable and were preparing their escape routes, but many smaller Nobles had plunged into a final frenzy,vishing and enjoying thesest moments of splendor.


    If this was the case above, then how could the soldiers in the army maintain strict discipline? The darkness in human nature had no bounds at this moment, and every day atrocities beyond description were happening in the Lower City District.


    "This really sucks!"


    [Invincible Scoundrel] mmed his cup on the table, venting his dissatisfaction and anger.


    This was the mercenary tavern in Luminous Stone City; since most of the mercenaries were Extraordinary Professionals, the kingdom��s army did not vite this ce, which remained the same as before the war.


    At the same time, the Boditch Royal Family finally stopped being miserly, generously offeringrge bounties to entrust mercenaries with joining the battle on the front lines, carrying out various tasks such as reconnaissance and behind-the-lines sabotage.


    @@novelbin@@


    With Experience Points and Gold Coins rewarding these tasks rather handsomely, a number of yers also joined in.


    Half a year had passed since the "Divine Revtion" gameunched, and as time progressed, the game��s poprity did not drop but kept climbing. Find exclusive stories on NovelBin.C?m


    The quality of other games on the market was simply not on par with "Divine Revtion," leading to a continuous flow of yers leaving other games, with more and more bing Divine Revtion People.


    As the main storyline 1.0 wasing to an end, some yers had already reached the Level cap of 30.


    However, this didn��t mean that "Divine Revtion" had lost its appeal. Its high degree of freedom offered yers countless choices, and there was no worry about getting bored with the game.


    [Invincible Scoundrel] was not a yer from theunch of the "Divine Revtion" game. He came in with the second wave of yers, but having achieved financial freedom, he fully exploited the spirit of the "007" hardcore gamer, not only reaching Level 30 but also grinding out a set of Bronze Level Equipment and impressive skills that made him somewhat famous among the yers in Luminous Stone City.


    "What��s wrong with you again, Lao Jian?"


    Sitting opposite [Invincible Scoundrel] was a tall warrior named [Shrimp and Turnip Stew], who was cleaning his Longsword and nced at him as he spoke.


    "What else could it be? Just had to draw my sword to fight injustice again, right?"


    The Hunter [Lonely for Drunkenness] said with a chuckle, pouring ale into his mouth.


    "This game is just too awesome. The quality of the drinks is average, but the taste is just like the real thing. If you drink too much, only your character can��t move; it doesn��t affect real life at all!"


    "Is that the reason your wife agreed to let you y?"


    [Shrimp and Turnip Stew] teased him, knowing well in real life the three of them were friends and that [Lonely for Drunkenness] was a "wife-loving" good man.


    "Just kidding, I��m scared of her! Do I need her permission to y a man��s game?"


    [Lonely for Drunkenness] scoffed with disdain, indicating that was not the case at all.


    "Yes, yes, yes, I��ve recorded that!"


    [Shrimp and Turnip Stew] nodded vigorously, expressing his wholehearted agreement.

 Chapter 370 - 341: Chaos at Luminous Stone City_2

    [Lonely for Drunkenness] shuddered at the words and, after a moment��s hesitation, still managed to hold on to hisst bit of stubbornness.


    Indeed, when there��s no danger, one must be cautious of the danger from brothers!


    "Don��t you guys think that the Boditch Kingdom ispletely rotten?"


    "Those soldiers are utterlywless, XXX is what they��re capable of."


    "I couldn��t stand it, so I went up and smashed that guy��s XX!"


    [Invincible Scoundrel] said somberly, seemingly unsatisfied.


    "Cut it out. If I hadn��t pulled you away in time, we would have been surrounded by those soldiers."


    "Soldiers are nothing to worry about, but those squad leaders count as elite NPCs, and we can��t beat them."


    [Shrimp and Turnip Stew] waved his hand dismissively and then turned to [Invincible Scoundrel] and said:


    "Have you started to treat this as reality? It��s just a game, think of it as a cutscene."


    "But it��s too real, I really can��t stand it..."


    [Invincible Scoundrel] sighed and rubbed his head.


    "Indeed..."


    [Lonely for Drunkenness] nodded, saying thoughtfully:


    "Not just you, Lao Jian, I feel awful too. What��s the point of the gamepany making it this realistic, won��t it get banned?"


    "Who knows, such a bigpany."


    [Shrimp and Turnip Stew] sheathed his cleaned longsword and chewed on the fried fish he had tossed into his mouth.


    "If all else fails, let��s take out some of those soldiers and vent a bit!"


    "It��s just a game, why y it in such a stifled way."


    "Have fun, if the equipment explodes, so be it. We��ll be getting new equipment in the next version anyway!"


    "Oh ho!"


    [Invincible Scoundrel] looked at [Shrimp and Turnip Stew] who had made the suggestion with surprise, pped the table, and said:


    "I never thought our strategist couldn��t hold back either, so you can��t stand it anymore, huh? And you were telling me off before?"


    [Shrimp and Turnip Stew] shrugged his shoulders, unfazed by his friend��s teasing.


    "So, what do you say, shall we make a big move?"


    [Lonely for Drunkenness] perked up.


    He was interested in this!


    Grinding levels, crafting equipment, wasn��t it all to cause more trouble?


    "In my opinion, we should..."


    As [Shrimp and Turnip Stew] was about to n meticulously, a figure in a ck cloak appeared at the center of the Mercenary Tavern, his face seemingly veiled in ayer of grey mist, indistinct.


    His voice was low, yet it reached the ears of everyone distinctly:


    "I have amission, wondering if you might be interested."


    [Invincible Scoundrel] and his twopanions curiously looked over at this mysterious person.


    The servant of the Mercenary Tavern was about toe over and stop this uninvited guest, as this did not conform to the Mercenary Guild��s procedure formissioning tasks.


    But just at that moment, an overwhelming aura of authority emanated from the figure in the ck cloak, sweeping across the entire tavern.


    The servant who wanted to intervene was suddenly frozen in ce, and if one looked closely, one could notice his trembling body and the wetness spreading on his trousers.


    Gold Level?


    Many present realized the strength of the figure standing in the center, but due to the war, there were no Gold-level professionals stationed at the Mercenary Guild, leaving the cloaked figure unencumbered in his actions.


    "Themission is this, make this city even more chaotic."


    "The payment... will be settledter!"


    The cloaked figure chuckled softly, unconcerned with the servant who had copsed behind him, pushed the door open, and walked out of the Mercenary Tavern.


    Until the cloaked figure vanished, the tavern remained silent, the sudden events leaving many unable to react.


    What just happened?


    Stay tuned to NovelBin.C?m


    @@novelbin@@


    What was that strange Gold-level powerhouse doing, saying to make Luminous Stone City even more chaotic?


    Must be joking, right?


    While the surrounding mercenaries were confused and the servant was picking himself up to quickly send word, [Invincible Scoundrel] and his two friends were excited.


    Because of the new system popup that had appeared in front of the three of them.


    -----------------


    [Silver Level Quest: Let��s Stir Up Luminous Stone City!]


    [Quest Requirements: By any means necessary, disrupt the order of Luminous Stone City!]


    [Quest Reward: Experience Points 10000 (will increase based on the degree ofpletion!)]


    [Note: This is a necessary sacrifice before dawn! �� Lis Kain]


    -----------------


    A new quest!


    And it��s a Silver Level quest, too!


    [Invincible Scoundrel] and his two friends exchanged nces, a hint of surprise in their eyes.


    "Let��s go!"


    [Shrimp and Turnip Stew] got up quickly and waved to [Invincible Scoundrel] and [Lonely for Drunkenness].


    Although the two didn��t understand why Turnip was so excited, they followed him out of brotherly trust.


    "What��s up, isn��t this perfect? We just took on a task that��s exactly what we were nning to do, right?"


    [Invincible Scoundrel], running along, asked curiously.


    In his view, this was like serendipity, why not n it out right away!


    "Didn��t you see the name in the mission information?"


    [Shrimp and Turnip Stew] said without turning back.


    "...Lis Kain, that name sounds familiar. What about it?"


    [Invincible Scoundrel] pulled up the system panel to check.


    "At the start of the server, that noble from the Feis Kingdom."


    [Shrimp and Turnip Stew] prompted, and then both of them remembered.


    "I remember now, that important NPC with the Legendary Talent!"


    [Invincible Scoundrel] realized, speaking with a touch of excitement.


    "I remember after that, we haven��t heard any news about him. Are you sure it��s him?"

 Chapter 371 - 341 Luminous Stone City in Chaos_3

    [Lonely for Drunkenness] thought for a moment and said,


    Lis Kain, that name was quite famous when the game firstunched.


    Because at that time, the yers on the Fanor Continent located in the Feis Kingdom had the best gaming environment.


    Thanks to the existence of the White Dove Chamber of Commerce, the progress of yers in the entire Bright City andter within the Feis Kingdom was far ahead of yers from other regions.


    This made yers from other ces very envious, and some even reported to the "Divine Revtion" gamepany, demanding the same treatment.


    But there was no response in the end.


    @@novelbin@@


    Later events like the [Blood Sacrifice Chaos], [Sacrificial Festival Assassination], and a series of other incidents were the first time yers personally experienced those major events. Videos circted on yer forums excited other yers immensely, making them wish they could grow wings and fly to Bright City.


    Lis Kain was a central figure in those events, and at the time many spected whether this NPC might be an important protagonist of the main storyline.


    However,ter on, news about this NPC faded away, and as more significant events urred in other regions, the poprity of Lis Kain gradually dissipated.


    "Look at the refreshed information on the system panel; the user of that Golden Rank [Majestic Aura] effect we just experienced was this Lis Kain,"


    Experience exclusive tales on NovelBin.C?m


    [Shrimp and Turnip Stew] said, his eyes searching around for that figure they had just seen.


    Spotting a ck cloak shing past a corner in the distance, he hurriedly gave chase.


    "I remember that at that time, wasn��t this Lis only at the Silver Level? How did he be Gold?"


    [Invincible Scoundrel] was somewhat puzzled.


    "Who cares, he��s a main character, right? He doesn��t need to level up slowly like us!"


    [Lonely for Drunkenness] said, realizing why Turnip wanted to chase after him.


    "This is an important character, and isn��t the Feis Kingdom currently at war with Bodich?"


    [Shrimp and Turnip Stew] said excitedly,


    "Why would a noble of the Feis Kingdome to Luminous Stone City at this time? The Feis army is just outside the city not too far away."


    "The key point is, he had us stir up trouble in Luminous Stone City, definitely here for the war!"


    Upon hearing this, [Invincible Scoundrel] also came to a realization.


    "So, catching up with him might lead to some special storyline or quest?"


    "Of course, haven��t you seen those guides on the gaming forums? We can��t miss out on such a good opportunity!"


    With that, the three of them quickened their pace.


    ...


    Lis walked slowly through the quiet alley, naturally noticing the footsteps of those catching up behind him.


    A slight smirk formed on his lips; as expected, these yers couldn��t help but follow him.


    Lis had no other intention, though themotion was a bit loud, and it might draw Bodich��s attention, it would be just that, attention.


    They didn��t know his true identity, at most they would be somewhat cautious.


    The assignment in the Mercenary Tavern was just a ruse; Lis��s target wasn��t the local people of Bodich.


    yers were different, they could obtain information about him through the system panel from thebat encounters, and curious yers would naturally follow him.


    This time, the number of yer hands Lis needed was not something a few could handle; he had to mobilize thousands of yers in and around Luminous Stone City.


    It wasn��t practical to find them one by one, but if they were to actively spread the task, it would be much easier.


    Lis stopped, turned around, and looked at the [Invincible Scoundrel] and the others who had caught up.


    Good, time to bluff!

 Chapter 372 - 342: Gold-level Series Task

    "Who are you, and why are you following me?"


    Just as [Invincible Scoundrel]��s trio were speeding down the main road, suddenly a figure appeared before them.


    It was the same person who had appeared in the Mercenary Tavern!


    This figure stood there calmly, with not the slightest hint of agitation, as if he was not the one who had just issued amission hostile to the Boditch Kingdom in the tavern.


    This person was either a fool or he was utterly confident, showing no concern for being pursued by the official forces of the Boditch Kingdom.


    Clearly, Lis Kain before them must be thetter type.


    The trio of Invincible Scoundrel exchanged nces, then Radish stepped forward and, with his left hand on his chest, bowed respectfully to the man in ck, saying:


    @@novelbin@@


    "Esteemed sir, we heard about yourmission back in the Mercenary Tavern and are very interested."


    "We can��t stand the corrupt nobles andwless soldiers of the Boditch Kingdom anymore. Could we be of any help to you?"


    As the decision-maker among the trio, [Shrimp and Turnip Stew] loved to delve into gaming intelligence and uncover hidden plots.


    If everything had been normal, the three of them would have just taken on the task and gone on toplete it.


    After all, it was already a Silver-level task, which was quite rare among yers who were still of Bronze-level.


    But Shrimp was not content. Born in a ce like Boditch where social stratification was oppressive, encountering an important NPC like Lis, he was determined to try and unlock new storylines.


    In his view, there was a high likelihood for this. After all, Lis hade to Luminous Stone City and issued such a strangemission; there must be a grand n underway.


    It was easy to guess that the Feis Kingdom��s army was still camped outside the city!


    Lis must havee to Luminous Stone City because the Feis Kingdom thought they had been deadlocked here for too long and didn��t want to drag it out any further, which was why they sent Lis over.


    So, what was he nning, to copse Luminous Stone City?


    Lis looked at the three yers before him, with [Invincible Scoundrel], [Lonely for Drunkenness], and [Shrimp and Turnip Stew] floating above their heads, as if he had no recollection of them in his memory.


    Which was normal, since in the "Divine Revtion" game there were so many yers that he could at most remember the names of some pro gamers and gaming celebrities.


    However, since they chose to follow up, they definitely must be yers who enjoy exploring game plots.


    Most importantly, these yers were troublemakers!


    And that��s exactly what Lis needed!


    Since the game server opened, yers had entered this world for more than half a year already.


    But in this world, the human kingdoms didn��t have aprehensive household registration system like the modern society of the previous life; most kingdoms and nobles managed things rather loosely, and since the yers�� strengths were still quite low, their presence hadn��t been noticed by the kingdoms and the Church of the Gods yet.


    Which provided opportunities for sneaky tactics.


    "Oh?"


    Lis, disguised as the man in the ck robe, looked up at the three of them with interest and said:


    "I never expected that you would be so proactive?"


    "Of course, as a member of the Boditch Kingdom, I am deeply distressed by these developments and want to make a change, even if it costs my life!"


    Seeing this, Radish immediately affirmed their stance; after all, using a few extra resurrection opportunities wasn��t an issue, especially if it meant triggering a hidden mission and earning it all back. Enjoy new adventures at NovelBin.C?m


    Invincible and Seeking Intoxication nodded alongside, puffing out their chests to show they were patriotic youths of the Boditch Kingdom, ready to sacrifice themselves for their country.


    They all knew Lis��s true identity, but at the moment, they pretended not to.


    Lis looked at the three buffoons before him and nodded.


    If it had been someone else, they might have been fooled by the trio��s seemingly righteous appearance.


    But for Lis, a veteran gamer, that was far from sufficient; he knew these guys werewless.


    "I do have other ns, but..."


    The man in the ck robe looked at Radish��s trio, shook his head, and said:


    "Your strength is too low, and there��s only three of you, not very helpful, are you?"


    This...


    There is indeed a hidden mission!


    Is it just that we haven��t met the requirements for triggering the hidden mission yet?


    Hearing what the man in the ck robe said, Radish��s brain started working at full speed.


    "Divine Revtion" was different from other games in that it felt like a real world, with all its NPCs behaving like living people.


    As a result, yers�� methods and attitudes during interactions could potentially affect the triggering of subsequent missions.


    This was discovered by yers after the game first opened.


    The game officials imed this was due to their breakthrough development of an AI system, capable of fully simting the characters�� statuses.


    Because of this, learning how to bettermunicate with the NPCs in the game had be a method studied and even enjoyed by many yers.


    Some yers even studied thenguage of this world!


    Radish belonged to this category of yers, and he quickly noticed the information Lis had revealed in his words.


    You either need sufficient strength, or you need enough people!


    There might be two hidden missions, the first requiring enough strength.


    But since the three of them had already been rejected, the strength level of 30 wasn��t sufficient to meet the requirements for triggering the hidden mission.


    Then there was nothing to be done, as that was the current level cap.

 Chapter 373 - 342: Gold-level Series Task_2

    So the second task requires a sufficient number of hands!


    Speaking of this, that really gets me excited!


    We yers mayck other things, but we definitely don��t need to worry about numbers.


    "Please don��t worry, although there are just three of us now, there are many friends who share the same thoughts as we do, and their strengths are pretty simr. I can quickly gather them all!"


    "It��s about a few hundred people!"


    @@novelbin@@


    Carrot thought for a moment before announcing a figure.


    If it really is a task requiring numbers, as long as the reward is generous, he��s quite confident in organizing other yers to join.


    "I see..."


    Watching the robed figure pondering, Carrot also felt a little nervous.


    Just imagine how thrilling it would be to take part in major plot events like the battle for Luminous Stone City!


    Lis feigned silence for a moment before nodding and saying:


    "I do have a matter for which I��m quite short-handed..."


    "If that��s the case, that works."


    "I need people to help assault Boditch Kingdom��s barracks, to seize an opportunity for the Feis Kingdom Army��s attack."


    The figure in the cloak paused before speaking in a grave tone:


    "I won��t hide from you, I am from the Feis Kingdom, and my purpose here is to liberate this ce!"


    "Luminous Stone City can no longer drag on, the civilians here can��t hold out any longer."


    "And those fallen Boditch Royal Family and Nobles, I shall bury them thoroughly!"


    The three listened carefully to Lis��s words, their hearts secretly stirred.


    Holy cow! That sounds so damn impressive!


    This Boditch Kingdom is doomed!


    "This mission is very dangerous, you might even risk your lives. Have you made your decision?"


    The cloaked figure spoke gravely, as if concerned for the yers�� safety.


    "Rest assured, for our homnd, we are willing to give everything!"


    Carrot and his twopanions said immediately, looking as though they were ready to nobly sacrifice themselves at a moment��s notice.


    It��s just a life, isn��t it?


    If we yers have anything, it��s extra lives!


    Seemingly moved by the determination of Carrot and the others, the figure nodded and said:


    "Since you are already prepared, I won��t say more. I need to ask this of you..."


    As Lis finished speaking, new system information appeared before the trio.


    -----------------


    [Gold-level Series Task (First Ring): Star Fire]


    [Task Requirement: Gather more like-minded people and join the great cause of liberating Luminous Stone City.


    This task can be shared. Completion condition: The number of people taking this task exceeds 500.]


    [Task Reward: Experience Points 50,000, opens up the next stage of the task]


    [Note: This is the necessary sacrifice before dawn! ���� Lis Kain]


    ...


    [Gold-level Series Task (Third Ring [Special]): The Downfall of the Boditch Royal Family]


    [Designated Exclusive Task for yers: Invincible Scoundrel, Lonely for Drunkenness, Shrimp and Turnip Stew]


    [Task Start Condition: Automatically unlocks afterpleting Gold-level Series Tasks one and two]


    -----------------


    Looking at the newly refreshed information on the system panel, the trio��s eyes widened.


    Gold-level Series Task!


    This was the highest-level task they had ever encountered, and even on yer forums, they hadn��t heard of anyone else receiving it.


    And this third ring, it seems to be an exclusive special task just for the three of them, probably a reward for triggering a hidden plot.


    "I��ve prepared some things for you, once you have enough people go there!"


    The figure in the cloak said gravely, nodding at Carrot and his friends, then vanished on the spot.


    "Huh?"


    Surprised by Lis��s special method of departure, the trio was taken aback, but they didn��t give it too much thought.


    For Gold-level big shots like him, it��s normal to leave in a cool way.


    "Hey, hey, we hit the jackpot, this task looks awesome!"


    Invincible Scoundrel eximed with a face full of surprise, clicking his tongue in wonder.


    "Of course! You think just anyone can trigger it?" Discover hidden stories at NovelBin.C?m


    Carrot held his head up proudly, nonchntly flipping his hair.


    "You��re awesome, you��re awesome!"


    The other two, who usually don��t admit to anyone��s superiority, didn��t care as they focused entirely on the task at hand.


    "So how do we do this? We need 500 people for the second ring, you know!"


    After rejoicing momentarily, Seeking Intoxication pointed to the task panel and said.


    "There are over a thousand yers in Luminous Stone City, what��s that to us?"


    Carrot waved his hand nonchntly and then continued:


    "This task is likely meant for us to share it with more yers, to get them involved in this mission."


    "When we share it with others, they should be able to share it, too. So, we just need to spread the word a few times."


    "Okay then, I��ll go find people!"


    Invincible Scoundrel dered, ready to spring into action.


    "Alright, let��s divide the work!"


    Carrot, the decision-maker of the trio, nodded and said:


    "Invincible, you go straight to the people we know, get the word out about this task."


    "Seeking Intoxication, you head home and log off, spread the news in the Boditch and Luminous Stone City chat groups, and direct those interested in the task to us."


    "I��ll make a post in the yer forums and then wait at the Mercenary Tavern for people toe to me for the task."


    "Got it!"


    The trio, freshly tasked with a Gold-level quest, were full of zeal and immediately set into motion.


    ...


    In mid-air, Lis, cloaked in Invisibility and Flying Techniques, looked down at the three splitting up below, nodding in satisfaction.


    With his spell-amplified hearing, he naturally caught every word of the yers�� conversation.


    Indeed, these yers were doing just as he had nned, immediately spreading the news.

 Chapter 374 - 342: Gold-level Series Task_3

    As a former yer himself, Lis was very aware of the yers�� conduct and was not worried at all that they would tell the Boditch Royal Family about this information.


    It was a joke��this was a Gold-level task, the only one since the game had beenunched. How could they possibly give up this opportunity!


    Moreover, now that Lis had advanced to the Gold level, the experience points he could offer were already quite substantial, and even those unorthodox yers wouldn��t pass up the experience points right in front of them.


    Lis noticed that the yer with the names [Invincible Scoundrel] and [Shrimp and Turnip Stew] had left, but the one named [Lonely for Drunkenness] had simply leaned against the wall and copsed.


    "Is this... logging out on the spot?"


    Lis looked at him, growing interested.


    In "Divine Revtion," yers�� bodies didn��t disappear after they logged out; they truly existed in this world, which is why yers needed to build a home to preserve their logged-out state bodies.


    This person must have been in a hurry to log out to spread the news, but there wasn��t much of a problem for such a short duration. It just looked like a mercenary who��d drunkenly fallen asleep on the spot, at most, someone might swipe his belongings.


    After a moment��s thought, Lis descended from the air and used a spell to conceal both himself and [Lonely for Drunkenness].


    He had always been curious about why yers appeared in this world, because he could affirm that he and this world truly existed, rather than as just a segment of code.


    The existence of yers was quite peculiar. Back in Bright City, he had studied this, but at that time he was only at the Silver Level, and nothing special had happened.


    The yers�� bodies were no different from normal people.


    Now that Lis had advanced to the Gold Rank, it was a good opportunity to probe the situation of the yers.


    Lis didn��t check the yer��s body again; based on past experience, he felt the problem wasn��t with this body.


    Since yers could respawn, it meant their bodies were reproducible, only it was unclear by whose craftsmanship.


    The deities seated in the Temple of the Gods?


    Even gods with strong divine powers couldn��t do this!


    @@novelbin@@


    You see, the number of yers was quite formidable, and most importantly, yers could be priests of different gods.


    If some deity was behind this, then why go through such trouble? They might as well have justpelled these yers to be their followers and provide them with the power of faith.


    The power of faith from millions of Extraordinary Professionals, even if each was small, would still make the strongest deity, surely.


    But in Lis��s memories from his previous life, there was no deity potentially linked to the origin of yers.


    You see, by the time yers had broken through to the Gold Level, they had already be a very important force in Gaia World. Even so, no deity took any special actions, and the reactions of the Church of the Gods were mostly the same��mainly focused on attraction.


    As Lis examined the status of [Lonely for Drunkenness], he pondered.


    Soon, Lis slightly furrowed his brow.


    He hadn��t found anything, but he could feel the state of this yer, even his soul appeared unproblematic, as calm as if he truly had just fallen asleep.


    After a moment of thought, a colorful dreamy light shed in Lis��s eyes.


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    [Sphinx Dream Building Skill]!


    Since breaking through to the Gold Level, Lis could clearly feel his significantly enhanced control over various abilities.


    His control over the Power of Dreams was the same; he could now observe scenes within the Dream World without having to enter it himself.


    Of course, many other maniptions still required entering the Dream World.


    In Lis��s eyes, the city before him suddenly blurred with a veil of fog, obscurely mirroring the location in the Dream World.


    The boundaries of space and time began to blur, with specks of Dream Space appearing before his eyes.


    Lis looked at the position corresponding to [Lonely for Drunkenness], and then he was taken aback.


    The area where the Dream Space should have been was nowpletely empty!

 Chapter 375 - 343 Wendell’s Determination

    Lis frowned as he looked at the "Lonely for Drunkenness" before him.


    This was a situation he had not anticipated.


    He had considered the possibility that there were no yer dream spaces in the Dream World.


    After all, the yers all came from another world, and their "sleep" was essentially logging off; it was possible for them not to have dream spaces.


    But what Lis hadn��t expected was that he couldn��t find a corresponding anchoring point for the soul of the yer in front of him in the Dream World!


    ording to the "Sphinx Dream Building Skill," all living beings�� souls should have a corresponding projection coordinate in the Dream World, which is where their dream space would be located.


    As long as a creature has a soul, it must have an anchoring point.


    When they enter into slumber, their dream space would appear at the corresponding location in the Dream World.


    After breaking through to the Golden Rank, Lis was already able to observe these anchoring points in the Dream World, and he had tested this out before.


    However, this time he did not find the anchoring point for "Lonely for Drunkenness," not a single trace of it.


    In other words, there was no projection of their souls in the Dream World.


    This was somewhat unexpected for Lis.


    What exactly was the reason?


    Was it because of the special nature of the yers�� souls, or was it because they...cked souls?


    Yet within them, Lis could sense the presence of their souls.


    As far as Lis knew, spells rted to souls should also normally take effect on yers.


    ...


    After trying for a while, Lis gave up.


    The yers�� current status seemed to him like a fully functionalputer.


    It operated just like any otherputer, and there appeared to be nothing abnormal on the surface.


    But Lis knew that this was not like a normalputer; there must be something wrong inside.


    Who knows if the insides consisted of normal circuits and chips, or if a mass of twisted, insane tentacles would jump out?


    It was just that with his current abilities, Lis was not yet able to open the casing of thisputer. Stay connected via NovelBin.C?m


    Out of helplessness, Lis could only temporarily abandon the idea of exploring the yers and swiftly left.


    He still had many things to do, such as preparing a little surprise for the yers to send to the Boditch Kingdom.


    ...


    In the depths of Boditch Royal Pce, within a hidden Magic Workshop buried underground.


    This ce was not at all like a normal Magic Workshop, cluttered with various high-end experimental apparatuses; instead, there were neatly arranged dark brown wooden bookshelves filled with all sorts of books, with the faint scent of incense permeating the air, making it look more like a private study of an old schr.


    Upon closer inspection, one could see faint Magic Light flickering over each book, undoubtedly signifying that these were Magic Books imbued with magic power.


    In the center of the workshop stood a spacious wooden desk, cluttered with stacks of drafts covered in handwriting, and ink-soaked quill pens haphazardly pressed down on the papers.


    "Master Wendell, everyone in the Mage Group is feeling somewhat uneasy," a middle-aged man dressed in a golden Mage Robe said, standing in the middle of the workshop and speaking respectfully to the elder who was sitting at the desk.


    "Hmm."


    A faint, aged voice sounded, but the middle-aged man waited a long time without receiving any further response.


    The secretive location once again seemed to fall into silence.


    After biting his lip, the middle-aged man, Pedy, seemed to make up his mind and said:


    "Master, the Boditch Kingdom is beyond saving now; Master Hade and the others have already started preparing in secret. You wouldn��t..."


    "Enough, Pedy."


    The gentle voice rose again, calm words with no trace of any other emotions.


    Pedy immediately stopped speaking, standing respectfully in front of the old man with his head bowed, a habit he had cultivated since childhood.


    Of course, he didn��t mind; in his heart, Wendell was his most beloved teacher, revered as much as a father.


    A simple, unadorned gray cotton robe draped over the elder��s thin and frail frame, but no one in Luminous Stone City dared underestimate this Great Mage renowned for a long time.


    As the leader of the Boditch Royal Mage Group, Wendell had been in this position for a long time.


    Most mages in the Royal Mage Group had been taught by Wendell; his wide knowledge, kindness, care for his subordinates, and his noble conduct, despiteing from a Boditch Kingdom Nobles�� family, won him respect without stooping to the level of those degenerate types.


    However, this was only among the mages; to the Bodici Nobles, Wendell was rather irksome.


    If everyone were equally mediocre, it wouldn��t matter, but Wendell stood out like a lotus blooming out of the mud, highlighting their ipetence and foolishness.


    But no one would admit to this.


    Also, due to Wendell��s high status and great strength, even King Bodich, though dim-witted, held him in high regard, and no one dared to be disrespectful in his presence.


    @@novelbin@@


    "I understand all that you have said..."


    Wendell slowly stood up from his chair and looked at Pedy kindly, saying:


    "Or rather, all this has happened with my tacit approval."


    "Master, you?"


    Pedy was somewhat taken aback; in his view, Master Wendell, who had always been loyal to the Boditch Kingdom and the Royal Family over the long years, should not agree with the urrence of such a situation.


    As Wendell��s disciple, Pedy was indifferent to the Boditch Royal Family; he knew the stupidity and ineptitude of the Kingdom Nobles. He believed that the Boditch Kingdom was beyond saving and that the efforts outside Luminous Stone City were just a futile struggle before death.

 Chapter 376 - 343 Wendell’s Determination_2

    He didn��t worry about his future; if push came to shove, he could just hide, and as a Silver Mage, preserving his life would not be a problem.


    But he was worried about his teacher, Wendell, who would risk his life for the Boditch Kingdom, and the presence of the Royal Mage Corps on the battlefield seemed to signify his teacher��s resolve.


    Wendell didn��t deserve to pay such a price for the Boditch Kingdom, so Pedy came today to persuade his teacher to abandon saving it.


    But he hadn��t expected Wendell to say such things.


    Had his teacher already changed his mind?


    Pedy dared not say more, silently standing by.


    Wendell sighed and said,


    "How could I not know, when I have watched the Boditch Kingdome to this step by step? But I was powerless."


    "After all, I am only a mage. Perhaps if I had be a legend, things might look different, but that��s no longer possible."


    Wendell shook his head and sighed. Golden Professionals�� much longer livespared to ordinary people had shown him too many changes; yet, even he couldn��t force the kingdom or the nobles to make a 180-degree change.


    He had made countless efforts, advised the king, and trained the next generation of mages, among other things, but still, it hade to this.


    Now, he didn��t know what to do anymore.


    "Then, Teacher, why not leave? You have done enough for Boditch,"


    "Valro and the others are already prepared; you..."


    "No, Pedy."


    Pedy hadn��t finished speaking when Wendell waved his hand to cut him off.


    Looking at his youngest disciple, Wendell��s eyes showed a trace of satisfaction, and smiling, he said:


    "I am old, Pedy."


    "Being old, I no longer wish to move. I��ll stay right here."


    "Consider it my way of preserving thest shred of Boditch��s dignity."


    "No! Teacher!"


    Pedy couldn��t believe it, unable to ept what his teacher had said.


    It was clear what Wendell meant; he did not want to leave. He wanted to stay here and witness the end with the Boditch Kingdom.


    "Teacher, don��t..."


    "Enough, Pedy, no more words are needed."


    "Before you came, your senior disciples had alreadye to see me, but I do not wish to change my mind."


    Wendell��s face bore a gentle smile, yet his words carried unwavering determination.


    "It��s different for you; you still have plenty of time to continue moving forward."


    "I can no longer see the path ahead; I��m better off staying here."


    Wendell looked fondly at the books around him and continued:


    "I��m summarizing the knowledge and experience I��ve gathered throughout my life, recording them all in books. When the timees, Pedy, you take them."


    "Leave Boditch Kingdom with your fellow disciples and head south."


    Pedy wanted to say more, but seemed choked up as if his words were stuck in his throat.


    "You too, Pedy, live well."


    Wendell reached out his left hand and touched Pedy��s soft brown curls.


    "Follow your fellow disciples; don��t harbor hatred toward the Feis Kingdom or anyone else; there��s no point."


    "Although I am different, the Boditch Kingdom has indeed reached a point where it can no longer sustain itself."


    "Just let me apany it on this final journey."


    Although he was already over thirty and had his family settled, at this moment, Pedy felt as if he were ten years old again, just starting to learn from Wendell, feeble and powerless, merely nodding numbly.


    After a moment of silence, Wendell gestured for Pedy to leave, then sat back down at the desk and picked up a quill to resume writing.


    He didn��t have much time left; in this final period, he wanted to leave behind as much of what he had learned as possible.


    So that his disciples could avoid taking some of the detours he had taken.


    Pedy stood behind Wendell for a long while, then quietly left.


    He now understood why his senior brothers had already tried to persuade the teacher, but had not mentioned it to him.


    Your adventure continues at NovelBin.C?m


    Like him, they all harbored that sliver of hope�� what if the teacher really reconsidered?


    But now, as the youngest disciple of Wendell, he was powerless.


    Perhaps, as his teacher had said, only by mastering the power of legend was there a chance to change the future of a Human Kingdom.


    Sensing that Pedy had quietly left behind him, Wendell shook his head slightly.


    Too bad, he wouldn��t be able to see his disciples grow up.


    @@novelbin@@


    In the silence that followed, the room returned to its former quietness, with only the "shush" sound of the pen tip crossing the pale yellow paper remaining.


    ---------------


    yer Forum, Fanor Continent section,


    A new post quickly rose to the top and the number of views skyrocketed as well.


    ...


    [Shocking! The first Gold-level Series Task of "Divine Revtion" has appeared!]


    [First-hand news, guaranteed authentic!


    My gaming name is Shrimp and Turnip Stew, and friends in the Boditch Kingdom at Luminous Stone City might recognize me.


    No more small talk, here��s the screenshot.


    [Screenshot]


    As you can see, this is the Gold-level Task I received. It��s quite special because this is just the first ring, and to unlock the next ring of the task requires meeting a condition of 500 people, which is also why I��m posting here.


    yers near Luminous Stone City in the Boditch Kingdom, hurry to the Mercenary Tavern in Luminous Stone City, Gold-level Series Task avable for free, time is of the essence!


    Also, friends in other ces might not know, my Boditch Kingdom is currently at war with the Feis Kingdom, and the Boditch Kingdom is about to be destroyed.


    But it��s good that it��s destroyed, those Nobles of Boditch Kingdom are really not good people, you can find some intelligence on the forum, I won��t borate more.


    The key point is, the NPC who released this task is Lis Kain of the Feis Kingdom.


    Yes, it��s that guy with the Legendary Talent who established the White Dove Chamber of Commerce, but now he��s reached the Gold rank.


    The task he released is surely to liberate Luminous Stone City, at that time I recorded it. [Download link]


    As everyone knows, recordings can��t be photoshopped, so the fact is Lis ising to save us oppressed poor souls!


    I dere,


    Alright, no more rambling, that��s all for now, guys from D Big��s groupe join the task quick!]


    The responses below this post were extremely passionate.


    DiedFromBeingTooFat: Holy crap! It really is a Gold-level task, why am I so far away!(*?????)


    UltimateBearsy: Hahahahaha I��m right in Luminous Stone City,ing now, brother wait for me!


    Mo Yun: Wait, how did Big Boss Lis end up in Luminous Stone City, everyone at the White Dove Chamber of Commerce in Bright City are waiting for your blessings! ���ত�䣩�g


    ---------------


    The heat of Radish��s post directly exploded, being the first Gold-level Task in "Divine Revtion" and directly catching everyone��s attention.


    Shortly after this post appeared, numerous gaming influencers and social media joined the buzz, even many yers from other continents turned up to join the excitement, expressing extreme envy.


    The first Silver and the first Gold-level tasks in "Divine Revtion" both appeared on the Fanor Continent, making yers from other countries feel it was unfair.


    Though the two tasks were not in the same ce, they both involved the same name.


    Lis Kain!


    Howe it��s always him; he definitely is the main character of this game, no doubt!


    As the news of the Gold-level task spread, the name Lis Kain appeared again in front of many yers after a long time.


    Especially in the past half-year, his breakthrough from Silver to Gold level, along with his high interactions with yers, deepened their interest in Lis.


    Lis thus earned a new nickname,


    [Fanor Conman]


    This moniker has no other connotation but stems from Lis always appearing with tasks, much like a conman in the Church, making yers willingly work for him.


    Lis took note of the forum��s heat, but what he cared more about was the task uptake.


    [Gold-level Series Task (First Ring): Star Fire]


    [Current number of participants: 1666]


    The number had reached the requirement; it was time to move on to the next step.


    Hope the King of Boditch likes the little surprises I��ve prepared for him.

 Chapter 377 - 344: Second Circle Task

    Luminous Stone City, Mercenary Tavern.


    It was the second night since Lis had left the Mercenary Tavern. The Demon Crystal Lamps on the walls were already lit, the tavern was bustling with noise as numerous mercenaries who had withdrawn from the battlefield with pouches full of Gold Coins spentvishly, venting the extreme emotions repressed on the battlefield.


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    However, at one corner of the tavern, a group of oddly dressed mercenaries sat in quiet discussion.


    "The First Ring Task has already filled up with 500 people, so why hasn��t the Second Circle Task unlocked yet?"


    A yer wearing colorful trousers said at the round table.


    Clearly, the performance artists gathered here were all "Divine Revtion" game yers, and the native mercenaries kept their distance.


    "What��s the rush?"


    @@novelbin@@


    Radish said nonchntly, casually tossing a dried fruit into his mouth.


    As Boditch Kingdom was a kingdom thriving in maritime trade, this special snack from the southern kingdoms was very popr. Evenmoners could often afford to treat themselves, unlike fresh fruits that were only enjoyed by Nobles.


    Possibly due to the existence of Extraordinary Powers, even simr fruits in the Gaia World tasted much better than those on Blue Star.


    This indulgence in culinary delights inevitably tempted the frugal gamers to spend their money.


    "Aren��t you worried there��s a problem with the task? Otherwise, what are we all gathered here for?"


    Another yer said with augh; they were all yers who had taken the [Star Fire] Gold-level Series Task from Radish.


    The prerequisite of having 500 participants had been met earlier in the day, yet the task panel showed no changes, and the number had since exceeded 2000 yers.


    This was partly due to the allure of a Gold-level Task, attracting not only the yers of Luminous Stone City but many from surrounding regions as well.


    Nheless, that was probably the maximum number; yers from farther away wouldn��t be able to reach Luminous Stone City within a day or two.


    The yers sitting around Radish were either elite gamers or representatives sent by nearby yer Guilds, gathered to discuss the Gold-level Tasks.


    But now they were stuck, only knowing from Radish that the Second Ring Task should be rted to the Boditch Kingdom Army, but the specific requirements remained unclear due to the task still being locked.


    "If you ask me, who should I ask?"


    Radish spread his hands, speaking with a hint of helplessness:


    "After all, it��s not like I personally tell you the tasks; it��s all disyed on the system panel. Surely it can��t be me fooling you guys!"


    Radish had said all he needed to say but kept hidden the information about the [Gold-level Series Task Third Ring: The Downfall of the Boditch Royal Family].


    This was a mission exclusive to the three of them. They had privately agreed not to disclose it untilpletion, to avoid interference from other yers.


    The fresh excitement and thrill of uncovering a Hidden plot energized the trio.


    "I don��t have the ability to control your game panel."


    The surrounding yers nodded in agreement. Although they loved the thrill of something new, they were willing to follow the requirements of a Gold-level Task.


    Moreover, the task seemed exhrating, as it potentially involved a direct attack on the Boditch Kingdom Army.


    If true, this would be the firstrge-scale action against native forces by yers since the gameunched, and the very thought was invigorating.


    "Since the Second Ring Task hasn��t unlocked, let��s leave it at that for now. Everyone can do some preparation in the meantime."


    Radish stood up, having organized today��s gathering with the intention of coborating on the Second Ring Task after it unlocked. Unfortunately, now it was somewhat disappointing.


    The other yers didn��t mind. Radish had shared with them the Gold Level Task; many owed him favors and naturally epted his role as spokesperson.


    After all, Radish and his friends were individual yers; it would be problematic if a yer Guild took charge as it could lead to dissatisfaction.


    Just as everyone was about to disperse, they unanimously heard the system notification sound.


    Ding~


    The group paused, simultaneously pulling up their system panels.


    In front of them, a new task information refreshed.


    -----------------


    [Gold-level Series Task (First Ring) [Star Fire] task requirements have been met!]


    [Current number of task participants: 2136]


    [Second Ring Task Unlocked!]


    [Gold-level Series Task (Second Ring) [me Spreading]]


    [Task Introduction: Marquis Lis Kain of the Feis Kingdom is ready to crush Boditch Kingdom��sst resistance and fully liberate the people of thisnd. He believes that the desire for rebellion will ignite a consuming fire, utterly destroying the decayed Boditch Kingdom.]


    [Task Requirements: Feis Kingdom Army will battle the Boditch Kingdom Army on the ins outside Luminous Stone City on June 1st of the Chenxi Calendar year 641. You may choose one of the following sub-tasks:


    Task One: Join the Boditch Kingdom��s frontlinebat squad hired as mercenaries, and directly attack Boditch Kingdom Army��s rear upon the start of the battle;


    Task Two: Join the Boditch Kingdom��s logistical support squad hired as mercenaries, andunch an assault on the Boditch Army��s camp upon the start of the battle, sabotaging the Magic Array, food supplies, and other resources;


    Task Three: Stay in Boditch Kingdom��s Luminous Stone City, cause as much disturbance as possible once the battle starts, and assist the Feis Kingdom Army in capturing Luminous Stone City.]

 Chapter 378 - 344: Second Circle Task_2

    Tip: Based on different branch tasks, special task items can be collected from the warehouse next to the Mercenary Guild, [Item List (copsed)]


    Note: All tasks can be selected at the same time, each taskpletion may affect the final battle oue]


    [Task Rewards: 200k Experience, Honor Points (determined by the final battle oue, individual damage, special contributions, etc., points can be used post-task to redeem rewards from the White Dove Chamber of Commerce or Lis Kain)


    [Reward List (copsed)]


    Note: If the Feis Kingdom is defeated in the final battle, no Honor Points will be rewarded, only basic experience can be collected]


    [Lis Kain: "This is the ultimate battle, the future of Bodici will be decided by us!"]


    -----------------


    "Whew~"


    After carefully reading all the hints for this task, yers couldn��t help but take a deep breath.


    But it was not out of fear, but to momentarily ease their excited emotions.


    This was the most extensive task introduction they had seen since entering "Divine Revtion"; could it be worthy of a Gold-level Series Task?


    Moreover, the text exuded a lofty atmosphere of fighting for the people of Bodici, which made the yers with a strong sense of immersion very excited, eagerly wanting to tear apart those dastardly Boditch Soldiers and Nobles right then and there.


    In the hearts of everyone, Lis no longer appeared as the pale impression he had before, but started toe alive.


    That was also Lis��s purpose; for this, he specifically highlighted his own presence in the task description, making the decisive battle appear as if Lis was leading it, feeling incredibly prestigious.


    "Holy crap!"


    "Quick, check out the reward list this time!"


    Suddenly, a yer eximed, causing everyone to open the copsed list of rewards.


    The rewards inside were dazzling, bing more precious the higher they went.


    And at the very top of the reward list was a glittering treasure sword, blinding the eyes of many yers.


    -----------------


    [Equipment: [Sword of the Knight of Glory]


    Tier: Gold


    Description: A valuable treasure sword forged from Hundred-forged Steel and Mithril by a master craftsman, silent in slicing iron, with a daunting edge, effectively enhancing the physical attack power of its wielder.


    Equipment Effect 1: [Attribute Enhancement]


    Strength Attribute +150 Points, Endurance Attribute +150 Points


    Equipment Effect 2: [Sharp]


    Prating effect against armors below Gold tier, with an additional 20% increase in attack power


    Equipment Effect 3: [Crippled]


    When inflicting physical damage on an enemy, there is a 15% chance to apply the [Crippled] effect, reducing the target��s attack speed by 20% and movement speed by 30%, duration: 6 seconds


    Equipment Effect 4: [Glory]


    Through a special Enchantment, this longsword shines with a golden dawn during battle, just like the glory of a hero


    -----------------


    This was specifically included by Lis in this reward, along with several silver-tier equipment items, and a lot of basic rewards.


    This longsword wasn��t the one used by Lis, but a Gold-tier longsword he had gathered while roaming the Pearl Sea. Although it looked mighty, it was just average among Gold-tier weapons.


    After acquiring another stronger Gold-tier longsword, Lis had reced this one.


    For Lis, a longsword was just a receable weapon after all, not very important.


    But thest equipment effect was too quirky; the sword was too dazzling with its golden glow during battles, and even Lis didn��t know which talented craftsman chose to Enchant it with this effect.


    However, for yers, this might actually be a plus, as they loved weapons with a somewhat quirky ir.


    But it wouldn��t be easy to get this treasure sword!


    ...


    "Holy shit, this longsword is awesome, it looks so cool!"


    The yers noticed this Gold-tier treasure sword, especially the warriors, who got excited.


    This was the first Gold-tier weapon they had seen, and although it was still listed on the reward list, it captured everyone��s attention!


    "It��s fifty thousand points, is that a lot of points or what?!"


    All yers were entranced, unable to take their eyes off the longsword.


    "I reckon it��s hopeless, the lowest reward on this list is 1 point for 1 Gold Coin, which means this longsword equals 50,000 Gold Coins," one yer said.


    "I guess these points will be quite difficult to obtain," anothermented.


    Some yers noticed the Hua Points as they scrolled down.


    This was specially set up by Lis, ensuring that basically, each point corresponded to an appropriate reward, ranging from Bronze Level to Gold Level.


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    The acquisition of points was also specially configured by Lis, where normal yerspleting tasks could only earn a few hundred to a thousand points, making it impossible to obtain this treasure sword.


    To prevent yers from exploiting any loopholes, Lis had specially set the points to be non-transferable, closing any gaps.


    It was only him who could fleece the yers, not the yers fleecing him.


    Now the yers were still too poor. When Lis would release simr taskster and add an option of 1 Gold Coin for 1 point, he would earn even more.


    Considering the actual value of this treasure sword was only around 20,000 Gold Coins, Lis dared to sell it for 50,000!


    But for now, it was still too early. Although the yers could not utilize the full power of Gold-level weapons or even meet the equipment level restrictions, releasing Gold Level equipment to yers at this time would still somewhat disrupt the game bnce.


    Lis nned to gradually shear the yers by selling equipment slightly above the current tier and nurturing them slowly!


    This treasure sword was a hook specially crafted by Lis to attract yers, and it was reusable.


    Due to the appearance of the reward list, the yers�� enthusiasm was instantly maxed out.


    Whoever could obtain this Gold-level treasure sword would be the most dazzling yer in the "Divine Revtion" game!


    For yers who were still at the Bronze Level, a Gold-level treasure sword was enough to show off for a long time.


    As a former professional leveler in his previous life, Lis understood the yers�� desires very well, which was why he chose this cool treasure sword as the highest reward.


    It was also for this reason that there was even a slight hostility among the yers, everyone else was a potentialpetitor.


    After exchanging knowing nces, many yers then left.


    The second circle of the Gold-level Task had three branch tasks, which couldpletely bepeted separately, striving to earn more points.


    Carrot, seeing the yers silently sneaking away around him, understood.


    But he didn��t mind, as long as he could sessfullyplete the second circle of the task and trigger the hidden third circle, it was a sess.


    Special missions were more attractive to him than Gold-level equipment.


    "Hehe~"


    Carrot was feeling very pleased with himself, greeted others, and slipped away.


    Self-proimed as a technique-oriented yer, he wasn��t just focused on the dazzling rewards; he also noticed the hints about Al��s task.


    In a nearby warehouse were task items prepared by Lis Kain, clearly meant to betterplete this mission.


    The items listed in the [Prop List] made Carrot click his tongue in awe, but more than that, they excited him.


    @@novelbin@@


    It was a joke, to think of using such powerful items was thrilling.


    Most importantly, for some reason, the items prepared by Lis��


    were very sunny!


    Carrot was somewhat dazzled and quickly concocted many clever strategies in his mind for using these items.


    If it wasn��t imed that all the plots and tasks in the "Divine Revtion" game were AI-generated, he would have suspected which genius had designed so many cunning items.


    With that thought, Carrot quickened his pace.


    The list only stated which items were avable, not how many, so he had to hurry before the best ones were gone.


    ...


    Carrot didn��t notice that above him, a silhouette quietly stood there.


    Lis grinned as he looked at the system panel, already triggered by the second circle tasks, and the small dot quickly moving towards the warehouse he had prepared, nodding in satisfaction.


    The yers were quite proactive and keen!


    Everything in Luminous Stone City was almost ready; he had also discussed with Bevis and others, nning to initiate the battle on June 1.


    Lis truly believed in the yers�� ability to stir things up, especially since he had provided so much support.


    Just as Lis was preparing to return outside the city, he suddenly felt a gaze on him,


    "Who��s there!"

 Chapter 379 - 345 Wendell’s Request

    Lis floated in midair and distinctly felt someone observing him from the shadows.


    Frowning, Lis noticed an old man with slightly graying hair slowly appearing before him, wearing a simple and in grey robe, looking at Lis with a calm expression.


    The one who appeared was none other than the Boditch Royal Mage Group Leader, the Golden Mage Wendell.


    Wendell was also somewhat surprised; he had just faintly sensed Lis��s presence and came over quietly to see what was going on.


    He didn��t expect that he would be discovered by this young man just as he approached to observe.


    Although Lis��s ck robe covered his body and face tightly, without any clue, Wendell felt that this mysterious person was a young man.


    A very young man!


    Perhaps it was due to the vibrant and flourishing aura emanating from him!


    Clearly younger than his youngest disciple, but already a Gold-level Mage!


    With this thought, Wendell smiled slightly.


    Although the Magic Power within him had be more refined with the passing years and his strength hadn��t declined, his body was now old and could no longer advance further.


    In front of him stood this young Gold-level Mage, from whom Wendell even sensed a strong sense of threat, which was quite unbelievable.


    Who was he?


    The leader of the Boditch Royal Mage Group, and one might say the strongest Golden Mage in the kingdom.


    In the absence of Legendary Strongmen, many considered him the strongest Professional.


    Lis��s appearance piqued his curiosity, but it didn��t harbor any hostility.


    To him, who was firm in his belief, there was nothing left to fear or worry about.


    Lis, observing the suddenly appeared Wendell, tensed up his muscles, watching the elderly man cautiously.


    He didn��t recognize this person, but from the way he appeared and his undisguised aura, Lis could clearly feel that this was a quite powerful Mage.


    He had just appeared through a Space Transmission, and he was able to clearly sense his own aura.


    This person must be a strongman from Boditch Kingdom, but for some reason, Lis didn��t feel any hostility or intention to act from him, which he found quite strange.


    "I am Wendell Valentine. Are you from Feis Kingdom?"


    Wendell asked with a smile, looking like a kind old grandfather talking to a younger rtive.


    Wendell, Boditch Kingdom Mage Group Leader, Gold High Order Mage!


    The information about this elder surfaced in Lis��s mind. Though he had not seen Wendell in his previous life, he had received intelligence on important figures of Boditch Kingdom from Bevis.


    Wendell was one of them, and a very key figure at that.


    Because the Boditch Royal Mage Group under hismand had caused a lot of trouble for Bevis and others on the frontline of battle.


    Wendell��s own strength was also formidable; the kingdom��s number one warrior Bevis knew him well, held him in high regard, and acknowledged that he was one of the few in the Boditch Kingdom��s upper echelons who possessed great moral integrity.


    Understanding this, Lis hesitated for a moment before taking off the disguise robe and revealing his true appearance.


    "Greetings, Lord Wendell, I am Lis Kain."


    Wendell marveled at Lis��s youth and handsomeness, his interest increasing even further.


    "Lis Kain... are you the disciple of ��Judgement me��, that Lord Kane?"


    How had news about him reached Boditch Kingdom? However, having broken through to Gold Level, Lis didn��t need to worry too much.


    Indeed, after bing a Gold-level Mage, and mastering the Extraordinary Domain, Lis was confident that even if there were strongmen among the Gold Level who could defeat him, there were almost none who could kill him.


    "Yes."


    Lis nodded his head, showing considerable respect to this senior.


    Wendell nodded and fell silent for a moment.


    Looking down at the area beneath his feet, Wendell said with a smile:


    "Look at this, such a beautiful city, I��ve grown up here since I was a child."


    "With a century passing, I have be inseparable from it."


    Lis didn��t speak, but listened quietly.


    At this moment, it seemed that Wendell was speaking to himself rather than to Lis. Find exclusive stories on Freewebnovel


    @@novelbin@@


    "This city, this kingdom, they��ve grown old just like me, barely able to keep moving."


    "I��ve thought about whether there��s another way, but..."


    Wendell nced at the splendid Royal Pce not far away, sighing inwardly.


    "In that case, let it be!"


    "Lord Kane!"


    Wendell looked at Lis, his eyes carrying a hint of pleading.


    "I have an uneasy request. I wonder if you, Lord Kane, would be willing to honor it."


    "Please speak!"


    Lis couldn��t deny it. Although it was their first meeting, he had a good impression of this powerful Mage.


    It was apparent that Wendell was a pure individual; he loved Magic, pursued Knowledge, and held goodwill towards others. The only pity was that he was born in the Boditch Kingdom.


    "I��m not sure what you n to do, but I still hope that you can protect ordinary people as much as possible and spare them from the harms of war."


    "After all, they have suffered for too long."


    Seeing Wendell��s sighing demeanor, Lis felt a bit curious inside.


    He wasn��t concerned if anyone from the Boditch Kingdom noticed his arrangements, after all, those yers were not so easily targeted.


    In the past, it was only after many failed attempts that some Extraordinary forces had found a few methods that barely worked against the yers.

 Chapter 380 - 345 Wendell’s Request_2

    The Boditch Kingdom no longer possesses that capability.


    However, looking at Wendell��s manner, it seemed he did not wish to do anything, even though Lis��s actions were clearly detrimental to the Boditch Kingdom.


    Wendell evidently cared a great deal about the Boditch Kingdom, didn��t he?


    Moreover, listening to his words, why did it feel like he was settling his affairs?


    Lis was silent for a moment, then still nodded and said,


    "No problem, this is exactly what we hoped for."


    "That��s good!"


    Wendell��s smile became much gentler.


    He was naturally aware of the current situation of the Feis Kingdom and knew all about King Morton��s actions.


    Compared to the reigning King John Bertic of the Boditch Kingdom, it was like the difference between two extremes.


    In other words, even if a pig were ced in the position of King Boditch, the situation in the Boditch Kingdom would improve significantly.


    "Who would have thought that at such a time, I would meet a young talent like Lord Kane? It makes me wonder what I was doing in my youth?"


    Having seen Lis agree, Wendell also felt relieved.


    He could tell that Lis was not the type to break faith and betray, and a part of the worry in his heart was set aside.


    "Perhaps only in this way could one gain the favor of that esteemed person!"


    In Wendell��s heart, aside from the Boditch Kingdom and its people, what remained was the yearning for higher realms and knowledge.


    And the Legendary Mage, Judgement me, was one such pinnacle figure.


    Lis did not speak but simply watched Wendell quietly.


    He seemed to sense a determination for death emanating from the aged Golden Mage.


    Wendell, looking at the city nketed in night below, had eyes full of nostalgia and reluctance, but he knew the kingdom was nearing its end, and even as a Gold High Order Mage, he was powerless to change that.


    This caused him immense pain and had once led to his confusion, but in the end, he had epted such a future.


    He had learned about the neighboring Feis Kingdom, especially after the war had begun.


    Perhaps the people of Boditch would undergo a period of growing pains, perhaps there would be some rotten elements among the nobles and officials of the Feis Kingdom, butpared to a future where people had been oppressed for countless years without seeing the glimmer of dawn, bing a part of the Feis Kingdom might be a better oue, right?


    He did not know what the future held, but Wendell was tired, he no longer wished to do anything but to apany the kingdom and the city into an eternal slumber.


    "Lord Kane, I hope to meet you on the battlefield, and then, please allow me to witness the grace of a disciple of the Legendary Mage."


    After a long silence, Wendell looked up at Lis, smiled, and spoke.


    Then his figure vanished into thin air.


    Clearly, Wendell��s mastery of Space Magic was also extraordinary; what was more rare was that he, unlike Lis, who had received mentoring from a teacher, had likely figured it out on his own.


    Watching Wendell��s vanishing figure, Lis understood what Wendell meant and shook his head.


    "Who would have thought that the Boditch Kingdom had such a person, what a pity!"


    Then Lis also left Luminous Stone City using the Teleportation Technique and returned to the Feis Kingdom Army camp.


    He hadpleted all he could do; now, he just had to wait for the final battle to arrive.


    With Lis��s departure, the ce fell into calm once more, while below, Luminous Stone City gradually changed amidst the undercurrents, as if it were preparing for the approaching metamorphosis and rebirth.


    -----------------


    Chenxi Calendar, year 641, June 1st, morning, clear skies, no wind.


    In the ins outside Luminous Stone City, in the Boditch Kingdom Army camp, where the mercenary squad was located,


    "Quick! Hurry up!"


    "Get moving, we��ve received word that the Feis Kingdom Army has made their move, no more dilly-dallying."


    "Are your gold coins taken for nothing? Get your gear together and prepare to set out."


    A knight d in high-grade military armor was holding a longsword in hand, shouting loudly.


    He had no choice; he was assigned to lead this squad made up of mercenaries and refrained from cursing outright, which already showed his good temperament.


    The well-organized mercenary groups that took warmissions didn��t require the Boditch Kingdom Army to manage them, and what remained were the loose and scattered frence mercenaries. Although there were no issues when facingbat, getting them to follow orders was a very difficult task.


    ```


    Every day, organizing these mercenaries to rush to the battlefield was a hassle for him, the only constion being that he didn��t have to bother with their action on the battlefield, as long as they didn��t flee or charge at their own army.


    Just at that moment, however, he saw three mercenaries dressed neatly, standing in front of him in a row, with their backs straight and faces solemn.


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    They were the very image of elite soldiers!


    The Knight was deeply moved, as if finding a nugget of gold amidst a pile of dung, and walked over to reassuringly pat the three of them on the shoulder, encouragingly saying,


    "Not bad, you guys are excellent, once today��s battle is over, I��ll promote you to squad leaders!"


    "Yes, sir!"


    Their robust response pleased the Knight, who nodded in satisfaction and then turned to scold those drunken mercenaries who were clearly hungover from the night before.


    @@novelbin@@


    However, what the Knight didn��t notice was that, as soon as he turned and left, the three mercenaries began whispering among themselves.


    "Damn, did you hear that? He said he would make me a squad leader!"


    "I��ve only ever been the math group leader since I was a kid, thinking about it now, I��m actually excited!"


    The moment he spoke, it betrayed his identity as a yer.


    Indeed, these three were the yers [Invincible Scoundrel], [Lonely for Drunkenness], [Shrimp and Turnip Stew].


    It was [Invincible Scoundrel] who had just spoken, now looking smugly at his good brothers.


    "Behave yourself! You��re satisfied with just being a squad leader?"


    [Seeking Intoxication] looked down scornfully, thinking that [Invincible Scoundrel]��s behavior had lowered the bar for their trio��s evaluation.


    "What are you thinking? By the end of today, the whole Boditch Army might be finished, what are you bragging about?"


    "True that!"


    [Shrimp and Turnip Stew] hit the nail on the head, instantly deting [Invincible Scoundrel].


    They were here toplete the second circle of the Gold series mission.


    This was even easier than they had imagined, as the Boditch Kingdom Army was almost single-mindedly piling up troops at the front to face the more elite forces of the Feis Kingdom.


    The trio only had to show their mercenary credentials to be directly admitted into the army camp.


    They even got an advance payment of five gold coins.


    The Boditch Army simply sent a Knight to briefly organize these mercenaries and send them to the battlefield, with the goal of bypassing the main battlefront to strike at the side and rear of the Feis forces.


    But who knew how much of this would actually be achieved? The Boditch Kingdom��s generals didn��t care either; they just wanted to send as much force as possible to the battlefield, their rigid brains incapable of arranging a more effective deployment.


    Under the organization of this Knight, the trio joined the troops on the ins of the battlefield.


    The ins used to be fertile fields outside of Luminous Stone City, where wheat should have ripened and turned into shining seas of golden grain. Now, there was no sign of the imminent harvest from better times.


    For months, thend had been littered with holes from magical spells and cannon bombardments, with broken arrows, weapons, and armor scattered everywhere, the dark brown soil churned up, mixed with fresh blood and white bones, eventually turning into ck sludge.


    The stench mixed with wisps of smoke, spreading over the battlefield like purgatory, adding a touch of destion and sorrow.


    Perhaps next year, the wheat here will grow even fuller and sweeter, but here and now, the final battle was looming.


    The sobering, tragic atmosphere of the battlefield also affected the trio, who ceased their bantering and silently looked towards the majestic and mighty Feis army in the distance.


    "Damn! How did a game make me this tense?"


    [Seeking Intoxication] muttered under his breath before nervously taking down the longbow from his back.


    [Shrimp and Turnip Stew] didn��t speak but was nervously surveying everything around him.


    The mercenary squad they were in had about a hundred people or so, and there were many simr squads, all now positioned at the left rear and right rear of the Boditch Army.


    [Shrimp and Turnip Stew] had already spotted many mercenaries like them looking around; he knew they were also yers.


    They had not chosen to cooperate with other yers, and the choices of the others were the same.


    Since this was a points mission, everyone wanted to earn the most points and get the highest rewards.


    Ah, the glowing Gold Treasure Sword! What yer wouldn��t be tempted?


    Right then, something caught his eye.


    Not far to his right front, in the center surrounded by many soldiers who were clearly much more elite, a huge blue Magic Light was sparkling, shooting straight into the sky.


    That was where the Boditch Royal Mage Group was stationed!


    ```

 Chapter 381 - 346: The Anxious Battlefield

    There!


    Carrot immediately realized the target of this operation.


    He and his contemptiblerades, Seeking Intoxication, chose to join the Boditch Army as mercenaries and arrived at the frontline. Their goal was to earn more points.


    The points needed for the Knight��s Glory Sword were indeed too many. They could not possibly acquire enough points through ordinary means.


    Thus, the trio of Carrot discussed and decided to take a risky move to achieve something big.


    Since the amount of points was rted to battlefield contributions, and for the Boditch Kingdom, nothing was more critical than the Royal Mage Corps.


    For this reason, Carrot and hispanions decided to attempt an attack on the Royal Mage Corps.


    If it were just the three of them relying on their own strength, let alone defeating them, even a sessful stealth attack would not affect the overall situation.


    @@novelbin@@


    However, with the special tools provided by Lis, it wasn��t about defeating the surrounded mages, but they could indeed affect the mages�� ability to fight back.


    Even so, the impact on the overall battle situation was significant enough.


    Don��t rush, can��t rush yet!


    Carrot closely watched the central battle array not far away, where elite soldiers and knights surrounded and protected the Royal Mage Corps.


    There were still too many people around now. It was impossible to get close; they could only wait until the two armies officially began to engage, and the situation became chaotic. That would be their chance to make a move.


    Carrot shared his thoughts and decision with hisrades, and the three tacitly went into stealth, quietly waiting for that moment.


    Across the entire battlefield, not only Carrot and his associates but also many other yers quietlyy in wait, patiently awaiting the start of the decisive battle.


    In Boditch Camp and various key areas of Luminous Stone City, several squads of yers were also moving secretly, gradually making their way to crucial positions.


    ...


    Within the Feis Kingdom Army,


    Bevis, Duke Baird, and Duke Rame, all d in their respective armor and mounted onrge horses, stood on a hill behind the battlefield, with numerous robust soldiers guarding around to prevent stealth attacks from Bodici people.


    The threemanders looked towards the distant ins where the Boditch Army was stationed, their focus intensively sharp.


    "Finally showing some progress, but that��s about it!"


    Duke Rame watched the formation of the Boditch Army and disdainfully shook his head.


    In his view, the entire Boditch Army was embarrassingly weak, even the army from the Royal Capital Luminous Stone City was not as elite as his own forces, let alone the Golden Lion Knights led by Bevis.


    Most importantly, the difference in morale between the two armies was starkly apparent.


    Even though in previous battles, the Boditch Army gained some advantages due to the Royal Mage Corps�� support, it did not affect the overall situation.


    The whole Boditch Army was in a state of low morale. Not to mention strict discipline, even maintaining basic allowance and order was quite difficult.


    In contrast, their own army, despite some setbacks, had, over half a year of numerous victories, nourished a strong belief and steadfast confidence, something the opposition could notpare.


    Bevis and Duke Baird nodded in agreement with Duke Rame��sments.


    "Even so, we can��t be careless, after all, they still have the Royal Mage Corps."


    Duke Baird said with a smile, d in full ck armor, looking nothing like a man in his seventies, vibrant and imposing.


    Of course, as a Gold-level Warrior, he was truly in his prime.


    "Lis said he has a n, and has already arranged for someone to disrupt the enemy��s army, though I can��t figure out how he managed it."


    Bevis spoke calmly, genuinely curious about it.


    After a moment of thought, he turned and instructed a messenger to inform their mages to prepare and react timely to any mage attacks from the opposing side.


    "Haha, after all, that man is a disciple of Lord Judgement me. The methods he might have are beyond our imagination."


    Duke Rame said cheerfully, seemingly very confident in Lis. Stay connected through Freewebnovel


    The truth was indeed so. Legend, as a higher tier of existence, had methods that were unique and unimaginable for them, mere Gold-level Warriors.


    Bevis had personally witnessed the capabilities of Legendary strongmen, such as during the Blood Sacrifice Chaos in Bright City. He not only saw the action of four Legendary strongmen but also witnessed the arrival of the Divine Incarnation of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts.


    However, after that, he too was mentally impacted and had to rest for some time to recover.


    "Where is Lord Lis now?"


    Duke Baird asked curiously, looking at Bevis.


    Bevis shook his head helplessly and said,


    "I��m not sure exactly. He dide to see mest night, but it was about the subsequent upation of Luminous Stone City..."


    "Haha, our Marquis Kane seems very confident! Then I��ll be looking forward to it!"


    Duke Rameughed loudly, and the soldiers around couldn��t help but nce over.


    The three kept a close watch on both sides on the battlefield, asionally issuing orders to adjust the movements of the Feis Army.


    Real battlefieldbat was never a simple matter, especially now with both sides gathering about three hundred thousand troops on this battlefield��just adjusting the forces required considerable effort.


    This was also why both sides were quickly adjusting their forces rather than rushing to make the first move. There isn��t an unspoken rule like in animations where transforming states means attacks are prohibited.


    Rather, it��s because if they were to attack before being properly adjusted, their own army might disintegrate before even making contact with the enemy.

 Chapter 382 - 346: The Anxious Battlefield_2

    On the battlefield, except for the Golden Lion Knights, other armies inevitably faced this issue.


    However, Bevis was not with his Golden Lion Knights; instead, he had his deputymander hold the fort while he, along with two dukes, directed the entire Feis Kingdom Army��s operations.


    As themander appointed by His Majesty the King, his responsibilities had significantly increased, making even the battle-hardened Bevis feel somewhat tense.


    However, the news Lis had shared with him the previous night was somewhat uplifting.


    May everything go smoothly!


    As time passed, it was evident that the Feis Kingdom Army was assembling faster than the Boditch Army.


    Under themand of Bevis and the two other leaders, the Feis Kingdom Army split into different sections, slowly advancing toward the Boditch Army.


    In the vanguard were heavily armed infantry, these robust soldiers bearing tower shields as tall as a man, advancing slowly.


    The thick tower shields disyed a faint magic light, obviously enhanced by enchantments, though simple, they still provided adequate protection against magic attacks.


    By each heavy infantry��s side, there followed a long spear soldier and an archer; this was the core fighting unit of the Feis Kingdom Army, forming the frontline pressing step by step toward the Boditch Army.


    Unlike the decadent Bodici Nobles, arge portion of the wealth umted by the Feis Royal Family was, under the arrangement of His Majesty the King, heavily invested into military capabilities.


    This division was almost armed to the limits of what human kingdoms�� armies could afford, iparable to the Boditch Army.


    As long as the heavy infantry��s line didn��t copse, the overall forces wouldn��t suffer much damage.


    Beyond the front-line elite troops, the light infantry and cavalrymanded by Duke Rame and Duke Baird were positioned on the army��s nks, ready to act at opportune moments.


    The Golden Lion Knights were at the very rear of the army, possessing the speed to quickly reach any part of the battlefield, thus waiting in the back for a gap in the Boditch Army to deliver a fatal blow.


    As the Feis Kingdom Army continued to close in, the Boditch Army had barely managed their formation.


    The word ��barely�� was used because, aside from the core troops at the center, the other units were more or less in disarray.


    Especially right at the front, where the elite and powerful Feis Kingdom Army was slowly advancing.


    Their formidable and intimidating might,bined with an oppressively intense killing aura, caused many in the Boditch Army to be unsettled, unable to face them head-on.


    Your journey continues at NovelBin.C?m


    @@novelbin@@


    yers mixed into the Boditch Army had never faced such a situation; even though they thought of it as a game, they couldn��t help but feel unnerved.


    Bodich had ced all their few heavy infantry at the front, guarding the Royal Mage Corps.


    But this also meant that the Mage Corps was somewhat overly exposed and could easily be attacked by the Feis Kingdom.


    Nevertheless, there was no choice, as the Boditch Army was relying on the Mage Corps to keep them alive; retreating would render them unable to effectively suppress the Feis Kingdom Army.


    The only good news was that the Feis Kingdom Army did not have many mages, only enough to counter Boditch��s magic attacks without any capability to retaliate.


    The reason Boditch Kingdom had such a rtively strong Mage Corps was all thanks to Wendell��s diligent cultivation over the years.


    High up in the sky, a hundred meters above the battlefield, while everyone��s attention was on the opposing armies, no one noticed Lis��s figure appearing at this location.


    Holding a jade-colored magic wand, Lis was not dressed in simple and light attire as usual, but in a luxurious ck and gold mage robe.


    The jet-ck cashmere robe was finely and densely embroidered with borate patterns in gold thread, unique and full of charm, naturally exuding an air of nobility and solemnity.


    At this moment, Lis, framed by his attire, looked even more handsome and exceptionally elegant; he did not seem like he was about to enter a battle, but rather like a noble guest silently waiting for a grand ceremony to begin.


    Lis��s expression was calm as he looked down at the battlefield where the two armies were gradually approaching each other.


    Unlike the yers, such as Radish and Seeking Intoxication, Lis��s strength and spirit had been genuinely enhanced; naturally, he was not unsettled by the Feis Kingdom Army��s momentum.


    Having faced deities and even outwitted a deity��s residual spirit, what was this scene to him?


    In his eyes, once the Feis Kingdom Army closed enough distance, the heavy infantry would lower their tower shields to the ground, and under their protection, the archers began to attack the Boditch Army with arrows.


    Being a qualified archer was no simple matter; those capable of pulling heavy bows and shooting sharp arrows were all strapping men capable of outrunning horses, certainly the elite of the ranks.


    In the world of Gaia, which bestowed extraordinary strength, these specially trained soldiers had an effective lethal range with their bows that could reach over two hundred meters, far surpassing the archers of Lis��s former life.


    The archers�� attack brought considerable trouble to the Boditch Kingdom, with arrowheads made of refined iron and designed with special barbs that were fatal wounds for ordinary soldiers; however, the Royal Mage Corps��s mages had "Protection Arrow" magic to guard them, so the impact wasn��t particrly significant.


    Unless struck by arrows enhanced with "Blessed uracy" and other beneficial magics, attacks from non-transcendent professions posed little threat to well-defended mages.

 Chapter 383 - 346: The Anxious Battlefield_3

    The Feis army��s mages were already hard-pressed just to fend off the enemy mages�� magic attacks, their magic power significantly depleted.


    Even so, quite a few magic attacks rained down; the soldiers protected by tower shields were okay, but those light infantry and cavalry were not so lucky.


    Fireballs, wind des, and various other spell attacks had catastrophic effects, with boiling blood and shattered bone and muscle sttering through the air, creating an incredibly gruesome scene.


    Though theirrades were being attacked, the soldiers of the Feis Kingdom didn��t panic too much; they had undergone appropriate training and, under themand of their squad leaders, quickly sought cover.


    These were just preliminary probing attacks, yet they had already resulted in hundreds of casualties.


    But these numbers meant little to both armies; as the probing attacks persisted, both sides�� formations gradually began to unfold.


    The Feis army��s cavalry had already started to run, circling around the outer edge of the Boditch army, looking for a weak nk to attack.


    The Boditch army, not to be outdone, dispatched arge number of infantry ready to confront the Feis troops.


    However, the ns of the Boditchmander were good in theory but less effective in practice.


    Lis noticed that the advancing Boditch soldiers were somewhat scattered and couldn��t form a powerful attack spearhead, instead, there was a sense of chaos as if floodwaters were overflowing.


    Among them, the mercenary groups were even less reliable; they almost immediately dispersed upon receiving the attackmand, scattering to the peripheries of the battlefield, hiding to seek opportunities for an ambush.


    Luobo, one of the three, realized instantly that an opportunity hade.


    He signaled to Seeking Intoxication and the Cheapskate and stealthily made their way toward the central Mage Group��s position.


    Luobo carefully took cover behind a small mound of earth, observing the position a hundred meters away.


    Soldiers in heavy armor were at the front, and elite soldiers surrounded and protected the entire Mage Corps in the center, rebuking and driving away anyone who tried to approach, even if they were fellow soldiers, making it impossible to get close.


    It seemed that Boditch had also recognized the importance of the Royal Mage Corps and guarded them well, leaving Luobo and hispanions no chance to get close.


    He had already noticed yers with the same idea as theirs being killed by the guards.


    "Don��t rush, just wait."


    Luobo whispered, patientlyying in stealth, and although he had never been on a battlefield, he knew that situations there could change in an instant, and the next second might present a new opportunity.


    As Luobo and the othersy in wait, a sudden change urred within the nearby Boditch army.


    For some soldiers, the ground under their feet suddenly turned into loose mud, sinking continuously with every step;


    The archers�� position was suddenly enveloped by swirling wind and sand, making it impossible to open their eyes;


    And more than anything, the deafening sounds of explosions caused many soldiers to lie t on the ground, too afraid to lift their heads, fearful they��d be sent flying like theirpanions next.


    This unexpected event added to the Boditch army��s chaos, as the Kingdom generals loudly urged the soldiers to pull themselves together and continue the charge.


    After all, although themotion seemed great, the number of casualties was actually not that high.


    Unfortunately, thosemanders were a little too far from the battlefield, and by the time their orders reached the front, the Boditch troops were already engulfed in chaos, beyond control.


    Before long, they couldn��t concern themselves with the battlefield anymore, as their camp in the rear was also under attack, with Fiery Fire spreading uncontrobly among the wooden fences and tents, raging wild.


    All of this was the work of the yers, using the magic scrolls and items prepared by Lis tounch attacks and cause disturbances.


    After using the items, many yers were in on the spot by the enraged Boditch elite; even more yers, having used up their items, didn��t think of retreating but instead drew their weapons and charged at the Boditch soldiers.


    This scene left the Boditch Professionals perplexed; where did the Feis Kingdom find so many unflinchingly brave soldiers, so fierce and valorous?


    Meanwhile, Luoboy quietly on the ground, noting that many mages from the Royal Mage Corps had stopped attacking and turned to deal with all kinds of tricky spell effects within their own lines.


    The elite soldiers guarding the Mage Corps also mobilized some of their number to suppress the chaotic situation around them.


    The remaining forces facing increased pressure concentrated their attention more on the nearby Feis troops, defending against the hail of arrows and javelins, and their vignce toward the rear dropped.


    It was time! Enjoy new tales from NovelBin.C?m


    The three conferred in low voices, and the Stealth expert of the assassin profession, the Cheapskate, moved into stealth first, sneaking over quietly, while Luobo and Seeking Intoxication followed cautiously.


    Hum~


    Just as the situation on the battlefield became increasingly contested, a gigantic ethereal blue fireball about ten meters across appeared in the midst of the battlefield, hovering in mid-air and remaining still above the astonished and fearful gazes of the Royal Mage Corps, not falling.


    Especially the mages on the battlefield, who felt a suffocating pressure from this fireball, disbelief apparent in their eyes.


    "How is this possible?"


    "Who is it?"


    Cries of shock rang out continuously, and the sudden anomaly attracted the attention of everyone around the battlefield.


    Above the fireball, a figure in ck and gold Mage Robe stood calmly in mid-air, looking down cidly on everyone below, as insignificant as ants.


    He spoke softly, yet the people below heard him clearly.


    "General Wendell, I havee for our appointment!"@@novelbin@@

 Chapter 384 - 347: [Force Field Prison] and [Dissociation Technique]

    On the battlefield,


    the Feis Army and the Boditch Army, which had been engaged in fiercebat, seemed to freeze for a moment under this sudden turn of events.


    The Boditch side was shocked by Lis��s sudden move, the huge azure fireball in the sky capturing the attention of everyone on the battlefield. A few soldiers, pale-faced, went weak at the knees and knelt directly onto the bloodstained, muddy ground.


    The three people, who had been stealthily approaching the Boditch Royal Mage Corps, also stopped in their tracks, dumbfounded.


    Although they couldn��t see his face, the familiar voice from the sky made them realize instantly who had appeared!


    Lis Kain!


    Was this big shot originally this strong?


    Although they had seen many battles fought by advanced professionals on the yer forums, none of them was as shocking as this one!


    Even though the yers observing from a distance weren��t in the center of the battlefield like the three, they too recorded the scene excitedly in its entirety.


    On the other side of the battlefield,


    the situation was much better for the Feis troops. Even though they were surprised by Lis��s appearance, the battle-hardened elite soldiers kept moving subconsciously.


    Of course, it might also be because they were not the targets of that terrifying azure fireball.


    "That��s Lis?"


    Duke Rame said softly, hisplexion somewhat unwell.


    The scene that had suddenly unfolded before him had stunned him, but his mature demeanor allowed him to quickly regainposure.


    He had not expected Lis to be so strong, that even from a distance, he could still sense an overwhelming threat.


    "Now I understand why that person would take Marquis Kane as his disciple,"


    Duke Baird remarked with a sigh, his eyes filled with solemnity.


    If before the two dukes had shown closeness and goodwill towards Lis mostly because of his teacher "Judgement me," now Lis, by his own merits, was enough to impress them.


    As top nobles of the Feis Kingdom and gold-level professionals themselves, although they were not mages, they knew well that what Lis was doing was far beyond what an ordinary gold-level mage could achieve.


    Among the Boditch Royal Mage Corps besides that leader Wendell, there were other gold-level mages, but none exhibited the strength that Lis had shown.


    Noticing the unsurprised expression on Bevis��s face, Duke Baird turned to him and asked:


    "Did you know in advance that Marquis Kane was going to do this?"


    "What is his arrangement with that Wendell?"


    Bevis waved his hand dismissively, speaking a bit helplessly:


    "When he came to me, he only mentioned he intended to make a move during this battle. Who knew he would stir up such amotion?" Discover hidden tales at NovelBin.C?m


    After a pause, Bevis continued:


    "The disturbance that had urred within the Boditch Army just now was probably also a tactic prepared by Lis. Didn��t he mention it before?"


    Duke Rame nodded his head, reflecting with a hint of emotion:


    "I really didn��t expect that Marquis Kane could cause such a disturbance, dispatching so many people to infiltrate the Boditch Army."


    "It��s one thing to use those magic items, but where on earth did he get so many death soldiers?"


    With their keen vision, they could see everything happening in the far distance within the Boditch Army.


    Those figures charged fearlessly toward the Boditch Army, without a moment��s hesitation; only death soldiers, specially raised from a young age, could do such a thing.


    However, the cost of maintaining death soldiers is astonishingly high. The Kane family had been previously unnoticed among the hereditary nobles of the Feis Kingdom, and it was unexpected that they had such resources.


    Bevis, for his part, wasn��t concerned with such thoughts. He was rapidly mobilizing his forces, taking advantage of the chaos within the Boditch Army to prepare for a new round of attack.


    ...


    Above the battlefield, Lis didn��t have to wait long before a familiar figure appeared not far from him in the air.


    It was none other than the Boditch Royal Mage Corps Leader, Grandmaster Wendell.


    At this moment, his attire was different from the modest clothes he wore at theirst meeting; he was dressed in an ornate brown mage robe, holding a deep yellow wand that flickered with magical light in his hand, and his aged face looked much more spirited.


    @@novelbin@@


    Wendell bowed slightly in Lis��s direction, smiling and saying:


    "I��m very pleased to see you again, Mr. Lis!"


    "Even though this asion is somewhat inappropriate, I must express my gratitude."


    Lis nodded, returning a mage��s courtesy to Wendell.


    If it weren��t for the fact that they were in midair above a battlefield where two armies were fiercely fighting below, this scene would seem more like two elegant mages preparing for a friendly sparring match in an academy.


    Lis was well aware of Wendell��s thoughts, having learnt from theirst meeting that the intelligence on this gold mage was urate.


    A respectable elder, almost impable whether in terms of magical power, extraordinary knowledge, or character.


    Since he wanted to have a final confrontation on the battlefield, Lis naturally saw no reason to decline.


    Lis also looked forward to a duel with this powerful gold mage, as it would be a rare experience for him.


    Without further ado, Lis didn��t stand on ceremony and gestured for Wendell to make the first move.


    Their duel wasn��t a mere friendly exchange with points scored; it was a true battle!


    A duel between mages!


    And for this reason, Lis this time didn��t n to use skills from other professions, but relied entirely on his own mastery of magic.

 Chapter 385 - 347: [Force Field Prison] and [Dissociation Technique]_2

    The azure fireball resting at Lis��s feet suddenly trembled and smashed towards Wendell.


    Wendell��s slender frame seemed somewhat tiny in front of the massive fireball, but he didn��t panic in the slightest, instead lightly lifting his magic wand.


    A dull brown shield appeared in front of Wendell, entirely protecting his body within.


    Boom!


    The fireball controlled by Lis mmed hard against the Earth Element shield, and the booming sound erupted on the battlefield.


    As the smoke cleared, Lis noticed that the Earth Element shield in front of Fadel hadn��t shattered, it was full of cracks, and its surface seemed to have melted intova, with azure mes still stubbornly burning on it.


    Lis didn��t care, it was just a probing attack.


    The magic power inside his body began to surge, and hundreds of azure fireballs appeared around Lis��s body, heading towards Wendell from different directions under Lis��s precise control.


    Wendell smiled faintly, this time he didn��t defend, but instead, condensed countless Rock Bombs around his body.


    Under his control, they collided with the iing fireballs one by one, and bits of azure me and debris fell from the sky.


    If the previous was probing each other��s magic power, now they werepeting in spell control.


    The mages of the Boditch Royal Mage Corps below watched the performance of those two above with stupefaction, it seemed to them like a disy of showing off skills.


    The spells controlled by both sides canceled each other out, and until now, neither Lis nor Wendell had moved from their positions.


    This also meant that neither had gained the upper hand.


    Lis��s mind was highly focused, his strong spiritual power, honed countless times, yed a very important role at this moment.


    In such a contest, Lis was clear that he was still inferior in terms of spell control to Wendell, who had been immersed in the study of magic for more than a century.


    The reason he could keep up was due to his far superior spiritual powerpared to his peers, which allowed him to barely keep up with Wendell��s actions.


    Just a brief exchange, and Lis had already felt the strength of Wendell.


    As a Gold Advanced mage, Wendell��s magic power was even stronger than Lis��s, who had many powerful specialty bonuses.


    Moreover, having immersed himself in the study of magic for long years, Wendell��s abilities in all aspects were extremely solid, with virtually no weaknesses.


    However, Lis didn��t get discouraged, but became even more excited.


    He could feel his control over magic slowly improving under the pressure Wendell brought.


    Lis hadn��t expected such gain, and his spirits lifted even more, immersing himself deeper in the battle.


    Wendell, on the other hand, seemed to have noticed something too, a mild smile on his face, but his movements did not rx in the least.


    After the exchange between fireballs and Rock Bombs for a moment, a glint appeared in Lis��s eyes, and an ice blue Ice Cone exuding extreme cold appeared above Wendell��s head, smashing down hard on him.


    Wendell naturally noticed the flow of Lis��s magic power, and in an instant, he sensed the attack from above. Read exclusive content at NovelBin.C?m


    Different from before, Wendell did not choose to defend, but his figure appeared in the distant midair.


    The huge blue Ice Cone harshly passed through the position where Wendell had just been, falling down below.


    Luckily, the ce of their battle had moved away from where the Mage Group was located, but even so, a few unlucky Boditch soldiers were affected by the falling Ice Cone, and the pale white chill that emanated when the Ice Cone shattered turned those nearby into ice sculptures.


    [Teleportation Technique]?


    No, it��s the Three-Circle Magic [Dimension Step]!


    Lis looked at Wendell��s figure and immediately reacted.


    [Dimension Step], as a Space Magic, is not as powerful as [Teleportation Technique]. The principle of this Spell is to use a Magic Rune markerid out in advance to allow a creature or object to achieve short-distance space hops.


    This skill can be unexpectedly effective inbat, but it is very susceptible to space interference, so Lis hardly ever used this skill.


    @@novelbin@@


    Wendell was clearly aware of this as well, and he could only use this skill once in front of Lis, for next time Lis would be prepared.


    That Wendell chose this moment to use this skill, naturally he had his own ns.


    Seven-Circle Shaping Magic [Force Field Prison]!


    An invisible prison appeared around Lis��s body, the powerful pressure restricting his movement.


    Lis frowned, feeling the strongpressive force from all directions, and quickly realized that this was the effect of Wendell��s Spell.


    After sessfully using this magic to restrict Lis��s movements, a vast amount of magical power diffused around Wendell, rings upon rings of intricate Magic Arrays appeared around him, flickering with dazzling Spirit Light.


    Clearly, Wendell was preparing a very powerful Spell.


    -----------------


    [You are affected by Wendell��s Seven-Circle Shaping Magic [Force Field Prison] effect!]


    ...


    [[Force Field Prison] (Seven-Circle Shape Changing Magic): Create an immobile, invisible prison made only of force fields. When the prison is created, any creature within that area must make a Resilience check. If the creature fails the check, they will be trapped inside the prison. If the check seeds, they will be pushed outside the prison.


    Note: If the target��s volume exceeds the space of the generated prison, the Spell will automatically fail!]


    ...


    [You make a Resilience check for [Force Field Prison]]

 Chapter 386 - 347 [Force Field Prison] and [Dissociation Technique]_3

    [Judging.....]


    [Judgment failed, you cannot leave the Force Field Prison! Current prison duration: 1 minute] Experience more tales on NovelBin.C?m


    ----------------


    Noticing the refreshed information on the panel, Lis was somewhat surprised.


    He knew the Skill "Force Field Prison," but in his previous life, he had not mastered this skill.


    It was a quite powerful restrictive skill that could seal enemies within a fixed area and limit their movements.


    However, this skill was quite rare, with few ways to master it; unexpectedly, it had appeared on Wendell.


    Through Elemental Vision, Lis indeed saw the cage around him, emitting a faint Spirit Light.


    But Lis did not panic. Although his resilience assessment failed and he was confined to the cage, unlike other mages, his spellcasting was not affected.


    "Force Field Prison" might be troublesome, but Lis knew how to break this spell.


    Six-Ring Transformation Magic "Dissociation Technique"!


    A pale green ray shot from Lis��s fingertips directly towards the force field bars of the surrounding cage. Under the effect of "Dissociation Technique," the Force Field Prison dispersed as rapidly as snow melting under fiery fire, and soon Lis freed himself from the constraints.


    The spell "Force Field Prison" was immune to counter-spell effects of equal or lower ring level, but it could not withstand the destructive effect of "Dissociation Technique."


    The name "Dissociation Technique" was somewhat simr to "Magic Duncan��s Disintegration Technique," or the Nine-Circle Spell "Great Fragmentation Skill," but the principles of the two spells were not the same.


    The effect of "Dissociation Technique" was that any creature or item hit by the ray would suffer damage proportional to the caster��s Intelligence Attribute bonus. Creatures reduced to below 0 Life Value by the spell instantly vanished, leaving behind only some dust, while the equipment on the dissociated creatures remained unaffected.


    This ray could also affect items made of force fields (besides "Force Field Prison", this includes "Bigby��s Flying Palm Strike" or "Power Wall Skill").


    However, "Great Fragmentation Skill" was not a transformation magic but a Protection Magic. Its effect was to disintegrate all magical effects and magic items in the area, except for those carried or touched by the caster.


    That is to say, spell effects and spell-type effects would terminate as if affected by "Dispel Magic," disintegrating into their originalponents.


    Magic items must undergo a will check; failing which they revert to ordinary items. If the magic item belongs to a creature, the will check bonus can be calcted based on the higher value between the item or the creature.


    This was the much-feared "Ruining Technique," a lesson learned from countless bitter experiences.


    This special skill would not cause damage to creatures, but sometimes death might seem preferable!


    Although Lis thought through a lot during this process, in the outside world it all happened in the span of a breath.


    In Wendell��s view, within two or three seconds of being seemingly sessfully confined by "Force Field Prison," Lis recognized and rapidly broke the spell.


    @@novelbin@@


    Is this what makes a genius?


    Wendell thought in his heart, is this the disciple of the legendary teacher?


    Not only powerful but alsoprehensive inbat experience and knowledge, even the obscure knowledge of the "Force Field Prison" spell is quite clear.


    But he no longer had time to marvel, as Lis, having escaped, was already swiftly charging towards him, stopping the incipient Nine-Circle Spell "Sun me Burst" in his hands.


    Although his prepared spell was interrupted, Wendell for the first time genuinely smiled.


    This is good!


    This is best!


    It has been a long time since he felt this excited!


    "Haha!"


    Wendellughed loudly, feeling as if he was back in his vibrant youth, craving the sh with powerful adversaries, longing for that unique spark ignited in battle!


    Come on!


    Wendell��s eyes zed as he looked at Lis��s young and handsome face, his Magic Power and thoughts boiling inside him.

 Chapter 387 - 348: [Silent Zone] and [Mental Confusion]

    In the mid-air of the battlefield, countless dazzling streams of magic crisscrossed, as brilliant as a carefully prepared fireworks show.


    However, the soldiers below on the battlefield had no mood to appreciate it, knowing that these seemingly beautiful streams of light contained extremely terrifying powers.


    Lis and Wendell, almost simultaneously, tried to contain the spells in the mid-air as much as possible, but even so, residual magical attacks asionally falling onto the battlefield still caused considerable casualties.


    Just after Lis had appeared on the battlefield, the momentum of the Boditch Royal Mage Group was suppressed by him alone for a while.


    Though Wendell soon appeared, the morale of the Boditch Army inevitably dipped a bit.


    At the same time, during the pause when the Mage Group ceased their attacks, Feis��s army did not stop attacking.


    An elitebination formation began to push forward under Bevis��smand, while other infantry units quickly moved toward the perimeters of the battlefield to engage the defending Boditch soldiers and mercenaries, with the cavalry dispersing to attack the scattered formations.


    Although the Boditch Army greatly outnumbered Feis��s forces, the battle was soon on the verge of copse.


    Already weaker inbat strength and morose in spirit, the soldiers could barely hold the line, but sudden internal attacks plunged the unit into chaos; had it not been for the supervising force behind them, many soldiers might have even turned and fled.


    The biggest problem for the Boditch Army now was the chaos engulfing it.


    The recent attacks by yers and Lis��s intervention had instilled fear in the Boditch soldiers,plicating the execution ofmands and making it difficult to ry orders to every soldier.


    Trying to reorganize the troops under the fierce attack of Feis��s army was beyond the capabilities of the Bodici Nobles�� generals.


    The same situation also provided others with an opportunity to exploit.


    @@novelbin@@


    Radishy prone honestly on the ground, where just moments before, a remnant trail of pale blue mes had scorched a huge pit right in front of him.


    At this point, Feis��s attack was fiercely intense, forcing Radish and his twopanions to take refuge under a slope to avoid the barrage of arrows.


    Even now, the sounds of explosions constantly bombarded their ears, with flesh and blood flying everywhere.


    Although some yers had stayed in Luminous Stone City, the more than a thousand yers still on the battlefield were a terrifying force.


    Over half a year since theunch of the "Divine Revtion" game, the yers had grown ustomed to this world. Although initially shocked when they joined the battlefield, those unafraid of death quickly adapted.


    Since they had not self-destructed yet, those who remained were mostly the veterans, ready to seize a big opportunity.


    And because of this reason, any slight recovery in the disarray within the Boditch Army would be disrupted again.


    Radish cautiously peeked over the slope, then quickly withdrew his head.


    But he noticed that the defenses around the Boditch Royal Mage Group were no longer as tight as before.


    The guards who originally surrounded the Mage Group were Boditch Kingdom��s only remaining heavy-armored soldiers, but due to increasing pressure on the main battleground,manders had been forced to redeploy more soldiers to the front lines fighting Feis��s troops.


    Though other soldiers were also reassigned to defend other directions, some chaoticmands still created numerous vulnerabilities.


    Especially as explosions and spells like quicksand asionally urred, the central part of the Boditch Army was in utter disarray.


    Compelled by circumstances,manders ordered the guards to attack anyone approaching the Mage Group. Maintaining the Royal Mage Group was critical for continuing the war; otherwise, the Boditch Army faced utter defeat.


    In Radish��s eyes, several familiar yers stealthily moving toward the Mage Group were directly killed.


    "Invincible Scoundrel, can you still handle this?"


    Radish wiped the mud off his face and kicked the scoundrel beside him.


    "Shh~ Shut up!"


    The scoundrel cursed softly and took a few deep breaths to calm himself down.


    "How can ying a game be so nerve-racking, you��re such a scaredy-cat?"


    Seeking Intoxication taunted the scoundrel, but he was actually very nervous himself, his right hand holding the longbow sweating profusely.


    "Stop talking nonsense, Radish, do you have a n?"


    [Invincible Scoundrel] ignored his friend��s taunt. For some reason, although he felt very anxious just a moment ago, a sudden rush of excitement surged in his heart after calming down a bit.


    It was thrilling and exhrating! Discover hidden tales at NovelBin.C?m


    Radish, the calmest of the trio, after confirming Invincible Scoundrel was okay, said to him:


    "We��re about sixty meters away from the Mage Group. I just checked, and those soldiers will attack anyone whoes within thirty meters of them."


    "You know about the items we have; the two most crucial items work better the closer we are. Invincible, you..."


    "Stop the chatter, just tell me what you need me to do?"


    The scoundrel said, understanding Radish��s hint as a friend ying the game together.


    Moreover, whenever Radish had something serious, he would call him Invincible; otherwise, he��d just be scoundrel. He had gotten used to this guy��s ways.


    "Look!"


    Radish pulled the scoundrel and carefully poked their heads out, pointing toward a low hill to their front right.

 Chapter 388 - 348 Silent Zone and Mental Confusion_2

    "That��s forty meters away from the Mage Group��s location. In a moment, we��ll sneak over there, and afterward, I have a tough task for you!"


    Lis solemnly patted the trickster��s shoulder, speaking earnestly.


    "Am I going to act as bait?"


    The trickster was somewhat speechless. He knew just by looking that Lis had no good n brewing; he had been tricked by these two "good brothers" more than once before.


    As the saying goes, when there is no danger, brothers are the greatest danger.


    "There��s no other way, only you��re an assassin. Seeking Intoxication and I would turn into hedgehogs the moment we stepped out."


    Lis spread his hands helplessly, speaking resignedly.


    "And then?"


    The trickster continued asking. Necessary sacrifices in strategizing tasks were not a problem.


    Besides, the three of them were in a team status, so all task progress was synchronized. They didn��t need to worry about dying beforepleting the task.


    "Some assassins tried to stealth earlier, but there seems to be some scouting methods there; even in Stealth State, you can be detected, so you can��t get too close."


    Lis said seriously, his brain whirring at full speed.


    "At about thirty meters, those soldiers will attack with bows and arrows; they must be Hunters, getting too close is too dangerous, and dying instantly would be pointless."


    "Invincible,ter you stealth over there, just linger around the thirty-meter area and try to attract as much attention as possible."


    "You have the highest agility attribute so you should be able to dodge the opponent��s bow and arrow attacks."


    "Based on previous tactics, once they find that bows and arrows are useless, they will likely send a small squad of soldiers to pursue and kill you."


    "Seeking Intoxication and I will give all our bombs to you. When you see the enemy soldiers approaching, don��t hesitate to use the bombs; drag it out as long as you can."


    "At that time, Seeking Intoxication and I will wait at the low hill. When it��s time, just throw a few smoke bombs in the ce between us and the Mage Group to obscure their view, and we��ll sneak over."


    The smoke bombs mentioned by Lis weren��t obtained from the Magic Items prepared by Lis; they were made from materials gathered by the trio, part of their preparations.


    "Whether we seed or not depends on how long you can hold them off!"


    Lis said in a low voice. To be honest, this n wasn��t very clever�� like their homemade smoke bombs based on real-world methods to obscure lines of sight but could not block Magic Power detection.


    They could only hope that the Boditch Army wouldn��t be too vignt by that time.


    "Alright, let��s do it like that!"


    The trickster had no objections and even became more excited.


    Having received the prepared tools from the two men, the trio sneaked behind that low hill.


    "Then I��m going over."


    The trickster calmed his emotions, entered Stealth State, and approached the Mage Group��s direction.


    To minimize the chances of Lis and the others being discovered, the trickster deliberately took a small detour in a different direction before heading toward the Mage Group.


    @@novelbin@@


    Before the trickster even got within thirty meters, a long arrow whistled through the air, piercing the ground fiercely right at the trickster��s feet.


    This was a warning from the Boditch Army, telling him to leave immediately.


    They couldn��t help it; because of the presence of the Mage Group, the area around the Mage Group was considered one of the safest ces, and many ordinary soldiers of Boditch wanted to run over and stay there.


    The guard soldiers couldn��t distinguish the identities of those approaching. Being able to fire an arrow in advance as a warning was already kind-hearted of the hunter who spotted the trickster.


    But the trickster was not appreciative.


    What a joke, he was here on a suicide mission, right?


    Since they were the first to arrive at the warehouse prepared by Lis, naturally, the Magic Items they obtained were the strongest and most numerous.


    If not for the limitations on these items, they would even want to im that warehouse for themselves.


    Now, the trickster, solely in terms of alchemy tools like bombs, had a dozen or so on him.


    The trickster didn��t hesitate. After bing a Transcendent Professional, his physical abilities had greatly increased. He forcefully threw a bomb towards the Boditch Army formation ahead. Your next read is at NovelBin.C?m


    Then the trickster quickly retreated backwards, observing the effect of the bomb.


    But he was quickly disappointed. As the spherical alchemy product slid through the air, a long arrow urately hit it.


    Boom!


    A loud explosion sounded not far from the Mage Group.


    This kind of bomb was specially made by Lis. Its power was mediocre, but the noise and disturbance it created were very loud, perfect for disorienting the army.


    Before the trickster could reflect, he saw a squad of people rushing towards him rapidly from the front.


    Since this assassin used a bomb, he was definitely an enemy; they couldn��t possibly let him off easily.


    The squading to deal with the trickster was all Transcendent Professionals, including Hunters capable of locking onto the assassin��s position.


    Seeing this, the trickster didn��t hesitate. If he died here, even without losing items, he would have to wait for cooldown time to pass before respawning at his home��s Resurrection point in Luminous Stone City, and by then it would be toote.


    The trickster, an experienced bait assassin, first rolled forward to dodge the arrows shot by the enemy, then threw a smoke bomb towards the pursuing squad.


    Bang~


    A pale white smoke quickly spread across the battlefield. As the smoke rose, the trickster threw another alchemy bomb into it.


    Without stopping to observe the effects of the explosion, the trickster quickly turned around to retreat.


    At that moment, he realized, since the squad wasn��t at the explosion��s core, it was easy for the Shield Guard in the soldier squad to block the bomb��s damage with a shield.

 Chapter 389 - 348 Silent Zone and Mental Confusion_3

    However, seemingly wary of the alchemy bombs on the loser��s body, this squad didn��t pursue him too closely, which gave him a chance to catch his breath.


    There was no doubt that the soldiers in this squad were all transcendent professionals whose strength was likely superior to the loser��s.


    The loser didn��t dare let his guard down; he was extremely tense, keeping a close eye on the attackers�� moves and ready to roll out of the way at any moment.


    Although "Divine Revtion" the game didn��t have invincibility frames for rolling, the sess rate for such evasions was still quite high.


    At the same time, the loser also noticed that the white smoke he had created with the smoke bomb was blown away directly by the shock wave from an explosion.


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    Need to be careful not to throw alchemy bombs towards the radish��s direction anymore.


    After throwing a few more alchemy bombs to force the pursuing squad to dodge, the loser also threw a smoke bomb to both his left and right.


    One of them, the smoke bomb on the right,nded just before the slope where Radish and his team were located.


    Here it goes!


    Radish noticed the smoke bomb thrown by the loser, took a deep breath, and prepared to move forward.


    As the white smoke began to rise, Seeking Intoxication and Radish quietly emerged from behind the slope.


    To minimize the chances of being spotted, the two didn��t care about the mud and blood on the ground; theyy t and crawled toward the direction of the Mage Group.


    The loser had no energy to pay attention to Radish and the others�� actions, he didn��t even have time to read the messages that Radish sent him.


    Because the Boditch soldiers were getting close, the loser could even make out the angry expressions on their faces, wishing they could tear him apart.


    Which was normal; after all, anyone would be furious after being bombed so many times and would want to kill the damned guy before them on the spot.


    Are we done yet? I can��t hold on much longer!


    The loser mused inwardly, but his movements didn��t slow down one bit.


    For some reason, the loser suddenly felt that his reactions were much faster; he twisted his waist and dodged the long spear thrown from behind.


    "Eat shit!"


    The loser threw another alchemy bomb backward, whichnded directly in front of the squad members behind him.


    The warrior in front was quick to react. With a clever move of his longsword, he deftly directed the flying alchemy bomb to his left and behind.


    ...


    With a headache, Radish and Seeking Intoxication observed the situation ahead of them; through the smoke that was gradually dispersing, they were nearly twenty meters away from the Royal Mage Corps.


    The good news was that they hadn��t been strung along by the Boditch Army, but thisst bit of distance felt like a vast chasm!


    "Rush through it?"


    Seeking Intoxication asked in a whisper, lying on the ground.


    @@novelbin@@


    "No, that��s too risky; we don��t have a second chance," Radish replied.


    Before the two could agree on a n, a pale cyan wind suddenly swept across the battlefield.


    It was a wind magic spell cast by the Boditch Royal Mage Group. Although their target wasn��t Radish and others, it still dispersed the smoke where they were hiding.


    Fuck!


    The two instinctively prepared to y dead on the ground.


    Thud!


    A sound came from behind them; Radish nced back, and he saw a very familiar gray orbnd on the ground.


    Fuck! An alchemy bomb!


    Without time to think about where the alchemy bomb came from, ignoring the risk of being discovered, Radish pulled out a shield from his backpack to protect him and Seeking Intoxication.


    Boom!


    The violent st, along with the shield, sent the two flying through the air; the immense pain in his arm made Radish regret not setting his pain sensitivity to the lowest.


    It��s broken!


    That was the first thought that crossed Radish��s mind.


    I��m now in the middle of the Boditch Royal Mage Group!


    That was his second thought.


    Boditch soldiers, seeing Radish and Seeking Intoxication hurled over by the bomb, thought they were fellow sufferers and didn��t attack them.


    Just then, the soldiers saw the two, in a pitiable state covered in blood, simultaneously pull out an orb glowing with conspicuous magic light and full of special Magic Runes and crush them in an instant.


    Minstrel��s high-level spell [Silent Zone]!


    Mage Seven-Circle Magic [Mental Confusion]!

 Chapter 390 - 349: Wendell’s Gratitude

    Apanying the dazzling magic glow that burst before the eyes of the Boditch Soldiers, Radish and Seeking Intoxication simultaneously triggered the special magic items in their hands.


    The invisible fluctuations suddenly spread outwards, like a breeze brushing across their faces.


    The Boditch Soldiers, who were preparing to surround them, were shocked and involuntarily closed their eyes under the zing light.


    Is this also a bomb?


    The hearts of the Boditch Soldiers went cold, but after a moment, they didn��t feel any impacting.


    It��s not a bomb?


    A soldier beside Radish and hispanion opened his eyes, ready to call out for the support of hisrades.


    But for some reason, why couldn��t any sounde out of his throat?


    Just as he was about to move forward to kill the two in front of him, the gun in his hand suddenly froze in ce.


    Who am I?


    Where am I?


    What am I doing?


    ...


    This situation wasn��t unique to the soldier by Radish��s side. Other elite soldiers and mages of the Boditch Royal Mage Group all fell into the same state.


    This left all mages who were casting spells choking mid-incantation, with magic spells getting stuck in their throats��some of the unlucky fellows even got severely injured by magic bacsh.


    For mages, the process of reciting incantations isn��t a necessity; it��s more of a help to organize magic power and construct magic models.


    Mages skilled enough don��t need to recite magic spells to cast them; that��s the advanced skill [Spellcasting Without Incantation]!


    To master this skill, a mage needs extensive training and exceptional talent��which is quite difficult, so very few mages can do it.


    Therefore, only a few, three or four, within the Boditch Royal Mage Group had mastered [Spellcasting Without Incantation].


    Just as the few who had mastered [Spellcasting Without Incantation] were reacting and preparing to cast spells to dispel the [Silent Zone], they suddenly stopped their hands, not knowing what to do.


    The effect of [Mental Confusion] made everyone in the area forget what they were about to do next.


    This was the special gift that Lis had prepared for the Boditch Royal Mage Group.


    [Silent Zone] is one of the special spells of the extraordinary profession, Minstrel, which Lis obtained from Ariel.


    Ariel, destined to be a Gold Rank Minstrel and one of the Pirate Kings, possessed numerous special spells, allowing Lis to greatly augment his skill reserves in this area.


    The exclusive Minstrel and Priest spells [Silent Zone], [Silence Technique] that Lis acquired this time, could both achieve the effect of silencing the opponent.


    The only difference is that [Silence Technique] has a smaller area of effect and is easier to break.


    [Silent Zone] actually controls sound waves in a specific area, able to achieve the effect of silence and also control spell effects based onnguage and sound waves��an advanced spell in this category.


    [Mental Confusion] is also one of the high-level spells. This advanced magic imposes a [Chaos Technique] effect on all beings within its range.


    If they fail the resolve check, just like those from the Boditch Royal Mage Group, they��ll subconsciously forget what they��re doing and what they want to do.


    Under the effects of these two advanced spells, the mages of the Boditch Royal Mage Group almost instantly lost their ability to cast spells.


    The two items that Lis created were the oues of his research after breaking through to the Gold Rank.


    This type of magic item is by engraving magic models on special materials, which can be activated through a special method to take effect.


    This method is simr to the fixed magic on various magic equipment, except one has a one-time effect, and the other has a fixed, recoverable effect.


    Experience exclusive tales on NovelBin.C?m


    Easy to say, but the two special items that Lis made contained advanced magic with intricate andplex magic models. To fix them onto small items and imbue them with magic power was even harder.


    ...


    @@novelbin@@


    On the frontline battlefield, the Feis army, which was enduring the Bodici Mage Group��s attack, felt the pressure lighten and were somewhat puzzled as to what had happened. However, under the decisive order of theirmander, they directly rushed toward the position of the Mage Group.


    At the same time, countless arrows rained down, already injuring many mages.


    "Damn, is it that powerful?"


    Radish, gravely injured, looked at the Boditch Soldiers around him, who had turned into motionless figures, with a shocked face. Overjoyed, he prepared to pull out the only alchemy bomb he had on him.


    Suddenly, he found himself frozen, utterly unable to control his body.


    ---------------


    [You have been affected by [Silent Zone]!]


    [You have entered a [Silence] status!]


    ...


    [You have been affected by [Mental Confusion]!]


    [You need to make a willpower check!]


    [Check failed!]


    [You have entered a [Chaos State]!]


    ---------------


    So now Radish and Seeking Intoxication, like the Boditch Soldiers and mages around them, were temporarily stunned in ce.


    Damn!


    This spell doesn��t distinguish between friends and foes!


    Radish and Seeking Intoxication had no choice. Although their minds were clear, they simply could not control their own bodies and could only watch helplessly as the responsive Boditch Soldiers killed them.


    [Chaos State] isn��t a control effect like [Dizzy], which prevents action, it just makes it much harder to control one��s own movements.


    But in such a state, it��s practically impossible to useplex and intricate magic.


    Just as the Feis army was about to take advantage of the Boditch Royal Mage Group��s confusion topletely crush them, a sudden change urred.

 Chapter 391 - 349 Wendell’s Gratitude_2

    A massive, bottomless fissure suddenly appeared between the Boditch Army and the Feis Army, while countless arrows shot towards the Royal Mage Corps were also blocked by an enormous barrier.


    "Ah~"


    A sigh arose as Wendell��s aged figure suddenly appeared on the battlefield, standing in front of the Feis Army.


    This sudden turn of events made the Feis Army stop in their tracks and cautiously observe the situation ahead, although Wendell, the leader of the Royal Mage Corps, had never taken action in previous wars, his renown was well known to many.


    Especially the Feis elite troops who had been entangled with the Boditch Royal Mage Corps.


    Seeing this from behind, Bevis hurriedly ordered the Golden Lion Knights to advance.


    "Wendell, what are you doing?"


    Lis appeared in front of the Feis Army, frowning at Wendell.


    He, who had gained immensely from the intense battle with Wendell, had not expected Wendell to risk taking a hit just to protect the Royal Mage Corps.


    Seeing the abnormal status of the mages in the Mage Corps, he knew that his preemptive arrangements were effective and the effects were indeed significant, directly causing the Mage Corps to temporarily lose theirbat strength.


    The Feis Army could have taken this opportunity to secure victory, but Wendell stopped them.


    It was rather inappropriate for Wendell to do this, given the respect Lis had already shown him.


    If it hadn��t been so, the fate of those mages in the Mage Corps would have been even more miserable had Lis personally taken action.


    "I��m sorry, but I have no choice," Wendell slowly shook his head, a hint of apology on his aged face.


    "These are all my children; I just can��t bear to see them die here like this."


    "Teacher..."


    Pedy was sitting on the ground, his luxurious Mage Robe stained with ck mud.


    If they hadn��t focused all their energy on attacking the Feis Army, they wouldn��t have been so easily ambushed and caught off guard.


    Lis shook his head and calmly said,


    "Lord Wendell, you should understand that war is not a game of kindness."


    "Since you have already made your final decision, why do you stop us?"


    Wendell sighed and said with a wry smile,


    "How about this, I will have all members of the Royal Mage Corps leave the battlefield from now on and not be enemies with the Feis Kingdom anymore. Can you let them go this time?"


    Lis fell silent for a moment and then shook his head:


    "That��s impossible. Although I trust your promise, who knows what choices they themselves will make?"


    "There��s only one choice, surrender immediately starting now!"


    "I assure you, once the war is over, I will give them back their freedom, and they can even choose to join the Feis Kingdom directly."


    "In the name of Marquis Kane!"


    Wendell did not decide immediately, but looked down at the mages below, who were panicking. Among them were some who had joinedter, but most had been disciples whom he had personally trained.


    The Boditch Kingdom had fallen and was about to be destroyed; these disciples were now hisst concern.


    He had thought he had let go of everything and that his disciples would have to find their own way in the future.


    But when he realized that his children, whom he regarded as his own, were about to be ughtered by the Feis Army, he could not help himself.


    "Then as you wish, I trust you, Lord Lis."


    Wendell nodded despondently, representing the Boditch Royal Mage Corps�� choice toy down their weapons and surrender to the Feis Army.


    @@novelbin@@


    His voice clearly reached everyone below, and the soldiers and mages who hadn��t recovered yet stirred, but ultimately, no one continued to resist.


    For the Boditch Kingdom, they did not want to stake their lives.


    "Is that eptable, Lord Bivis?"


    Lis turned his head to look at Bivis, who had just arrived nearby, and asked in a deep voice.


    Bivis was speechless; you��ve already made your decision, what else could I say?


    However, capturing the main forces of the Boditch Royal Mage Corps was mainly thanks to Lis��s nning, and the final oue was quite satisfactory, so he nodded to Lis, indicating there were no issues.


    What was more important was that the surrender of the Boditch Royal Mage Corps meant that thest elite resistance force of the Boditch Kingdom had also disintegrated, and the remaining soldiers and nobles could not possibly stop the Feis Army��s advance.


    The final battle was won by the Feis Kingdom!


    It wouldn��t be long before the Boditch Kingdom would bepletely swept into the trash heap of history, never to see the light of day again.


    "Wendell, in that case, you might as well..."


    Watching Wendell, Bivis also realized something and began to persuade him.


    "No need, Bivis."


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    Wendell cut off Bivis��s persuasion, his mind already made up with no need for further hesitation.


    "Lord Lis, it��s actually quite fortunate to meet you at thisst moment."


    A sincere smile appeared on Wendell��s face, and he immediately vanished from the ce.


    Lis did not answer but shook his head and followed after Wendell.


    Did the old man not want his disciples to see his final moments?


    Seeing the two leave, Bivis touched his graying beard somewhat helplessly.


    That��s the problem with warriors; he couldn��t even follow to watch the excitement.


    Mages who mastered Space Magic were really annoying!


    Bivis could only turn around and have his men take control of those mages and soldiers, while also ordering the cavalry to pursue the fleeing Boditch Soldiers and the infantry to clean up the battlefield.


    As for those Bodici Nobles who were supposed tomand, noticing the dire situation, they had already run off without a trace.

 Chapter 392 - 349 Wendell’s Gratitude_3

    In this aspect, their abilities were still very strong.


    ...


    In the distance in midair, the figures of Lis and Wendell appeared here.


    Both of them seemed quite rxed at the moment, not at all like they had just been battling for a long time.


    Wendell looked at Lis and, without continuing the conversation, the magic power within him began to boil, and the ground beneath his feet started to crack and rise.


    A twenty-meter-high earth elemental giant appeared in front of Lis, emitting a formidable aura.


    Interesting!


    Lis��s eyes brightened, he had seen this type of Earth Magic before, it was an advanced version of the "Earth Puppet Technique," a special proprietary arcane.


    Each arcanist��s "Earth Puppet Technique" was slightly different, and the earth elemental giant that Wendell summoned was quite powerful.


    He truly was a specialist in Earth Magic arcanist!


    Unlike summoning an elemental giant, this earth puppet had no consciousness of its own and waspletely controlled by the mage user.


    The earth elemental giant, just after appearing, tore a huge clump of earth from the ground and hurled it at Lis in midair.


    Lis could see clearly, the earth flying towards him gathered into a huge grey boulder in midair.


    Earth Magic "Mud to Stone"!


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    Although the attack was quite swift, Lis��s reaction was faster, and he quickly dodged the earth puppet��s attack.


    But then he saw countless rock-sized stones raining down on him!


    Not done yet, huh!


    @@novelbin@@


    A massive teal barrier appeared in front of Lis, all the stones that hit the barrier shattered into powder as if they were struck by numerous sharp des.


    "Indeed!"


    Wendell��s eyes lit up as he sensed a familiar aura.


    An Extraordinary Domain rted to the Wind Attribute!


    A smile appeared on Wendell��s face; it was rare to encounter a young mage who had mastered an Extraordinary Domain at thest moment.


    In an instant, two rings of deep yellow and earthy brown light surrounded Wendell.


    Extraordinary Domain��Earth!


    Extraordinary Domain��Heavy Rock!


    Enhanced by the two forces of extraordinary power, the height of the earth elemental giant beneath Wendell increased by many meters, reaching over thirty meters, and its aura became much more condensed, almost turning into a rock giant.


    "So strong!"


    Lis, looking at the terrifyingly powerful Wendell below, couldn��t help but feel emotional.


    Wendell might be the strongest Golden Rank opponent he had ever fought; although elderly, his magic skills and power were more sophisticated and indeed stronger than his own.


    But the final victor is still me!


    Three different-colored Extraordinary Domains shined around Lis, terrifying blue-white thunder mixed with massive teal Wind des ferociously striking down at the earth elemental giant below.


    ...


    As the sky darkened, a blood-red sunset hung at the horizon.


    The once picturesque mountain forest had turned to ashes, thend shattered, scarred, with traces of destruction caused by the residual magic everywhere.


    Lis��s condition was not good; his ck-golden Mage Robe was nearly destroyed, his body bore several deep bone-exposing wounds from magic attacks, and his face was somewhat pale, but he still stood firm on the ground.


    Strong physical attributes allowed him to endure till now, those injuries were all superficial and would heal quickly.


    In contrast, the severely injured Wendelly in front of him amidst the broken stones of thepletely destroyed earth elemental giant.


    Wendell barely lifted his head, his neatly-kept hair nowpletely dirtied and blood-stained, his Mage Robe burned entirely,cking his previousposure.


    However, his face showed no trace of regret or pain, instead, he wasughing heartily:


    "You win, thank you!"

 Chapter 393 - 350: Colorful Light Explosion!

    Dusk was fast approaching, the blood-red sunset slowly fading, swallowed by the night��s inky darkness.


    The battered battlefield seemed to showcase the terrifying aspect of a battle between two Gold-level Mages yet every battle ultimately has an oue.


    "Lord Wendell, do you have anything else you wish to say?"


    Lis heard the system��s prompt by his ear but he did not open the system to check it; instead, he gently asked the Gold Mage Wendell, whoy on the ground breath growing fainter.


    "Nothing else, ah, even my final wish has been fulfilled!"


    Wendell sighed as he spoke, the fresh blood at the corner of his mouth staining half of his cor, but his eyes sparkled even brighter.


    "Truly worthy of being a disciple of the Judgement me...cough cough... Perhaps someone like you can reach that higher realm."


    "It��s a shame I won��t be able to see it."


    "Perhaps it��s just as well..."


    Wendell slowly closed his eyes and after waiting for a moment, Lis saw the body of the Great Mage gradually turn into sand, eventually dispersing on the spot.


    Without any ceremony, Wendell used hisst bit of strength to leave himself forever within thends of Boditch.


    Lis watched everything transpire in silence, neither intervening to stop it nor helping Wendell heal his wounds.


    All that had happened was Great Mage Wendell��s own choice, Lis had no need and no ce to stop Wendell from embracing the end he had chosen for himself.


    Truth be told, how many people could be like Wendell?


    Whether he had chosen to help the Boditch Kingdom or defect to the Feis Kingdom, his status, power, and authority would not have waned in the slightest, yet in the end, for thend and people he loved, he chose this path.


    Perhaps this was for the best, maybe in the end, he could once again see the Boditch Kingdom he adored in his childhood!


    Lis shook his head, somewhat moved.


    He had not known Wendell previously, nor had he paid attention in his previous life to this ex-leader of the Boditch Royal Mage Group, but the man��s choice had truly shaken him.


    This thrilling battle was indeed unforgettable, giving him a deeper appreciation of the demeanor of a Gold High Order Mage.


    Yet, Wendell��s serene eptance of death made an indelible impression on Lis.


    At least, if the Feis Kingdom ever faced the same peril, Lis would choose to resist, but should he be powerless, he would slip away after giving his all to save his own life.


    Truth be told, since being reborn into this world for a year, everything he had seen was constantly providing him with new experiences.


    Each piece ofnd he traversed, every friend he made, and every event he experienced left a profound memory.


    Unknowingly, the bonds between him and this world had grown increasingly profound!


    Will theree a day in the future when I will fight so desperately, sacrificing everything for something?


    Lis pondered in his heart as the Jade Wand tapped lightly on the ground.


    Boom!


    The ground where Wendell had been just a moment ago cracked open under the influence of the Earth Element, swallowing up everything Wendell had left behind deep under the earth.


    There might have been valuable magical Equipment and items among Wendell��s belongings, but Lis, his emotions stirred, did not wish to im Wendell��s legacy.


    Better to let them rest with Wendell in thend. Experience exclusive tales on NovelBin.C?m


    "This is rather unlike me!"


    Lisughed mockingly at himself, as in the past, he would never have missed an opportunity to loot.


    But Lis didn��t regret it, if only as a sign of respect for Wendell.


    Afterpleting the spell, Lis swayed, barely able to stand upright.


    His Magic Power was almostpletely depleted, and the only reason he remained standing was due to his body��s strength, equivalent to that of a Gold-level Warrior.


    The battle with Wendell had been too intense, both had fought without holding anything back until the veryst moment.


    Wendell was exceedingly mighty, with his spellcasting skills honed to perfection.


    But Lis was no less formidable than Wendell; although his breakthrough to the Gold Level had not been long ago, in his previous life as a yer, he had been a Gold-level Mage, fighting with natural ease.


    Even so, Lis had been breached by Wendell multiple times in his Defensive Magic.


    Had it not been for his robust physical condition, Lis wouldn��t have fared much better than Wendell now.


    Yet the final victor was still Lis!


    @@novelbin@@


    Even though he was weak and wounded, Lis felt extremely gratified at that moment!


    Defeating a seasoned Gold-level Mage like Wendell was a testament to Lis��s strength, securing his ce among the Gold Level elites!


    However, the road ahead for Lis was nowpletely alien.


    After all, in his previous life, not a single yer had managed to break through to the realm of Legend, with no clues on how to approach it.


    Take it slow, no rush!


    Lis, with a good mindset, was not in a hurry; by now, he had the confidence to have the means to protect himself before the arrival of the many disasters and chaos.


    Pulling out a bottle of high-level recovery potion from his storage ring, he poured it into his mouth, feeling the bitter taste spreading across his tongue, and he plopped down on the ground without minding his image.


    Now he didn��t have enough Magic Power to use the [Teleportation Technique] to return to camp, it was best to recover first.


    Lis casually summoned the system panel, and a multitude of information appeared in front of him.


    -----------------


    [Triggered limited challenge mission!]


    [Objective: Defeat Gold Mage Wendell]


    [Reward: Dependent on thepletion of the mission]


    ...


    [As the battle progressed, your mastery of the Extraordinary Domain has deepened!]


    [[Extraordinary Domain��Storm] Level One (30%) increased to (40%)!]

 Chapter 394 - 350 Colorful Light Explosion!_2

    [[Extraordinary Domain��Thunder] Level 1 (30%) raised to (40%)!]


    [[Extraordinary Domain��Wave] Level 1 (0%) raised to (5%)!]


    ...


    [You defeated Grandmaster Wendell (LV170)!]


    [You gained 10 million Experience Points!]


    ...


    [Through intensebat, you defeated Grandmaster Wendell, timed challenge taskpleted!]


    [Starting task reward assessment!]


    [Assessment: Challenge beyond level... Assessment sessful, reward increased!]


    [Assessment: Full-forcebat... Assessment sessful, reward increased!]


    [Assessment (hidden): Strong opponent of the same profession... Assessment sessful, significant reward increase!]


    [Assessmentpleted, taskpletion 200%, rewards being distributed...]


    [You gained 20 million Experience Points!]


    [You gained specialties [Advanced Earth Element Affinity], [Dual Casting], [Combat Quick Wisdom]!]


    [You gained milestone [Bodichi��s messenger of the end]!]


    [You acquired skills [Wendell��s Earth Elemental Giant], [Sun me Burst]!]


    -----------------


    Another Colorful Light Explosion, huh!


    Indeed, the rewards from timed challenges against strong opponents of the same profession are generous!


    Lis merely skimmed through it and nearly got blinded by the brightness.


    This battle with Wendell, including the experience points from the timed challenge, totaled thirty million experience points.


    Although it seems terrifying, for Lis at the Gold Level, it��s significant but not overwhelming.


    The higher the level, the more experience points are needed, andter, even leveling up requires billions of experience points.


    It��s still a long road ahead!


    Although Lis can harvest experience from yers, he has to wait until the yers develop further to gain more experience.


    It looks like he needs to increase his efforts in reaping!


    Lis looked at the system panel, pondering over this matter.


    However, it��s just right, after obtaining the territory of Danerluo Port, there will be more operability for the yers.


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    After all, Lis ns to rebuild a circle of territories, as the current city is far from satisfying for him.


    Besides experience points, the advancement in the Extraordinary Domains was indeed rare.


    This was also because Wendell was a master who controlled two types of Extraordinary Domains and had spent more time researching them than Lis had.


    In the battle, Wendell noticed this and, instead of concealing it, freely demonstrated the wonders and mysteries of the Extraordinary Domains before Lis.


    This was the reason Lis��s Extraordinary Domains made so many breakthroughs in this battle.


    One can only say that Wendell, this master level figure, truly inspires respect.


    The remaining gains are the specialties, milestones, and skills.


    -----------------


    [Specialty [Advanced Earth Element Affinity]: Your affinity with Earth Element Particles has almost reached its peak, you gain a 50% damage boost when using Earth Element Magic, and the rted effects of the Earth Element greatly increase]


    [Specialty [Dual Casting]: Your mastery over Magic Elements and Magic Models has be more proficient, giving you a 1%~9% chance to perform Dual Casting when using a spell, the probability depends on your Luck Value and your mastery of the spell]


    [Specialty [Combat Quick Wisdom]: Once you enter battle, every minute that passes increases your Intelligence Attribute by 1%, up to a maximum of 20% Intelligence Attribute Points. The bonus disappears once you leave battle.]


    @@novelbin@@


    [Milestone [Boditch��s Messenger of the End]: Located outside Luminous Stone City in the final battle, with your strategizing, you utterly crushed Boditch��sst resistance. The Boditch Kingdom has stepped into the Abyss. At the same time, you defeated Grandmaster Wendell, and your fame will spread across thisnd! Reward: +2 Legend Level]


    [Skill [Wendell��s Earth Elemental Giant]: Grandmaster Wendell��s unique arcane innovation, upon use, summons an Earth Elemental Giantpletely obedient to you. The giant��s attack power, defense, life value, resistance, and other attributes are based on your own. Additionally, the giant is adept at multiple Earth Magic spells like [Mud to Stone], [Stone Wall], [Stone Armor Technique], [Petrification Technique], [Gravity Field].]


    [Skill [Sun me Burst]: Eighth-Circle Magic, which creates a scorching fireball at the caster��s chosen location, silently exploding and causing all creatures within the fireball��s range to be blind and suffer (2000 + 200%) fire damage. Creatures that fear sunlight (like the undead) will take double damage.]


    Note: This spell can dispel Dark Magic below the Ninth Circle.


    Casting materials: Sunstone, a perpetual bright me]


    -----------------


    Indeed powerful!


    [Advanced Earth Elemental Affinity] need not be mentioned, it is definitely one of the top-tier magic specialties.


    Lis currently possesses the [Intermediate Earth Elemental Affinity] specialty, but this is only achieved with the aid of [Sphinx��s Wisdom]; his own elemental affinity is indescribably poor.


    After acquiring [Advanced Earth Elemental Affinity], Lis now has advanced affinity in fire, water, and earth elements, which not only enhances hisbat abilities but also ys a significant role in regr arcane research and Magic Rune engraving, making it one of the greatest gains.


    [Dual Casting] specialty is a casting profession��s specialty, and is quite a practicalbat specialty, even though the trigger chance is rtively low, its effects are quite significant. Lis is particrly skilled in that barrage-style magic attack coverage in battles, which directly enhances hisbat power.


    However, the chance of triggering [Dual Casting] for high-level spells is much lower, since those kinds of spells require more precision, and the difficulty of dual casting them is significantly higher.


    Emmmm...


    Reading the note about casting sess rate in [Dual Casting], Lis suddenly had a bold idea.


    Haha, I��ll need to find a good opportunity to try it next time!


    If it works as he imagines, the effect will be tremendously exaggerated!


    The [Combat Quick Wisdom] specialty is somewhat simr to [Dual Casting], both enhancing a mage��s directbat power, and even Grandmaster Wendell is skilled in thebatant style!


    The effect of [Combat Quick Wisdom] is simple and clear: as the battle time extends, it directly increases Lis��s Intelligence Attribute, making it quite a goodbat specialty.


    Lis nodded in satisfaction; acquiring these three mage specialties have elevated his strength to a new level.


    As for the milestone [Boditch��s Messenger of the End], it must represent Lis��s influence in the final decisive battle against the Boditch forces at Feis.


    After all, Lis has literally changed the course of the battlefield, pushing the still barely surviving Boditch troops into the Abyss, giving the Boditch Royal Family a hard kick.


    With some soldiers still remaining in Luminous Stone City, the Boditch Royal Capital, there is no possibility of a turnaround under the Feis Army��s powerful strength.


    Following this battle, the Boditch Kingdom has lost any strength that could counter the Feis Army, especially since the Boditch Royal Family has drawn all military forces to Luminous Stone City in theirst struggle, leaving no capability to resist elsewhere.


    The remaining task for the Feis Army is merely to methodically clear each area.


    The tremendous impact brought personally by Lis earned him two Legend Level Points directly; it��s the most direct manifestation.


    The skill [Wendell��s Earth Elemental Giant] must have been the spell used by Wendell during the battle when he summoned that mud giant, which posed quite a challenge to Lis.


    This mud giant is extremely durable and frighteningly strong; it could be considered a Divine Skill in a head-on battle with army soldiers.


    Lis is also quite envious of this skill; crucially, looking at the skill��s description, the Earth Elemental Giant��s attributes are linked to one��s own. So how powerful would the Earth Elemental Giant spawned from his well-rounded attributes be?


    However, this is after all Wendell��s exclusive arcane, and for better usage, Lis would have to modify it ording to his own needs, which will require some effort.


    The skill [Sun me Burst] is an Eighth-Circle Attack Magic, with quite terrifying effects, and is one of the advanced spells Lis ns to master in the future. Having it directly avable to him now really saves trouble!


    Lis took stock of his rich gains, looked at the fading sky, and stood up to stretch his body.


    After a brief rest and with the aid of potions, about thirty percent of his Magic Power had recovered, which was sufficient.


    The final battle had ended, and Wendell had met his final fate.


    What remained was to head to Luminous Stone City and meet this King John Bertic of Boditch.


    The space pulsed, and Lis��s figure vanished from the spot.


    Bevis and the others had already moved towards Luminous Stone City; with his arrangements, they should soon conquer this glorious but fallen city.


    I��m quite curious what expression His Majesty the King will have when he sees Helen?

 Chapter 395 - 351: Capturing Luminous Stone City

    Luminous Stone City, within the Boditch Royal Pce,


    In the still opulent pce, resplendent in gold, the guards, attendants, and maidservants who usually stood around were nowhere to be seen, yet the atmosphere in the entire pce was unusually oppressive.


    @@novelbin@@


    "Your Majesty, please leave the pce immediately!"


    "It won��t be long before the Feis Army arrives at Luminous Stone City!"


    In front of the throne, several people knelt on the ground, earnestly speaking to the figure above the throne, their words full of urgency.


    The Boditch Army hadpletely copsed, and most of the soldiers had been captured by the Feis Army; those who escaped back to Luminous Stone City had brought back news of a disastrous defeat.


    The entirety of Luminous Stone City was in a state of panic, especially when the gates were desperately attacked by a group of people during the decisive battle, and had beenpletely destroyed.


    Now Luminous Stone City was like a stripped bare beauty, and even the remaining soldiers stationed there simply


    could not resist the invasion of the Feis Army.


    John Bertic still wore his luxurious pure gold royal attire, his corpulent body shaking uncontrobly on the throne,pletely ignoring the advice of the servants below.


    "I won��t leave, I won��t go!"


    "That��s an army of two hundred thousand, I don��t believe it!"


    "How is this possible, what about the Mage Group? What about Wendell? What are they doing!"


    "This can��t be true, Wood, that damned guy, he assured me there would be no problems! How could everything be gone just like that!"


    "I don��t believe it, I don��t believe it! This must be a lie!"


    ...


    The servants below looked up at their king in frenzy, their faces full of anxiety.


    Umonly, they were not average guards and servants, but had been specifically trained from a young age by the Boditch Royal Family, utterly loyal to the Boditch Royal Family, even if it cost them their lives.


    "Your Majesty, during the final battle, Grandmaster Wendell was restrained by Marquis Kane of the Feis Kingdom and is likely in dire straits."


    "The Royal Mage Corps has been disrupted in their formation by the Death Soldiers specially arranged by the Feis Kingdom and has already surrendered."


    "It is estimated that the same person, that Marquis Kane, is behind the attacks on Luminous Stone City��s gates and the armory."


    One of them hurriedly ryed this to John Bertic, with none able to foresee that the oue would be so preposterous.


    "How is this possible, how is this possible!"


    King John��s face turned a bright red, this sudden turn of events hadpletely broken his psychological defenses.


    Initially, the Feis Kingdom��s army had been held at bay outside Luminous Stone City for months, and initially, King John was constantly anxious, fearing that one day he would wake up to news that Feis Army had breached Luminous Stone City.


    Topare, he even considered moving the pce to a location further east, but was eventually dissuaded by his ministers.


    If possible, those noble ministers also wanted to leave, as no one could sleep well so close to the Feis Army.


    But if the king now leaves Luminous Stone City, the situation mightpletely copse at once, leaving no room for recovery.


    While the armies were at a standoff, King John had decided to tighten his belt and use gold coins to support the army and boost morale.


    But after a few days, he suddenly found that it seemed there were no major issues; the Feis Army seemed too exhausted to breach the defenses outside Luminous Stone City.


    If that was so, why waste so many gold coins? He might as well enjoy them himself.


    Thus, the King of Boditch resumed his previous indulgent lifestyle, wallowing in pleasures and even fantasizing that one day the Feis Army might simply withdraw.


    But who could have expected that just as June began, such bad news woulde his way.


    "Marquis Kane, who is that?"


    "I want him dead!"


    King John noticed this sudden new name, and his internal rage suddenly found a direction to unleash.


    "What about the Death Soldiers, I want to hear that this man has been killed."


    The people kneeling below exchanged looks, then cautiously said:


    "Your Majesty, this Marquis Kane... is a Gold-level Mage, even stronger than Grandmaster Wendell."


    "More crucially, his teacher is that ��Judgement me�� from the Feis Kingdom..."


    Though the servants hadn��t finished speaking, the implication was clear, and even John Bertic, who usually refrained from pondering too deeply, understood.


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    Legendary Mage ��Judgement me��!


    How is that possible?


    King John suddenly deted like a punctured balloon and slumped on the throne, looking somewhat bewildered.


    He knew well the consequences of offending such a figure standing at the pinnacle of power in the world.


    Not only were his throne virtually lost, but even when the kingdom��s strength was intact, he would not choose to provoke such a prominent entity.


    In the eyes of ��Judgement me,�� he, being the King of Boditch, was hardly stronger than an ordinary person.


    "Damn... pourquoi? ""


    "Could it be... is the Kingdom of Boditch about to end?"


    "No... no..."


    King John��s eyes were vacant as he leaned against the throne, the luxurious decorations of the pce no longer giving him any pleasure, now appearing grey and cold in his eyes.


    Could it be that the kingdom founded by my ancestors is about to be destroyed by my own hands?


    The few people below listened helplessly to King John��s muttering, just as they were preparing to urge His Majesty once more to leave quickly, someone stumbled in and shouted:


    "It��s terrible, Your Majesty!"


    "The Feis Army has already entered through the western gates!"


    "Our soldiers... havepletely dispersed and fled!"


    "What, they��vee so quickly!"


    The people below were somewhat surprised, though it had been a while since they received the news about the defeat, there were so many scattered Boditch Soldiers, even the Feis Army would need a lot of time to gain full control, wouldn��t they?

 Chapter 396 - 351: Capturing Luminous Stone City_2

    "How could they have gotten here so quickly?"


    "It would take longer even to round up tens of thousands of pigs, wouldn��t it?"


    The army defending the city gate was quickly defeated��this was certainly not the main force of the Feis Army but rather a small detachment!


    In light of the urgent situation, those beneath the throne prepared to advise His Majesty the King once more, but upon looking up, they saw King John��s face gone pale, his body trembling with fear, devoid of the madness he had exhibited earlier.


    The fear in his heart had finallypletely overwhelmed all his thoughts.


    What nation, what authority, what wealth��he could care less about them now; all he wanted was to stay alive and escape.


    "Quick... hurry and get me out of here!"


    "You bunch of damned fools, aren��t you hurrying to get me out of here!"


    "I am the King of Boditch, I can��t die here!"


    The servants, without time for words, quickly gathered around His Majesty and headed for the secret passageways of the Royal Pce.


    The entire Royal Pce, the entire Luminous Stone City had already plunged into utter madness and chaos.


    ...


    "Lis!"


    At the gate of Luminous Stone City, Bevis and the two Dukes were arranging for soldiers to quickly enter the city, preparing to take control of the long-contested Boditch Royal Capital.


    When Bevis suddenly spotted Lis nearby, he hurried over.


    By then, Lis had changed into a new Mage Robe. Aside from a slightly paleplexion, he showed no signs of any injuries.


    "You look quite alright!"


    "How is Wendell doing now?"


    Bevis gave Lis a hearty p on the shoulder,ughing as he spoke.


    They had both witnessed the grand battle between Lis and Wendell on the battlefield, but after the Boditch Royal Family surrendered, the two men had disappeared.


    "Oh, he��s dead."


    Lis nodded, saying thankfully that his own physical condition had already reached that of a Warrior at the Gold Early Stage, otherwise Bevis��s p alone could have injured him.


    "Wendell was indeed a respectable man."


    In the end, he had given himself a great gift, which was truly touching.


    But, thinking about it, this man wouldn��t mind, as he was different from those Lis had encountered before.


    "That��s a shame, indeed."


    Bevis felt a bit mncholy; Wendell was indeed a respectable man who would have been a great asset to the Feis Kingdom.


    With his prestige, he could likely have calmed many people, greatly benefiting the Feis Kingdom in controlling this territory.


    "Let��s not talk about this anymore, Lord Lis."


    Duke Baird also came over, his face wearing a pleased smile.


    Being able to take down Luminous Stone City and eliminate thest viable forces of the Boditch Kingdom was a wonderful oue.


    The remaining Boditch territories were just a matter of time for the Feis Army, facing hardly any resistance as they swept through.


    "It��s all thanks to your help that we could achieve such great results."


    @@novelbin@@


    "Of course, it can almost entirely be attributed to Lord Lis, making us feel somewhat abashed at having stopped outside Luminous Stone City."


    Duke Rame said, smiling, everyone in a good mood.


    "Leave the rest to us; they are just trifles."


    Duke Rame looked at Bevis and Baird, suggesting with a smile:


    "Out of all the spoils of war, how about Marquis Kane takes fifty percent?"


    Baird and Bevis paused for a moment, then nodded in agreement without saying anything, epting Duke Rame��s proposal.


    After the Feis Army conquered a territory and city, by custom, half of the gains were sent to Bright City as tribute to His Majesty the King.


    Out of the remaining half, two and a half percent went to all the soldiers and low-level officers, and the remaining two and a half percent belonged to themanders present.


    What Duke Rame suggested was that this two and a half percent all go to Lis.


    In fact, all three men had no objections to this and even felt it was not enough.


    It must be noted, had Lis not taken action in this decisive battle, the victory would not have been achieved.


    Whether it was deploying Death Soldiers to strike the Boditch Army, attacking the Royal Mage Corps, or destroying Luminous Stone City, all yed an extremely important role.


    Especially since Lis himself had restrained and killed Wendell, the pir of the Boditch Army, and captured the Royal Mage Corps, his presence was indeed too strong.


    At the same time, in the view of the three, Lis had also paid a great price.


    The Death Soldiers he had arranged had almost all perished; so many Death Soldiers had virtually exhausted the Kane family��s foundation.


    Lis waved his hand, not too concerned.


    To tell the truth, Lis did not hold much hope for how much wealth could still be left in Luminous Stone City.


    After all, the Feis Army had been in a deadlock outside of Luminous Stone City for a long time, and the more farsighted nobles had already moved their wealth elsewhere.


    As for the civilians, because of Wendell��s request, Lis had alreadymunicated with Bevis. Bevis agreed to try to restrain the soldiers�� behavior and not disturb the civilians of Luminous Stone City.


    This was the limit of what Lis could do, as the discipline of the Feis Army was already good to begin with, and they came here more to upy thisnd rather than to plunder it.


    As for the few idents that might ur, there was no way to avoid them.


    Lis was neither a saint nor a god; it was impossible topletely prevent those things from happening.


    "Speaking of which, if possible, I do hope to obtain more magic books."


    Lis said with a smile, expressing his demand.


    "No problem!"


    The three people, including Bevis, did not mind, as none of them were mages, and although magic books were precious, they did not value them highly.


    "Haha, with this matter over, there��s not much left to do here in the Boditch Kingdom. I��m nning to return to Bright City." Stay updated via NovelBin.C?m


    Lis pondered for a moment and said to the three people in front of him.


    Especially to Duke Rame and Duke Baird.


    "This time I returned by sea, passing Danerluo Port, which I quite liked."


    "This time, when I return to Bright City, I might request His Majesty to make it my territory. It seems I��ll meet you gentlemen again soon!"


    Lis hinted broadly, his intention almost clear.


    "This..."


    Duke Baird and Duke Rame immediately realized the implication of Lis��s words, feeling somewhat helpless.


    Danerluo Port, in terms of scale, location, and prosperity, is the most flourishing and important port in the Boditch Kingdom.


    A single port nearly ounts for half of the Boditch Kingdom��s sea trade and is the only one with vital far-sea trade routes to other continents.


    Therefore, it naturally was a new territory that both Duke Rame and Duke Baird sought to obtain.


    Under the wise control of the King of the Feis Kingdom, all conquered territories were not directly owned by the nobles who led the armies but required the King��s conferment.


    This was also one of the King��s methods of controlling the nobility over the territories.


    This was why Duke Rame and Duke Baird had almost fullymitted themselves to this war to vie for aplishments.


    And Danerluo Port was the most sulent piece of the Boditch Kingdom; both thought they only needed topete with each other, not expecting Lis to be such a formidable obstacle.


    The two calcted in their hearts, bitterly realizing it was nearly impossible topete with Lis.


    In terms of status, strength, aplishments, or background, both were no match for Lis.


    The allure of Luminous Stone City paled inparison.


    "Then... congrattions to Mr. Lis."


    Duke Rame shook his head, saying resignedly.


    Since there was no chance ofpeting with Lis, it was better to give up outright.


    After all, the returns from this campaign had already multiplied many times over, and although they coveted Danerluo Port, it was not worth making an enemy of Lis.


    "I hope to see Mr. Lis again soon, haha!"


    Duke Baird managed to stayposed, even appearing more enthusiastic.


    After all, as an experienced old duke, he showed no indication of regret.


    Bevis, on the other hand, was indifferent, as he wasn��t concerned with these matters; he never stayed in his domain but was stationed in Bright City instead.


    "Then I thank you all!"


    Lis spoke cheerily, as if acquiring the territory of Danerluo Port was a matter of course for him.

 Chapter 397 - 352 The Death of the King of Bodici

    Night had fallen,


    In the civilian district of Luminous Stone City, darkness gradually enveloped the area, yet not a single window lit up.


    The low houses around were silent; the ordinary inhabitants had already received the news that the Boditch Army had been utterly defeated by Feis��s forces and Luminous Stone City had fallen.


    It was for this reason that everyone was hiding in their homes, peering through the cracks in their windows to watch the outside cautiously.


    In the hearts of these civilians, the Boditch Soldiers were as loathsome and overbearing as demons��how much more terrifying then must the victorious Feis��s forces be!


    Although this civilian area was quiet, and not a single Feis soldier hade here, anxiety was spreading wantonly with the cover of night.


    Tonight, it was estimated that no one in the entire Luminous Stone City would be able to sleep well.


    Hidden among the low houses was a seemingly ordinary and mundane hut, whose mottled walls looked as if they had weathered many years of rain, snow, and wind, ready to copse at any moment.


    But what was special about this hut was that it had a small courtyard enclosed by a wall as tall as a person, setting it at a certain distance from the surrounding residences, nearly imperceptible to them.


    Suddenly, a figure appeared at the door of the hut and gently pushed it open to enter.


    The one who appeared was none other than Lis, who had just rushed over from Bevis��s side.


    Upon entering the hut, what was strange was that there was not a single piece of furniture inside the empty space, with a thickyer of dust umted on the floor.


    Looking at the two sturdy men who had copsed in the middle of the room, Lis said to Helen and Basel standing by the side:


    "How is it, any movement yet?"


    Helen, dressed in light brown leather armor, shook her head and then fell silent again, looking somewhat agitated.


    Basel, on the other hand, replied:


    "We��ve been waiting here all day, and just now two people suddenly crawled out from the secret passage underground, and I took them down."


    "It seems you were right, this really is an exit to the secret passage of Boditch Royal Pce."


    After a pause, Basel curiously looked at Lis and asked:


    "How did you know there was a secret passage here?"


    "I have my ways."


    Lis shook his head, brushing off the inquiry.


    Before today��s decisive battle, Lis, having roughly anticipated the oue, had Helen and Basel wait here for the King of Boditch to deliver himself right into their hands.


    This little hut was one of the secret passages leading out of Boditch Royal Pce, and Lis, who knew the direction of the plot, was aware that King John would try to flee Luminous Stone City through here.


    In his past life, during that pursuit mission, His Majesty the King had been very adept at running; relying on the foundation of the Boditch Royal Family and the few who still remained loyal, he had evaded capture throughout the kingdom for months before finally being caught.


    Naturally, Lis would not give this ipetent His Majesty the King the opportunity and directly led people to block the way. Enjoy more content from NovelBin.C?m


    Even if they tried to escape through other secret passages, Lis was, of course, well-prepared with countermeasures.


    Today, the King of Boditch had no chance of escape!


    After patting Helen��s head, Lis looked at her tense little face.


    Helen, who had been continuously nourished and rigorously trained in the past few months, was no longer the pitiful, skinny, and helpless little beggar girl she was when they had first met.


    Her small face was plump and rosy, as cute as a porcin doll, her hair had gained much more luster, and while the insistence on practicing martial arts had caused her small hands to form rough calluses early on, it also made her body much stronger.


    Lis had not kept Helen in the dark about the n to capture the King of Boditch; in fact, it was for this very event that he had brought Helen here today.


    Capturing the King of Boditch was not hugely important to Lis��the credit was more of an added bonus��but it was different for Helen.


    During this time, under Lis��s guidance, Helen had trained tirelessly, regardless of the weather. She had endured more than what a girl her age could ordinarily bear; Lis had been prepared for the possibility that Helen couldn��t keep up, but she persisted with determination!


    She should have been at the age of being coddled in her parents�� arms, yet she stood trembling in the scorching sun, holding the heavy longsword and practicing her stance��Helen had not had an easy time.


    Not to mention the injuries sustained inbat, or her trembling yet determined stance when she killed someone for the first time.


    While paying attention to Helen��s training, Lis naturally understood what drove her to keep going.


    It was her hatred for the King of Boditch, the father with whom she shared bloodlines!


    This belief had sustained her all this time, just as her hatred grew fiercer through the pain.


    Lis was well aware that although hatred could propel a person through countless difficulties and foster rapid growth, indulging in it for too long could make a person be extreme and obstinate.


    @@novelbin@@


    He did not wish for Helen to be like that.


    Even though Helen would be one of the Pirate Kings, a Golden Top Strong Person, in the future, Lis believed that she was capable of much more.


    Moreover, with King Bodich��s death being imminent, Lis didn��t want Helen to linger with such a life-long regret.


    Moving on from this hatred and finding a new goal would make Helen stronger, benefiting her future as well.


    Feeling the warm hand on her head, Helen didn��t resist but instead leaned closer to Lis, her small hand gripping the corner of his clothes tightly.


    Today, after learning from her teacher that she would see the "Father King", Helen had been feeling a bit lost.

 Chapter 398 - 352: The Death of the King of Bodich_2

    Regarding this "Father King," Helen had not a shred of fondness, instead wrapped in memories of pain and hatred.


    She recalled how her mother had humbly lived, trying to protect her, whether inside the Boditch Royal Pce or on the run, alwayspromising to keep them both alive.


    But her mother had still protected her very well.


    Whenever Helen remembered her mother��s love, warmth, and how she held Helen��s bony hands with all her strength when she died, Helen could never find peace.


    Even after meeting her teacher and beginning a life beyond her wildest dreams, Helen was still asionally awakened by nightmares.


    The chief cause of her and her mother��s suffering was the "Father King," His Majesty the King of Boditch!


    Was she really going to meet him?


    Was it really going to be that easy?


    Thinking of this, Helen felt a bit lost.


    After all, in her previous experiences, even the manager of a merchant group was a big deal to her and her mother, let alone the King of Boditch.


    Helen had thought she would never have the chance to meet him again, but today her teacher told her that they would meet and even capture the king.


    The once supreme King of Boditch Kingdom, could he really fall into her teacher��s hands so easily?


    Helen was puzzled, but standing by Lis��s side, she felt confident that her teacher could certainly do it!


    ...


    Lis and two others quietly waited in the dimly lit cabin.


    Just then, two nks on the floor were suddenly pushed open from below, and an angry voice erupted.


    "Damn it, making me walk all this distance!"


    "Have I been feeding you all for nothing?"


    "And this ce, what kind of hell is this? Couldn��t even provide a light!"


    A figure as round as a ball, with the help of others from below, struggled to climb up.


    Once up, he copsed on the floor, gasping for breath and wiping the sweat continually forming on his forehead, all the while cursing non-stop.


    With such distinctive features, Lis recognized him immediately as King John Bertic of Boditch.


    The attendants following the king also quickly jumped up, but unlike the oblivious king, they quickly sensed something was off.


    They had arranged for twopanions toe ahead for secrecy, even if it meant not lighting any candles, why was there no noise at all?


    As they became alert, a calm voice rang out in the room.


    "Wee, esteemed King John, we have been waiting for a long time!"


    Lis said so, his right hand lightly snapping his fingers.


    Zero-Circle Magic "Light Brightness Technique"!


    The sudden appearance of light was a bit much for the king and hispanions, causing them to close their eyes. It took them a moment to adjust.


    When they opened their eyes, they found three unfamiliar figures standing in the room.


    A very handsome young man was smiling at them.


    In his hand, he held a lovely little girl, and behind them stood a mncholic man, seemingly their attendant.


    Although the handsome young man��s words seemed weing, the sight of theirpanions lying beside them sent a chilling coldness trickling down from their heads.


    "Your Majesty, run!" Explore stories on NovelBin.C?m


    Without time to consider further, the loyal attendants stood in front of King John Bertic, drawing their weapons to confront Lis.


    "You��re too noisy!"


    Lis waved his hand, and a pale light shed instantly.


    Sixth Circle Magic "Group Human Immobilization Spell"!


    Perhaps this was the state of the Boditch Royal Family these days, apanying the king were only these attendants of mere silver power.


    Under the effect of Lis��s magic, they were frozen in ce, unable to resist, their expressions filled with terror and despair.


    Lis used Mage��s Hand to lift them all up and toss them aside, then turned his gaze to the king before him.


    Even in his escape from the Royal Pce, King John Bertic was still dressed in luxurious and expensive golden robes, but inevitably smeared with mud and dust mixed with sweat, he looked extremely disheveled.


    He had realized that the figures before him were foes, not friends; the arrogance he had just nowpletely vanished, leaving his overweight body trembling incessantly.


    "You... who are you?"


    "Spare me, I am the King of Boditch, I will give you whatever you want!"


    "How about a noble title? Spare me, and I will make you Dukes!"


    In realizing he was truly in danger, this King of Boditch showed not a hint of royal dignity, cowering on the ground, his body trembling in fear, his pleas stripping away hisst shred of dignity.


    Decades of indulgence in luxury and aversion to effort hadpletely eroded all his aspirations, humble as amb awaiting ughter.


    Seeing this, Lis suddenly lost any desire to talk to the king.


    Compared to the ambitious King Morton of the Feis Kingdom, it was likeparing heaven and earth.


    Even the daring Prince Yatean was far stronger than him.


    Apart from the title of King of Boditch, there was nothing noteworthy about him.


    Shaking his head, Lis patted Helen on the head and smiled as he said:


    "Helen, do you have anything you��d like to say?"


    @@novelbin@@


    Feeling encouraged by Lis, Helen��s delicate little face shed with determination, she let go of Lis��s coat and took a few steps forward to stand before John Bertic.

 Chapter 399 - 352: The Death of the King of Bodich_3

    "Do you recognize me?"


    Helen��s voice echoed in John��s ears as he carefully raised his head to look at the little girl standing before him now.


    Her delicate and adorable fair face bore an expression of determination, and her body, which had just begun to mature, still retained a hint of youthful tenderness, wrapped in fitted leather armor.


    If John had seen such a lovely little girl before, he would have definitely ordered an Attendant to capture her and bring her back to the Royal Pce, to pamper her thoroughly and vent his beastly desires.


    But now, under the terrifying might of Lis, he had no such thoughts whatsoever.


    Looking at Helen, John Bertic felt a sense of familiarity, but he just couldn��t seem to recall who she was.


    He had seen too many women, and who could tell if the little girl before him had any rtion to them.


    "Miss, have we met before?"


    John asked cautiously, his expression full of pleading.


    "You..."


    Helen was at a loss for words, not knowing what to say.


    Originally, while waiting to meet this "Father King," Helen had thought of many things.


    To tell him about her mother��s tale, to make him understand that today was his retribution, to make him regret his past atrocities against her mother.


    To beat him up, to release the anger in her heart.


    Or to torture him, to let him experience the pain her mother and she had endured.


    In the end, Helen suddenly realized all these actions were meaningless.


    This bastard had clearly forgotten her motherpletely.


    Indeed, how could this man, who had persecuted and humiliated so many, remember that poor girl from over a decade ago?


    With clenched teeth, Helen was suddenly disinclined to tell him about her mother.


    Your journey continues on NovelBin.C?m


    After all, her mother probably wouldn��t want her name to be mentioned by this man again!


    The image of this King begging for mercy in tears, groveling in the dirt, couldn��t erase the hurt he had inflicted on her mother.


    As Helen��s emotions stirred violently, a warm hand gently rubbed her head, and the voice of Teacher Lis reached her ears.


    "It��s okay, Helen!"


    "Do whatever you want, I��m right behind you!"


    Helen pursed her lips, the gloom in her heart lifted slightly as she nodded earnestly.


    "Mmm!"


    It was time to make a final break with the past; teacher probably didn��t want her to dwell in hatred forever either.


    Helen hesitated no longer, pulling out a sharp Dagger and slowly walking toward King John, who sat paralyzed on the ground.


    When John Bertic saw the Dagger in Helen��s hand shing a cold light, he was horrified, his bulky backside dragging his expensive robes, scrambling backwards.


    "Don��t do this, I��ll give you anything you want!"


    @@novelbin@@


    "Spare my life, my life is very valuable!"


    ...


    At that moment, John��s mind shed back to a scene somewhat simr to the present, except in that one he was the one standing, and it was a beautiful young woman who was fearfully retreating.


    The woman looked extremely simr to the girl before him!


    "I know who you are now!"


    "I��m your father, how can you do this!"


    "Spare my life for the sake of your mother��s Eh..."


    Before he could finish speaking, Helen swiftly stepped forward, the de of the Dagger crossing John��s throat.


    Bright red blood spurted out like a fountain, the excessive blood spreading across the floor.


    John clutched his neck, making a pained "heh heh" sound, his body shaking like a fat pig being bled out for ughter.


    After struggling for a long time, the King of Bodici had no breath left in him.


    "Well done!"


    Lis patted Helen��s head,forting her.

 Chapter 401 - 353 Shy Risa_2

    "Logically speaking, as a noble of the Feis Kingdom, Lis Kain should have no problem dealing with the King of Boditch, but why would they let that little girl named Helen do it? Isn��t that basically killing her own father?"


    "Looking at it, it seems that Helen and the old king weren��t very close, she even seems to really hate her father."


    "It��s just not clear what role Lis ys in all this, Helen seems to call him ��teacher��?"


    "Lis is Helen��s teacher, maybe Helen was abandoned by the old king? So Lis brought his disciple to seek revenge?"


    As an experienced strategy game yer, Radish had started brainstorming, unable to stop himself due to the delightful feeling.


    Meanwhile, Cheapster, not bothering about the imagining Radish, was happily iming the rewards of this hidden mission.


    500,000 Experience Points, if it weren��t for already hitting the level cap, he could have leveled up two or three times, awesome!


    5,000 task points, even more awesome!


    To think that their trio had sessfully attacked the Boditch Royal Mage Corps, and the points they had gotten in the end were just slightly over six thousand, still far from exchanging for that Gold-level Longsword.


    However, after talking with other yers, knowing that others only got a few hundred to a thousand points, he felt instantly bnced.


    Indeed, satisfactiones fromparison!


    However, after the great battle, uponpletion of the Second Circle Gold-level Task "me Spreading", a new prompt appeared.


    The task points from this mission could be exchanged 1:1 for contribution points at the White Dove Chamber of Commerce, and the exchangeable prizes were also updated in the White Dove��s exchange store, with an option to join White Dove Chamber of Commerce at the end.


    Cheapster knew about the White Dove Chamber of Commerce, it was an organization under Lis, known to offer the best early-game benefits for neers, and after discussing with the others, they quickly decided to join.


    But the prizes could only be exchanged at a branch of the White Dove Chamber of Commerce that was opened in Luminous Stone City. Find your adventure at NovelBin.C?m


    However, Luminous Stone City now belongs to the Feis Kingdom, so perhaps in the future, they could go directly to Bright City, as Lis��s main base was probably there, and there would likely be more plot missions.


    It had to be said, Lis, the NPC, left a very deep impression on them during this great battle, definitely a ��Divine Revtion�� game��s protagonist.


    While Cheapster was pondering, he suddenly found Seeking Intoxication quietly climbing through the window and into the room, rummaging through the bodies of the attendants killed by Basel.


    "Fuck, we can loot bodies?"


    Without hesitation, Cheapster also quickly scooted over and began to search thoroughly.


    "Divine Revtion" game mechanics were very realistic, unlike other games, after killing enemies or magic beasts, other than Experience Points, all other rewards required yers to take action themselves.


    That included looting equipment, peeling Magical Beast Skin, gathering herbs, things like that?


    Although it was a hassle, many yers still immersed themselves in it, some even specialized in these tasks.


    Especially the yers from Fanor Continent had started to develop and learn skills rted to nting medicinal herbs.


    "Oh shit, there��s actually a lot of money!"


    Cheapster joyously stored the looted rewards into his backpack.


    Although the majority of the wealth was in John Bertic��s ring, these few attendants still had some good stuff on them.


    Seeking Intoxication even got his hands on a Silver Level Armor!


    Satisfied with all the loot, Cheapster nced at Radish, who was still deep in his imaginations, and said to Seeking Intoxication:


    "Did you record that just now?"


    "Of course!"


    Seeking Intoxication, ncing back at the mischievous-looking Cheapster, stated with a righteous face:


    "Let��s get this straight, it��s my turn to post this time!"


    "Alright, alright, who doesn��t know you��re a dark horse, always pretending, I give up on you."


    Cheapster had no other option, he too wanted to post the video of this hidden mission on the yer forums, which would surely explode with poprity, but seeing how Seeking Intoxication was, he was helpless.


    This guy might act reserved, but always pretended to be righteous.


    Maybe that��s why he was the first among them to get married and settle down!


    ...


    Lis didn��t directly go seeking Bevis and the others, instead, he first took Helen to an inn to rest, and only then did he find Bevis and the others who had already taken over the Boditch Royal Pce.


    "Bang!"


    Lis threw the corpse of the King of Boditch in front of the trio, pointing and saying:


    "This is the fugitive King Bodich, John Bertic."


    "Really?"


    Bevis was somewhat surprised, they had gone straight to the Royal Pce after upying Luminous Stone City but still failed to capture the king.


    They had worried this king might stir up trouble elsewhere, not expecting that Lis, having disappeared for a while, had actually captured the kingdom��s monarch.


    That sure saved a lot of trouble!


    "But why does he look like this?"


    Duke Baird bent down to examine the frost-covered corpse of the king, confirming his identity, then said, puzzled.


    With Lis��s strength, couldn��t he have captured this guy alive?


    An alive King of Boditch would be more useful to the Feis Kingdom, potentially persuading the die-hard loyalists and speeding up the upation of the Boditch Kingdom.


    Although there were probably very few people still harboring hopes for the Boditch Royal Family at this point.


    "He was guarded by escorts, I made a slip."


    Lis shrugged his shoulders, nonchntly stating as if killing a king was no big matter.


    @@novelbin@@


    Duke Baird smirked, saying nothing.

 Chapter 402 - 353 Shy Risa_3

    "Such an obvious wound, and you still im a Mage did this?"


    However, Baird and the others didn��t pay much attention, after all, it wasn��t a big deal.


    Subsequently, Bevis arranged for someone to take away the body of the King of Bodici.


    Directly killing the King would also serve to effectively deter the resolve of any remaining resistance in the Boditch Kingdom, making full use of the situation.


    Of course, Lis��s contributions wouldn��t be overlooked.


    Given Lis��s strength and status, the fact that he didn��t oppress others to snatch credit was alreadymendable, and nobody would dare to take advantage of him.


    Bevis and the other two, along with Lis, were enjoying fine wines and dishes in the Boditch Royal Pce, waiting for the oue regarding Luminous Stone City.


    In fact, this meant little to Lis. Whether it was Luminous Stone City or the subsequent sweep operations within the Boditch Kingdom, he wasn��t interested and didn��t n to participate.


    If it weren��t for waiting on the collection of Magic Books, Lis would have already prepared to return to Bright City with Helen and the others. Readtest chapters at NovelBin.C?m


    In his boredom, Lis casually summoned the system panel to check it.


    Earlier, when Helen killed John Bertic, the system had prompted him, but at the time, Lis didn��t have the chance to check it.


    -----------------


    [Through your nning, you have sessfully assassinated the current King of Boditch Kingdom, John Bertic!]


    [You have gained the specialty [assassin]!]


    [Specialty [assassin]: Inflicts additional damage on enemies with the rank of Earl or higher, with a damage increase ranging from 5% to 15%]


    ...


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    [You have activated the milestone task [usurper]!]


    [[usurper] Task requirement: Lead to the deaths of five highly esteemed individuals (King or higher)!]


    [Currentpletion: 1/5]


    -----------------


    Lis raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised.


    The [assassin] specialty seemed to be one exclusively for assassins; however, it was quite practical for Lis.


    Normally, the stronger the enemy, the likelier they were to possess a noble title, so meeting the [assassin] condition wasn��t too difficult.


    However, the [usurper]ndmark was one Lis had never heard of before, not even in his past life.


    But the demands of thisndmark were somewhat preposterous; to fulfill it, Lis would need to kill at least four more Kings of Kingdoms...


    When would that even be? In the distant future?


    Lis closed the system panel, as he was not about to go assassinating Kings of various Kingdoms just for thisndmark task.


    The case of Boditch Kingdom could be considered a special circumstance. Committing such deeds frequently amounted to disturbing the order of the entire continent, with severe consequences.


    Let alone the difficulty, if Lis really assassinated a few Kings without good reason, it wouldn��t be long before Legendary Strongmen woulde after him.


    This was something Mr. Stephens had mentioned to him inadvertently. Many Legendary Strongmen would not tolerate such reckless behavior.


    Looking out the window, several ces in Luminous Stone City were already shrouded in thick smoke, and faint sounds of shouting could be heard.


    There were still some sporadic resistances in Luminous Stone City, but against the siege of Feis��s elite soldiers, they wouldn��tst long.


    Lis shook his head, thinking that by tomorrow when the sun rose, the long-oppressed Luminous Stone City would embrace its Newborn.


    He had great respect for the foresight and extraordinary tactics of King Morton of the Feis Kingdom.


    It was time to return to Bright City!


    -----------------


    Bright City, Noble District.


    No. 36 Feis Street, Kane Mansion.


    The morning sun streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows onto the deep brown wooden floor of the Library, and a few specks of Dust floated in the sunlight amidst the faint scent of books, tranquil andforting.


    Click~


    Soft footsteps sounded, and delicate, fair little feet stepped past the bookshelf and onto the floor in front of the window, lightly pointing forward, with the tender pink toenails glistening in the sunlight��s glow.


    Smooth curvatures climbed up like buttered cream along her slender calves, ultimately hidden under the girl��s white knee-length nightgown. Even the unshapely nightgown could not conceal the fullness of her graceful figure.


    Carefully opening the window, the fresh air rushed in. The mild morning light of June bathed the girl��s long and soft silvery hair, casting an ethereal dreamy glow.


    Risa leaned against the window, observing the gardener below in the mansion��s garden tending to the Ang roses that covered the walls and bloomed profusely, her right hand gentlybing her lengthy hair reaching her hips, her lips pursed lightly, while her wless, beautiful face wore a hint of worry.


    "Young Master Lis has been away for nearly half a year now, and there hasn��t been any word from himtely..."


    Risa felt some concern, wondering if the Young Master had encountered trouble on his journey, as he had been away for such a lengthy period.


    "No, that can��t be. Lord Joyce has said that the Young Master caused quite a stir in the Dillon Kingdom. With his formidable abilities, how could anything happen to him?"


    "Sigh~"


    The girl turned around and leaned on the window sill, her head tilted, gaze unfocused as she stared at the clouds drifting in the sky.


    Blushing slightly, Risa suddenly turned her head and buried her face in her arms.


    What was she thinking, contemting such silly things!


    At this moment, Risa disyed none of the aura befitting a Gold-level Mage. Languidly leaning on the window, she embodied the winsome innocence of a young maiden.


    Under normal circumstances, Risa would have concealed herself with utmost care, never allowing herself to rx and enjoy the morning��s beauty so openly.

 Chapter 403 - 353 Shy Risa_4

    This is also why Lis had no impression of Risa at all in his memory.


    But at Lis��s request, Risa was also trying to slowly change herself.


    At least now, the servants at the Kane Mansion all knew there lived such a beautiful youngdy in the library.


    Usually, Risa immersed herself in meditation and learning magic knowledge, only asionally allowing herself to rx.


    Apart from Joyce and the servants who came regrly to deliver meals, very few people came back to the library.


    Risa yawned slightly; she had stayed upte reading the Magic Book against night. Although she was more energetic after advancing to the Gold Level, the habitual staying upte still made her slightly fatigued.


    I wonder where Master Lis is now...


    Just as Risa was letting her thoughts fly out of the window, someone suddenly hugged her slender body from behind.


    "What are you thinking about?"


    The familiar voice rang in Risa��s ears, making her taut body instantly soften.


    The warm breath by her ear made Risa��s heart flutter; a slight blush appeared on her pale face, exceedingly enticing.


    "Master Lis..."


    "Hmm?"


    Feeling the soft warmth in his embrace, Lis was not a saint who could remain unmoved, otherwise, he wouldn��t havee to find Risa immediately upon returning.


    Moreover, to give her a "surprise," Lis even used an assassin��s Stealth Skill, which was why Risa hadn��t noticed him.


    But unexpectedly, this girl had not only made significant advancements in strength but had also developed quite well in certain aspects!


    "Did you miss me?"


    Lis��s deep voice sounded by her ear, making Risa��s ears tingle.


    "Of course I did..."


    Risa��s voice was full of shy delight; if it weren��t for Lis holding her, she might have run away and wrapped herself entirely in her little nket.


    "How much did you miss me?"


    Lis relentlessly pursued further.


    "Hmm, I think about you a lot."


    Risa felt her face burning up, bing redder and more enticing.


    Continue your adventure at NovelBin.C?m


    "Haha!"


    Lis, seeing Risa so shy,ughed out loud.


    With a bit of strength, he embraced Risa��s petite body and sat up in the original wood armchair in the library.


    This chair, which Anning had moved for Lis before, had half-curved legs that allowed it to rock slightly.


    @@novelbin@@


    "Oh!"


    Risa was a bit startled being picked up by Lis, her hands instinctively wrapping tightly around Lis��s neck, her chin resting against his chest.


    "I missed you too."


    "...Hmm~"


    The girl��s response carried a nasal tone, faintly hinting at her happiness.


    For a while, neither spoke, quietly enjoying the peaceful and beautiful moment in the library.


    Lis gently sniffed the faint scent of books on Risa, his left arm encircling the girl��s slender waist, his right hand caressing her smooth, long hair as it slipped over her delicate shoulders, reveling in the beauty in his arms.


    Under Lis��s soothing, Risa seemed to gradually rx as well, her body no longer as tense as before.


    Up until just now, Risa was still somewhat dazed, being led by the nose by Lis.


    "How have you beentely?"


    Lis asked with a smile, but his little actions never stopped.


    "...Very well, I��ve been practicing just as the teacher instructed, and Lord Joyce also stops by to see me from time to time."


    Still manipted by Lis��s palms, Risa tightly clutched the front of Lis��s shirt as if afraid he would suddenly disappear, yet she dared not lift her head to look into Lis��s eyes.


    "Naughty Risa!"


    "Haven��t you been hiding in the library every day again? Didn��t I tell you to go out more often?"


    Lis gently pped the girl��s buttocks, appreciating the exceptional hand-feel of the thin, silky white nightgown on Risa��s body.


    Next time, I��ll buy Risa a few more!


    "I didn��t!"


    Risa raised her head to look at Lis, innocently thinking that Master Lis was scolding her.


    Before she could detect the amusement in Lis��s eyes, he kissed her dewy, cherry-pink lips.


    Sizzling~


    Risa��s eyes, misty and wide, slightly parted her teeth to catch her breath, only for Lis to seize the opportunity and invade.


    ...

 Chapter 404 - 354: The Golden Dragon Who Wants to Cultivate a Hero

    After a long while, Lis finally gently released the hand that was ced behind Risa��s head.


    "Hoo��"


    Risa breathed lightly, the kiss just now left her somewhat flustered and her mind aplete nk.


    Lis looked at Risa��s slightly swollen red lips, licked his own mouth, and restrained the desire to continue his advance.


    Although he wanted to go on, he felt that it might be too stimting for Risa, who was still innocent.


    Holding Risa��s soft and warm body in his arms, Lis didn��t harbor any more bad thoughts, and the two lingered tenderly for a while.


    The neatly arranged bookshelves stood quietly in the library, with the faint scent of books blending with the elegant fragrance of the girl. The warm morning light fell on the two of them, creating a scene so beautiful it was like an exquisite portrait. Time seemed to slow its pace here.


    "Risa, I haven��t seen you for a while, but you��ve be much stronger!"


    Lis slowly stroked Risa��s silvery hair as smooth as jade, feeling the softness slipping through his fingers, he almost couldn��t bear to let go.


    "Mm, Mr. Stephens taught me a lot."


    Risa buried her head in Lis��s chest, her muffled voiceing through.


    "Risa, you might even be stronger than me now!"


    Lis said with a smile, speaking seriously.


    He knew the instant he saw Risa that she must have be a Gold-level Mage earlier than him, and he sensed the aura of an Arcanist about her.


    This must be the guidance of Mr. Stephens, already preparing Risa for her breakthrough to the Legendary Rank.


    Of course, what was most important was the overwhelmingly rich elemental aura on Risa��s body, even to the point of feeling it might spill out.


    Was this the Legendary Talent "Elemental Torrent Dominator"?


    The connection Risa established with the Four Elements ne was almost akin to having four cheat codes, constantly enhancing and purifying the Magic Power within her.


    Lis could clearly sense the strength of Magic Power on Risa, it even felt twice as abundant as his own, which had many formidable aspects.


    Indeed!


    Only such a Risa could be the Legendary Mage who in the future would freely wield Magic Power, with colorful magic attacks filling the sky!


    Moreover, Risa��s body was continuously strengthened under the baptism of Magic Elements, something Lis had personally confirmed a moment ago.


    Although Lis did not know how much Risa��sbat abilities had improved during this time, just her Magic Power alone was enough to defeat most Gold-level Professionals.


    However, Lis had no feelings of jealousy, as to him, the stronger Risa, whom he regarded as one of his own, the better.


    And so, for the entire morning, Lis and Risa tenderly caught up with each other, recounting the events he had experienced during his half-year of adventures outside.


    The matter of him taking two disciples��


    The discovery and exposure of Demon Prince Demogorgon��s conspiracy in Ice Peak City of the Dillon Kingdom��


    His exploration of the Divine Ind above Pearl Sea and his sessful promotion to Gold Level��


    The morning passed quietly amid the whispers of the young man and woman, with Risa��s gaze towards Lis full of admiration and longing.


    For Risa, who had almost never left the house and whose knowledge was mainly obtained from Magic Books and her teachers�� guidance, these thrilling and exciting events were entirely novel.


    Lis took note of this��ording to "Judgement me," Risa had virtually no bottlenecks before her breakthrough to Legendary status, but it would do her good to gain some experience sooner rather thanter.


    It just so happened that Lis��s return to Bright City had one goal: to obtain the territory from Danerluo Port. By then, he could go there with Risa. Find more chapters on NovelBin.C?m


    With Risa��s strength, there were few in the vicinity of the Pearl Sea who could threaten her, enough for a newbie like her to get some practice.


    "Is Mr. Stephens still in Bright City? What has he been busy withtely?"


    Lis suddenly recalled something and asked Risa.


    "The teacher��"


    Risa slightly lifted her head, thought for a moment, and said:


    "The teacher seems to be researching something, I didn��t ask."


    "Later on, a Gold Dragon named Silverster Ludwig came, and the teacher has been giving him Special Training."


    After a pause, Risa��s little head rubbed Lis��s chin shyly, and she said with some embarrassment:


    "He even called me ��senior sister��, he��s so old already!"


    As soon as he heard the name Ludwig, Lis remembered that gluttonous Gold Dragon who had bragged so much about his roasted meats to him.


    He didn��t expect him to have actuallye to Bright City, and by the looks of it, the teacher seemed to have taken him as a disciple?


    Had he be an Arcanist?


    That couldn��t be right, even with the method Lis had given him, it wouldn��t have worked so quickly.


    Lis was curious but didn��t ask further, as everything would be clear when he saw the teacherter on.


    It seemed that Mr. Stephens hadn��t left Bright City for such a long time because he still had his eyes on Demogorgon��s affairs.


    That was good too, after all, there was too much of a gap between Lis and that formidable being.


    When the sky falls, there was the teacher, the tall one, to take the brunt!


    "Risa, rest up for a bit, ande with me to see the teacher in the afternoon!"


    Lis said with a smile, and Risa nodded obediently.


    She had already started to get used to letting Lis make the decisions.


    @@novelbin@@


    Lis patted Risa��s silky back contentedly and let her down.


    But this time was different from before; Risa didn��t run back to her little room and hide under the bed, "thump thump thump," but stood obediently in ce.


    Although herplexion was still rosy and cute, her delicate ears and fair neck were tinged with blush, she had be braver than before.

 Chapter 405 - 354: The Golden Dragon Who Wants to Cultivate a Hero_2

    Lis rubbed her delightfully soft little head again before he contentedly walked downstairs.


    In the living room, Helen and Basel sat on the couch somewhat stiffly, with a small table in front of themden with an array of delicate and appealing sweets, while the little maid Rossi was pouring Helen a cup of warmed milk.


    Holding a slightly over-baked cream puff cake, Helen was nibbling away daintily.


    The maids of the estate looked on with fondness at Helen, who resembled a little princess, gathering around her.


    But in truth, hidden within Helen��s slender arms was a strength that could overpower ten of them.


    Basel wasn��t quite as lucky, sitting upright on the couch and looking constrained.


    Unlike Helen, who had lived in the Royal Pce, he had always been a boy from the countryside, living in a in and simple stone house with his father, never having seen such a beautiful and luxurious estate and garden during his life adrift at sea.


    Although he already knew that Lis was a Marquis of the Feis Kingdom, this was his first real encounter with, and experience of, the grandeur of Nobility.


    "Don��t be so tense, just make yourself at home, Basel," Lis shook his head helplessly and said to Basel.


    He had arrived in Bright City this morning, and after showing Helen and Basel the way, he ran back here to find Risa on his own.


    "Rossi, please arrange a ce for them to stay," Lis told his little maid, Rossi.


    "Mm-hmm!"


    Rossi, dressed in her ck-and-white maid outfit, nodded excitedly and cheerfully agreed.


    Young Master Lis is looking so much more handsome!


    The little maid hopped and skipped as she led Helen to see her room, her ponytail swinging behind her, incredibly cute.


    "Lis!"


    Just then, a familiar voice came from behind Lis.


    "Uncle Joyce!"


    Lis turned around and saw Joyce, dressed in a sharp tuxedo, standing at the top of the stairs, watching him.


    Indeed, even after reaching the Gold Level, he could not feel the slightest presence of this master assassin.


    Lis wasn��t concerned; this was the normal state of things.


    The realm of a Legendary Assassin was not something he could fathom.


    Moreover, it seemed that Joyce had gained quite a benefit after the Blood Sacrifice Chaos, and his strength had improved again.


    After following Joyce to the study and casually closing the door, Lis realized that Uncle Joyce must have something to tell him.


    Seated on the sofa, Joyce looked Lis up and down, nodding with a hint of admiration, "You��ve already broken through to the Gold Level?"


    "Yes," Lis replied, not hiding anything in front of Joyce, whom he considered one of his most familiar and trusted people.


    "Hmm..."


    "And you��ve also mastered an Extraordinary Domain?" Stay updated with NovelBin.C?m


    As a Legendary Strongman, Joyce could naturally see through Lis��s guise, for he possessed an even higher level of power.


    Lis nodded slightly, and with a thought, three fantastical rings of blue, green, and silver-white circled around him.


    This made Joyce sigh even more.


    Well, he hadn��t expected that Little Lis would suddenly be so strong!


    To break through to the Gold Level within a year was already astonishing enough, but to have mastered an Extraordinary Domain was beyond Joyce��s imagination.


    A year ago, he was still hesitating whether to pass on the Kane family��s legacy to Risa because of Little Lis��s mediocre performance!


    Lis nodded and emphasized his experiences of the past period to Joyce, especially the matter regarding Divine Ind and Divinity.


    Upon hearing that Lis had actually faced a Divine spirit��s remnant soul and absorbed its Divinity, Joyce almost lost his usually calmposure.


    He immediately grabbed Lis��s left hand, and his power entered Lis��s body, probing carefully.


    Lis offered no resistance; he knew Joyce was concerned for his safety.


    For a Silver Expert to absorb and integrate Divine Power was preposterously bold.


    Joyce��s brow furrowed; he indeed felt a powerful and majestic force hidden within Lis, deeply concealed but apparently showing no abnormal signs.


    Most importantly, Joyce did not sense any lingering consciousness of the Divine.


    Letting go of Lis��s hand, Joyce breathed a sigh of relief and settled back into his seat.


    Any power remaining from a deity is dangerous, especially the will that may linger within it.


    That could be perilous even for Legends, let alone Professionals below that rank.


    But now it appeared that Lis had been lucky.


    "That was too reckless!" Joyce looked rather displeased, considering it far too audacious.


    "I should have reminded you earlier to revere Divine Power, to be very careful."


    "One must not covet the seemingly strong and tempting power within; too many have fallen on this path."


    Joyce��s tone was stern; even he handled Divine Power with the utmost caution��it was unimaginable for Lis to have dared to absorb Divinity.


    In his view, with Lis��s Talent, there was no need to take such shortcuts, which would have been safer to explore after achieving Legend status.


    @@novelbin@@


    "I understand, Uncle Joyce," Lis nodded, acknowledging his mistake sincerely.


    To be honest, he hadn��t guessed that the Holy Grail within the Divine Statue would contain Divinity, and he wasn��t sure he would dare to attempt to merge with Divinity again given another chance.


    After all, the feeling of enduring extreme mental oppression was too terrifying to bear, and it was sheer luck to have seeded.

 Chapter 406 - 354: The Golden Dragon Who Wants to Cultivate a Hero_3

    Seeing Lis admitting his mistake with a good attitude, Joyce couldn��t help but shake his head too.


    It was only the case with Lis; with someone else, he wouldn��t have cared so much.


    "It��s good that you understand."


    "What are your ns for this return?"


    Thinking to himself, Joyce considered that since Little Lis had already advanced to Gold Level, it was time to reveal the Kane family��s heritage to him.


    Experience tales with NovelBin.C?m


    Lis nodded,ying out his future nspletely.


    @@novelbin@@


    "I have also achieved no small feats here, I should be entitled to be knighted as a Duke."


    "When I returned from Treasure Pearl Sea this time, I discovered that Danerluo Port was very impressive, and I want to take it as my fief."


    Danerluo Port...


    Joyce frowned slightly; he had naturally visited this one of thergest ports next to Treasure Pearl Sea.


    More critically, the background of the Kane family, the Az Floating City, was submerged in the outer sea of Treasure Pearl Sea!


    How coincidental!


    Joyce figured that there was no rush. He would discuss the matter with Lis once thends were secured.


    "That ce is indeed good, strive for it!"


    After a moment of silence, Joyce nodded and spoke.


    As for the matter of the fief, he wasn��t too worried; not to mention the issues Lis had caused in Dillon Kingdom and Boditch Kingdom, with him and the Judgement me around, there wouldn��t be too many problems.


    If needed, he could personally visit His Majesty the King for a chat!


    Not to mention that the Legendary Monk wasn��t currently in the Royal Pce, and even if he were, Joyce was confident in his current strength to suppress that brute.


    "Uncle Joyce, about the matter of the Extraordinary Domain..."


    Lis suddenly remembered and was about to inquire when he saw Joyce wave his hand.


    "If you want to ask about how to cultivate in the Extraordinary Domain, I suggest you better ask your teacher."


    Joyce said with a smile, seemingly producing a cup of fine wine out of nowhere.


    "Although I have also started from mastering the Extraordinary Domain, my experience might not necessarily suit you."


    "Most importantly, your teacher, Mr. Stephens, is nearly the strongest in this area; as an Arcanist, he has researched it the most."


    "Is that so? I understand!"


    Lis nodded, then pulled out a snow-white ss bottle, borately embossed with exquisite patterns, containing a crystal-clear pure wine, from his storage ring.


    "Uncle Joyce, this is an ice wine from Dillon Kingdom, I found it in the treasury of Dillon Kingdom, the top-tier wine."


    Joyceughed, holding the snow-white bottle in his hands, slowly caressing it.


    To him, there were certainly other greater wines he had tasted, such as the Life Spring wine brewed from the juice of the Elf n Life Tree.


    However, Joyce preferred the ice wine in front of him.


    Perhaps because it was a gift from a younger rtive, which deeplyforted Joyce who had no children of his own.


    Lis chatted with Joyce for a while and also asked him for some knowledge about Gold-level Assassins.


    When it came time for lunch, Lis specifically instructed the kitchen to prepare an extremely sumptuous meal.


    Herb-roasted chicken, white sauce stewed vegetables and meat, Bright City grilled steak, manor baked muffins, Northern honey sauce pan-fried meat, butter-fried fish, satisfying vegetable sd, creamy mashed potatoes, mixed seafood porridge, and mint bean soup, among others.


    The fragrant and steaming food filled the table, with Joyce, Helen, Basel, Ashley, and Old Jack all sitting at the long dining table.


    Lis carried Risa, who stayed in the library, out and ced her beside his own seat.


    Initially shy in her light aqua elegant long dress, she struggled, but she became docile and obedient once Lis brought her before everyone.


    Still shy, she lowered her head, not daring to look much at the others present.


    Even so, Risa��s beauty made everyone present take a second look.


    Joyce quietly savored his wine, with a slight smile curling up at the corners of his mouth.


    Seeing Lis surrounded by so many outstanding people pleased him greatly.


    Especially with Risa, it seemed he needn��t worry too much about Lis��s personal matters.


    The wine in Joyce��s hand wasn��t the top-tier ice wine Lis had brought him, but another one from his personal collection.


    The bottle of ice wine had already be his most treasured possession, naturally, he wouldn��t want to share it just yet.


    The group thus enjoyed the long-awaited feast amid this harmonious atmosphere.


    ...


    In the afternoon, on Gedo Street,


    the busiest district of Bright City was currently bustling with people, with colorful gs and banners fluttering everywhere, and shops and stalls on both sides of the street constantly tempting the eyes of the passersby with an abundant array of goods.


    News of victory from the eastern Boditch Kingdom had already reached Bright City, with the fall of Luminous Stone City and the sessful clearance of other regions nearly heralding the end of the conflict.


    Merchants and traders from other parts of the continent converged on Bright City, eager to partake in this feast and grab a share of the spoils.


    This also drove Bright City to flourish even more, making life increasingly wonderful, as people from Feis Kingdom often wore genuinely happy smiles.


    Lis leisurely strolled through the streets; originally, he had nned to take Risa with him to visit Mr. Stephens and do some shopping, but after the lunch, Risa, drained from the activity, had to rest instead.


    "There is still a long way to go!"


    Lis had just briefly visited the headquarters of the Yaya Mercenary Group on Gedo Street, unfortunately, only the Dwarf Lunbos was there, drowning his sorrows in drink.

 Chapter 407 - 354: The Golden Dragon Who Wants to Cultivate a Hero_4

    It was said that Ya��er had been taken out for training by the elders of the n, and the Elf Ailina took this opportunity to return to the Elf Forest for the faster growth of the Moon Spirit Leopard Little ck.


    After greeting everyone, Lis left.


    Taya went out for training, huh~


    If I calcte, although it��s not clear when Taya broke through to legendary, it seems it will happen in just a few more years.


    Previously, King Morton had always restricted Taya from traveling too far from Bright City, and now I��ve learned from Uncle Joyce that the Legendary Monk who was stationed at the Royal Pce has temporarily left.


    Could it be because the Judgement me has been staying in Bright Citytely, so that Legendary Monk could make time to take Taya out for training?


    Sigh~


    Thinking of Taya��s bold and charming beauty, Lis felt an inexplicable pressure in his heart.


    He didn��t want to be suppressed by her in the future!


    He needed to keep striving!


    As Lis was heading towards the Royal Magic Academy in Feis Kingdom, suddenly two figures appeared in front of him.


    "Lord Lis!"


    Mo Yun appeared in front of Lis, dressed in a ck Mage Robe, his face full of excitement and thrill.


    Damn, half a year already!


    I��ve finally seen this main character NPC again!


    Do you know how I spent these past six months?


    @@novelbin@@


    Especially watching Lis��s trace through the Feis Kingdom, heading north, disappearing for a long while before reappearing in Luminous Stone City in the Boditch Kingdom.


    If she wasn��t restricted to not traveling far now, she would have rushed out to find Lis by now!


    That Gold-level Series Task, it��s so tantalizing!


    Why!


    It was hers first!


    Especially seeing so many White Dove Chamber of Commerce contribution points, more than all her hard work over the past half year, suddenly made her feel so imbnced.


    It also strengthened her determination to stick to Lis��s side.


    Before she could continue to speak, another voice emerged next to her.


    "Long time no see, Lis!"


    An extremely handsome young man with blond hair and golden eyes stood beside Mo Yun, dressed in a refined ck suit, smiling at Lis.


    The familiar face and tone made Lis recognize him immediately.


    Golden Dragon Sylvester Ludwig!


    Lis looked curiously at the two standing together, what kind ofbination was this?


    "Long time no see, Ludwig!"


    "I heard you��ve been taken as a disciple by the teacher?"


    Lis smiled, showing a grin to Ludwig.


    "You are called... Mo Yun?"


    Lis pretended to ponder for a moment and finally called out Mo Yun��s name.


    Lis remembers my name!


    He has me in his mind!


    It��s settled!


    Mo Yun stood, stunned with surprise as if she saw a golden task waving at her.


    But...


    Mo Yun suddenly came to her senses and curiously looked at Ludwig.


    For some reason, this guy had been following her for the past few days.


    Other than knowing his name, she knew nothing else about him.


    If it wasn��t for this guy��s outstanding appearance with golden hair and golden eyes, definitely a high-level NPC, she would have beaten him up a long time ago.


    Yes!


    She, Mo Yun, is not like those superficial people from the Appearance Association!


    However, it seemed Lis recognized this guy, and they even shared amon teacher?


    "Are you going to find the teacher too, together?"


    Ludwig asked enthusiastically, his face breaking into a smile.


    If it wasn��t for Lis��s method, he would probably still be stuck outside the doors of the arcanist. Enjoy new adventures from NovelBin.C?m


    Moreover, he could feel the significantly more potent aura from Lis, clearly, he had broken through again to be the same Gold Rank as himself.


    "Yeah!"


    Lis nodded and walked shoulder to shoulder towards the Magic Academy.


    This left Mo Yun unable to dare to interrupt their conversation, only able to quietly follow behind.


    Lis and Ludwig both noticed the little tail following behind them.


    "Ludwig, you guy, why are you following this Mo Yun around?"


    Lis asked with a smile, noting that other than looking like a beauty, Mo Yun didn��t stand out from an average Bronze-level Professional.


    This Golden Dragon��s style really baffles people.


    "You know her too?"


    Ludwig asked curiously.


    "Yeah, I��ve met her once before; she��s a member of my subordinate guild... barely counts as my subordinate, I guess!"


    Lis nodded.


    "I felt a call of destiny from her!"


    Ludwig said, smiling, not keeping it a secret from Lis.


    "I want to help her be a hero!"


    Lis looked at Ludwig��s righteous face, somewhat speechless.


    Isn��t this type of personification, joining adventure teams, something Silver Dragons like to do?


    What are you, a Golden Dragon, joining in for?

 Chapter 408 - 355: The Mystery of the Extraordinary Domain

    Lis looked at Ludwig with a puzzled expression, as if he was reassessing his knowledge of this Golden Dragon.


    Although Golden Dragons were one of the strongest among the Dragon n, this did not mean they were the strongest in every aspect.


    Actually,pared to them, Silver Dragons slightly surpassed Golden Dragons in the talent of spellcasting; Golden Dragons preferred to rely on their formidable physiques.


    This was also why Silver Dragons often transformed into the bravepanions in legends and tales.


    There were also quite a few stories about Golden Dragons within the Human Kingdom, but they mostly existed as rulers, arbiters, and wise men.


    Out of their noble disposition, if the person pleading with a Golden Dragon was upright and honest, the Golden Dragon would tend to agree to his request, but one must give it expensive gemstones as recognition of its splendor, for like all Metallic Dragons, the venerable Golden Dragon was both greedy and proud.


    It was already quite special that Ludwig took an interest in magic, so why was he considering this now?


    And the target was even more peculiar. Why would he set his sights on Mo Yun, a yer?


    "That girl, she seems quite ordinary?"


    Lis pondered as he spoke, genuinely curious about Ludwig��s reason for choosing Mo Yun, something unheard of in his previous life.


    "She��s beautiful!"


    Ludwig stated affirmatively, without a hint of hesitation.


    "...That��s it?"


    Lis was somewhat speechless, never expecting this to be the reason why Mo Yun attracted Ludwig.


    "Of course!"


    Ludwig stroked his chin, his golden hair and golden eyes shining even more dazzlingly in the sunlight.


    "Aren��t the heroes in those legendary stories all handsome and pretty?"


    "I think, as a Golden Dragon with top-tier magic talent, the person I assist naturally can��t be inferior."


    "Don��t all stories end with the brave hero defeating the Demon King or the Evil Dragon, and as time passes, the hero and hispanion fall in love!"


    "I am a male, so I should find a beauty!"


    "More importantly, she indeed gives me a special feeling, I always feel a desire to be close to her."


    In the end, Ludwig said with a serious expression, as if he was about to embark on a great enterprise.


    A feeling of closeness?


    If it had been earlier, Lis would have definitely thought that Ludwig had read too many legends and thus harbored such thoughts.


    @@novelbin@@


    He had figured out that this guy was naturally a very confident and somewhat chuunibyou dragon, curious about many things besides the arcane.


    It made sense, as Golden and Silver Dragons, by virtue of being more amiable towards Humans, often transformed into Humans and roamed the Human Kingdom for their growth before reaching adulthood; their long lives allowed them to understand interesting things and knowledge.


    This experience was also part of their growth process.


    This was precisely why the legends of Golden and Silver Dragons were the most abundant within the Human Kingdom.


    But why Mo Yun?


    Could it be because of his own involvement?


    Lis felt a headacheing on, pondered briefly, and decided to put the matter aside and observeter on.


    Who knows, maybe this guy was just a sh in the pan?


    ...


    The two of them moved quickly, and soon entered Feis��s Royal Magic Academy.


    The Magic Students they passed by all bowed respectfully to Ludwig, who smiled and nodded in return.


    This Golden Dragon seemed quite popr at the academy; one wondered if these people were aware that they stood before a formidable Golden Dragon.


    Find more chapters on NovelBin.C?m


    "Wee, Sir Lis!"


    The cold and empty voice was heard again,ing from the Magic Intelligent Life of the First Magic Workshop, though its tone still sounded icy.


    Lis felt a stir within him, and a ck Cat, as profound as the night sky, appeared on his shoulder.


    The ck Cat clung tightly to the clothes on Lis��s shoulder with its tiny paws, curiously eyeing this Legendary Arcanist��s Magic Workshop.


    The ck Cat usually followed Helen around, and since it couldn��t cultivate, it naturally didn��t bother apanying Lis, who stayed in theb all day.


    However, today when it heard that Lis was going to visit Judgement me��s Magic Workshop, it asked toe along out of curiosity.


    ck Cat��s creator was the Sphinx, a Legendary Arcanist at the pinnacle. It was quite keen to see for itself the abode of another Legendary Arcanist andpare it to its own temple.


    Well, at least for now, the Magic Intelligent Life in Judgement me��s Magic Workshop was far inferior to it.


    Ludwig nced at the ck Cat with curiosity, was this Lis��s Magic Pet?


    But why didn��t he sense any special aura, it seemed like merely an essence of magic.


    During the past few months, Ludwig had familiarized himself with the First Magic Workshop and was about to lead Lis upstairs to find their teacher.


    Before he could speak, Mr. Stephens��s voicezily came over.


    "Lis is back,e on up."


    "Ludwig, continue with today��s training, you aren��t allowed to stop unless I say so!"


    Upon hearing this, Ludwig��s expression suddenly fell, but he said nothing and obediently headed toward the basement of the Magic Workshop.


    Lis chuckled to himself; was this guy now under special training by his teacher?


    He suddenly understood, perhaps this fellow was overwhelmed by Mr. Stephens��s special training, so he sought out Mo Yun for something simr.


    Do unto others as you would not have them do unto you, right?


    Lis shook his head and directly went upstairs.


    Upon entering the second floor, he saw Mr. Stephens seated on the sofa, wearing a long blue dressing gown. In front of him was a small tableid with exquisite pce desserts prepared by the Royal Pce��s chef and steaming hot tea.

 Chapter 409 - 355: The Mystery of the Extraordinary Domain_2

    The teacher��s attire was indeed rare, perhaps because of an extended rest in Bright City this time.


    "Not bad, your strength has improved quickly!"


    Stephens nced at Lis and nodded in satisfaction.


    He had already broken through to the Gold Level!


    Truly worthy of being his disciple!


    Truly worthy of being him!


    Risa also broke through to the Gold Level at a young age; the speed of strength enhancement in these two disciples was even faster than he had anticipated.


    He could understand Risa��s rapid progress, considering her talent was indeed top-notch in his eyes.


    The Four Elements ne was constantly strengthening Risa��s strength; even if she slept every day, she would eventually reach the Legendary level.


    Lis��s rate of progress was somewhat surprising to him.


    However, thinking of how this disciple had a penchant for courting death and even managed to disrupt the ns of Demon Prince Demogorgon, he was quite remarkable indeed!


    "Hello, teacher!"


    Lis bowed to Stephens, who was dressed in home clothes, and then sat down on the sofa opposite his teacher.


    Stephens picked up a piece of cookie, ced it in his mouth, and savored it slowly.


    "You��re back, eh? How did it feel to be out on your training journey?"


    "It felt great!"


    Lis said with a wide smile; indeed, this trip had been extremely rewarding.


    It was an almostprehensive enhancement, and for Lis, he already had enough power to carry out the ns he had in mind.


    Of course, the greatest gain was the treasure of Sphinx in Snow Ridge Town!


    "Sphinx Ascension Technique," "Sphinx Dream Building Skill," and the legendary essory "Sphinx��s Wisdom" all elevated Lis��s strength to a new level.


    "It seems like your gains were indeed substantial!"


    Stephens noticed the sparkle in Lis��s eyes and spoke with a smile.


    "It��s all thanks to the hints you gave me,"


    said Lis, recalling the arduous search for Sphinx��s relics in Snow Ridge Town. If he hadn��t found the clue at the end, he might have had to forcibly breach the Sphinx Temple with his teacher��s help.


    If that had been the case, he wasn��t sure if he could have received Sphinx��s legacy as he had now.


    Stephens looked at Lis, who was somewhat emotional. It seemed the inheritance this disciple received in the Legendary Arcanist��s relic was not simple at all!


    However, Stephens had no intention of asking further. To him now, who had clearly defined his future path, even powers granted by divine beings were extraneous.


    "What brings you to me today?"


    Stephens asked with a smile. Although Lis was a bit of a troublemaker as a disciple, he was indeed quite outstanding and had hardly caused him any worry.


    Compared to Risa, who had high talent but was somewhat meek, and Ludwig, a Golden Dragon who was too capricious, Lis was the one who gave him the least concern.


    "I��vee to seek your advice, teacher."


    Lis raised his right hand, with the blue, cyan, and silver-white domains swirling around him. Read thetest on NovelBin.C?m


    "During my exploration on a Divine Ind in the Treasure Pearl Sea, I fortuitously merged with divinity and thus prematurely mastered this tri-level Transcendent Domain."


    Lis didn��t conceal anything and shared everything that happened with Stephens.


    Divinity?


    Stephens remembered, it was what Lis had inquired about previously, asking how to eliminate the remnants of Will from divinity.


    A faint Magic Light appeared in front of Stephens as he observed Lis��s body carefully.


    Compared to Lis mastering the tri-level Transcendent Domain, Stephens was more concerned about his sessful integration with divinity.


    "Indeed you��ve merged with divinity..."


    Stephens fell silent for a moment, then looked at Lis and said:


    "The power of divine beings is formidable, and it is quite rare for you to have sessfully merged with divinity; however, remember not to be intoxicated by this powerful force."


    "After all, such external power is only temporary; the true key is the inherent strength of an Arcanist."


    Stephens cautioned, as a Legendary Arcanist himself, he naturally had a deeper study and exploration of divine powers and had also acquired such power of divinity.


    But he was very clear that the power of the divine was too strong and wonderful, and Lis��s mastery of the Extraordinary Domain was just a part of that.


    That��s why so many people be lost within the divine power.


    "I understand, please rest assured."


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    Lis naturally knew what Stephens was worried about, but to him, divine power wasn��t as reliable as the system power he possessed.


    Stephens nodded; he also believed Lis wouldn��t sink into the divine power like those foolish people,


    "Regarding the Extraordinary Domain..."


    Stephens leaned back on the sofa, looking at the tri-colored Extraordinary Domain that surrounded Lis.


    "I should have talked to you before about mastering the world��s rules, you haven��t forgotten, have you?"


    Lis nodded. He still remembered the shock he felt when his teacher first spoke to him about the world��s rules.


    "Really, the Extraordinary Domain is essentially the path that every Extraordinary Professional embarks on to master the world��s rules."


    "The Extraordinary Domain pursued by Gold-level professionals will sublimate into the Legendary Domain after breaking through to Legendary."


    "If it��s a Legendary Strongman who embarks on the Path of God Sealing, the Legendary Domain they possess will sublimate and condense into the Divine Domain during the Enthronement Ceremony, which is the Divine Position that all gods wield."


    "All of this is based on our exploration of the world��s rules."


    "Just like the Extraordinary Domain you control now, it��s a manifestation of certain world rules."


    "This power, as your understanding and mastery of the world��s rules deepen, will continually be strengthened."


    "That is to say, the Extraordinary Domain is the seed of world rule control, drawing nourishment as it masters the world��s rules and constantly growing."


    "Do you understand?"


    Lis nodded. He hadn��t realized that the Extraordinary Domain was so crucial to Extraordinary Professionals, eventually sublimating into the Divine Position controlled by deities.


    "So, the growth and advancement of the Extraordinary Domain ultimately rte to one��s own mastery of the corresponding world��s rules of the Extraordinary Domain."


    "Right."


    Stephens nodded, supporting his cheek with his right hand and smilingly said:


    "So, there are almost no shortcuts on this path. To gain improvement, you musty a solid foundation step by step, mastering the world��s rules."


    "But mastering the world��s rules is not something so easily achieved. However, having already mastered the Extraordinary Domain, you have already grasped that key."


    Lis nodded; his teacher��s words were somewhat profound, but still, it all began with mastering the world��s rules.


    yers in his former life did not know much about the Extraordinary Domain, so Lis had almost no knowledge in this area.


    But this...


    Lis had a headache. He came to ask his teacher for advice on how to improve his mastery of the Extraordinary Domain more quickly, but it seemed like this too would require a painstaking effort!


    "Haha, indeed, it is so."


    Stephens noticed the change in Lis��s expression andughed:


    "If there were so many shortcuts, then it wouldn��t be the case that so many people are trapped just before bing Legends in their lifetimes."


    "This is probably why Joyce sent you to me; after all, most who have mastered the Extraordinary and Legendary Domains themselves are not aware of the process of grasping the world��s rules and improving, typically only those who set foot on the Path of God Sealinge to truly realize these things."


    "Then teacher, have you... embarked on the Path of God Sealing?"


    Lis was somewhat puzzled. From what the teacher exined before, it seemed that Arcanists weren��t particrly keen on the Path of God Sealing.


    Stephens himself hadn��t shown much desire or concern for the Path of God Sealing.


    "Of course... not."


    Stephens said with a smile:


    "I tried going up to have a look, found it uninteresting, and then I stepped back down."


    Is that even possible?


    Lis remembered Uncle Joyce��s longing for the Path of God Sealing, yet the teacher said he had experienced it briefly and then stepped back down from it.


    What a slick move!


    "Although that��s what I said, it seems you��re still quite rough in your use of the Extraordinary Domain."


    As he spoke, the corners of Stephens��s mouth slightly curled up, giving Lis an uneasy premonition.


    "You need special training, too!"

 Chapter 410 - 356 The Instruction and Special Training of ’Judgement Flame

    Feis Royal Magic Academy, First Magic Workshop,


    Underground Level One.


    This ce had been expanded by the Legendary Arcanist "Judgement me" using Space Techniques into an extremely spacious square, with a height of several tens of meters, seemingly capable of fitting the entire Magic Academy inside.


    Such a feat was far beyond what Lis could achieve.


    This is the wonder of Space Magic, this is Stephens�� power!


    On one side of the arena, Mr. Stephens stood with Lis, watching Ludwig��s figure dodging and dealing with countless Magic Missiles.


    However, Ludwig had not revealed his Golden Dragon true body and instead continued to use a human form to respond to the iing attacks.


    He used Protection Magic to fend off attacks formed by various element Magic Elements, and at the same time, tried to neutralize those Magic Missiles with corresponding spells.


    This must be the special training the teacher had prepared specifically for him, the ability to automatically generate magic attacks was indeed quite marvelous.


    But now, it appeared that Ludwig was having a hard time dealing with it; his clothes were charred and tattered all over, a picture ofplete disarray.


    Gone was his previous elegant and graceful demeanor.


    From time to time, his Protection Magic would be breached by the tide-like onught of magical attacks, and though the hits he took did not cause much damage, his grimaced expression indicated they were far from pleasant.


    Seemingly noticing Lis�� curious look, Stephens said,


    "I heard this guy got that ��clumsy method�� from you to be an Arcanist?"


    "Ah, yes, teacher."


    Lis nodded, recollecting how he had shared the methods from "Boba Ka��s Arcane Notebook" with Ludwig when they first met.


    Normally, it should have taken a long time, but now it seemed that Ludwig might have a Talent in this area?


    "Hmph, this fool, hurried over to find me."


    Stephens shook his head, seeming somewhat exasperated with Ludwig.


    "I built a ��Time Hut�� for him to practice in, and even then, it took a lot of time."


    Stephens spoke with some disdain, yet he was actually quite pleased with Ludwig��s perseverance.


    Back on Dragon Ind, there were many young dragons curious about arcane, but in the end, only Ludwig persisted and followed him around daily,ter even following him to Bright City to seek his guidance.


    It was Ludwig��s persistence that finally moved him to take him on as a disciple, for which he had put in quite an effort.


    Ludwig��s talent in this area was fairly decent, but for a dragon whose Strength mostly came from bloodline and time, he was still too young.


    Compared with Lis and Risa, however, Ludwig��s gap was significant.


    "If one wants to learn arcane, they must start from the beginning."


    Stephens pointed at Ludwig, who was weaving through the myriad-colored Magic Missiles, and said with a smile,


    "This child, like the other dragons, relies too much on their dragon��s powerful body and Dragon Magic, which is a hindrance in his learning process of arcane."


    "So, his habits must first be changed; he must be ustomed to solely using spells to feel his way forward, only then can he go further on this path."


    Lis nodded, understanding that the dragons�� exceptional natural talent was also an obstacle to their attempts to embark on other paths.


    But if they could ovee this issue, they could greatly increase their Strength.


    Then again, such special training could probably only be done by Mr. Stephens, right?


    Stephens, looking at Lis, revealed a slight smile:


    "Do you know why I��m telling you all this?"


    After a moment of thought, Lis replied tentatively:


    "Because my situation is simr to Ludwig��s."


    Stephens nodded, confirming with a smile,


    "You��re right, you have the same problem now."


    Stephens flicked his fingers, and multicolored Magic Elements swirled around his body, obedient as well-trained soldiers, forming colorful orbs of light that slowly revolved and fused in midair.


    "For you, entering the Extraordinary Domain is a brand-new Strength, an ability you could only grasp after breaking through to a new realm."


    "Merging Divinity has allowed you to skip this stage, but while there are benefits, there are also disadvantages." Find more to read at NovelBin.C?m


    "If you can��t grasp how to explore deeper into the world, you could be trapped here instead."


    As Stephens spoke, the Magic Elements in front of Lis formed a small, illusory staircase, leading to a broken end.


    "The process of mastering the Extraordinary Domain is like climbing this staircase, aiming for stronger power."


    The elements then created a small silver figure, which struggled to climb the staircase.


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    "But this staircase is different from the usual ones; all of its steps are made from our own Strength, or more urately, from the world rules that the climbers have mastered and condensed."


    "Those who have not grasped the Extraordinary Domain are all on the ground, starting from the same line."


    "But one day, once we break through the limit of our understanding of the world rules, creating the first step of the staircase to climb, that step signifies our mastery of the Extraordinary Domain."


    Apanying Stephens�� exnation, the little silver figure in front of Lis performed various motions.

 Chapter 411 - 356 Judgement Flame’s Teaching and Special Training_2

    Wandering aimlessly on the ground, he then pulled a spacious step directly out of his small head and ced it in front of him, stepping on it right away.


    The teacher��s exnation was indeed vivid, even a bit horrifying...


    Lis listened carefully to the teacher��s exnation, still makingments in his mind.


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    "Generally, those who have mastered the Extraordinary Domain do so step by step, climbing upwards,"


    "Many probably don��t know how they managed it, but once they have formed the first step, they can continue moving upwards based on their previous experiences,"


    "But you are different. The power embedded within Divinity has helped you master your Extraordinary Domain, it��s like you��ve directly stepped onto a high rung on thedder of the Extraordinary Domain right from t ground,"


    "Without direction, you wouldn��t know how to form the next step and would just keep circling on this step, facing the void in front of you,"


    The imaginary steps before Lis slowly transformed, with a small silver figure scratching its head on the fourth or fifth step.


    Indeed, although Lis, with the system��s help, could determine his current mastery level over the Extraordinary Domain, he had no clue how to proceed further.


    After mastering the Extraordinary Domain, Lis hadn��t made any progress for a long time, only feeling the stronger Extraordinary Domain of his opponent during a confrontation with Wendell spurred him to progress again.


    "So, teacher, what should I do?"


    Lis looked at Mr. Stephens and asked, eager to resolve the issue now that he had identified it.


    And since the teacher had exined it so clearly, there must be a way forward.


    "Now that you are aware of the problem, solving it is rtively easy,"


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    "Since you haven��t formed the Extraordinary Domain through your own experiences and insights, stop thinking about climbing further upward,"


    "First step down from thedder, walk that path over and over, deepen your own insights until you havepletely mastered the Extraordinary Domain, only then you qualify to improve further,"


    Seeing the smile on his teacher��s face, Lis suddenly had a bad feeling.


    "Is that..."


    "Special Training, of course. Make frequent use of the abilities of the Extraordinary Domain, one step at a time,"


    "I will help you personally!"


    Mr. Stephens looked at Lis with an amused expression on his face, his interest piqued.


    Truth be told, among his three disciples, he had invested a lot of effort in Risa and Ludwig, providing them with substantial help.


    As for Lis, he had been quite low-maintenance, aside from having cleared out a substantial portion of his Magic Workshop��s storeroom.


    Lis unexpectedly became the first among his three disciples to master the Extraordinary Domain, officially embarking on the path of legend. Stephens naturally didn��t mind personally stepping in to aid hismendable disciple.


    After all, helping Lis with Special Training required the mobilization of the power of the Extraordinary Domain, which could not be achieved with Ludwig��s type of training that merely relied on Magic Arrays and tools.


    "Little Lis, be grateful!"


    "You know, simply forming the first step of the Extraordinary Domain leaves most people behind, and now you just need to familiarize yourself again, which barely counts for anything,"


    Lis knew his teacher was right, but suddenly he realized that Mr. Stephens seemed quite eager, appearing to be preparing to physically punish him, which made him apprehensive.


    This man was a Legendary Arcanist, after all!


    Though that was the case, such an opportunity for direct guidance from a powerhouse was incredibly rare, and Lis naturally wanted to cherish it.


    ...


    Lis sat cross-legged on the ground, surrounded by a triple Extraordinary Domain of blue, green, and silver-white, rotating extremely slowly.


    His body trembled slightly, as if it was enduring tremendous pressure, and beads of sweat the size of soybeans continually appeared on his forehead, his entire body drenched with sweat.


    Above Lis��s head, four fist-sized Dreamy Orbs floated in mid-air, colored crimson, azure, sky blue, and ochre, with blurry spots of light continuously emerging from the orbs, slowly floating down onto his body.


    With each strand of light that fell, the Extraordinary Domain surrounding Lis��s body trembled slightly, as if undergoing a new baptism.


    Meanwhile, Mr. Stephens sat not far from Lis, enjoyably indulging in overly sweet cookies and red tea.


    This was a Special Training tailored specifically for Lis by Judgment me.


    The four special orbs above Lis��s head represented Mr. Stephens��s fourfold Legendary Domain, corresponding to the Four Basic Elements: earth, water, fire, air. Stephens was using the Legendary Domain to help Lis undergo baptism, continually enhancing his mastery under constant pressure.


    At this moment, Lis��s mind was free of any distractions, all his focus was on resisting the oppression from the Legendary Arcanist, constantly forcing out more of his potential.


    In a trance, Lis felt as though he had returned to the state of unifying body and soul when he had merged with Divinity, fully engaged in re-mastering the Extraordinary Domain.


    Under the high-level Domain pressure from his teacher, Lis was gradually reacquainting himself, reapprehending every single force of the Extraordinary Domain, while special images gradually appeared in his consciousness.


    There were endless waves surging forward on the boundless ocean;


    terrifying thunder that extended and broke forcefully through the gloomy sky;


    and fierce, devastating storms that ravaged across the vast ins.


    These images continuously integrated into Lis��s soul, deepening his understanding of the world��s rules, albeit still elementary, but Lis indeed internalized these insights, feeling genuinely as if he held all the keys.


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