《Ascension To Divine Throne》


 Chapter 1: Transmigration

    <h4>Chapter 1: Transmigration</h4>


    Chapter 1: Transmigration


    June 4, Year 640 of the Dawn Calendar


    Gaia Prime World, Fanor Continent, Fis Kingdom''s capital, Canlight City.


    36 Fis Street, Cain Family Residence.


    June is the hottest month of the year for the Fis Kingdom on the eastern ins of the Fanor Continent. In the manor, the stable hand sneaked a lounge chair to the back of the stables to rest, preferring to be bitten by mosquitoes rather than sleep in his cramped, suffocating little room.


    The manor, still cloaked in darkness, had not yet dispersed the lingering heat from the previous day. Yet, a sliver of white appeared in the eastern sky.


    A young many in the master bedroom. Even the light, breathable silk pajamas couldn''t soothe the summer night''s heat.


    The fragrance drove away the annoying mosquitoes but was helpless against the stifling warmth. In his sleep, the young man seemed unable to endure it any longer and mumbled:


    "Why is it so hot? Didn''t I turn on the air conditioner?"


    William turned over, intending to continue learning the eighteen martial arts from his teachers in his dreams, but suddenly sat up in shock.


    Something was wrong. Isn''t it supposed to be January? How can it be this hot? Is the house on fire?


    Sitting up, William looked around in confusion. The immersive game pod he was familiar with and the expensiveputer he used for watching shows and handling orders from his power-leveling studio were nowhere to be seen.


    The spacious room was devoid of anything but the soft bed beneath him, a luxurious carpet, and a small table with a few letters on it.


    Was he kidnapped? But the environment didn''t seem to match that scenario. No kidnapper would provide such afortable ce for their hostage.


    The windows weren''t even closed. Normally, a kidnapping involves a gag, bound hands, lying on the ground, and a menacing guard nearby, right?


    Moreover, why kidnap him? Though he made some money from his gaming studio, most of it was sent to Father Weiss to maintain the orphanage. What kind of kidnapper would go to such lengths for his remaining few bucks?


    William was now fully awake. He carefully examined his surroundings, trying to figure out where he was.


    His gaze swept past the window, and he stared in astonishment.


    From the room''s right side, through the floor-to-ceiling windows, beyond the courtyard, he saw rows of two or three-story buildings.


    But what caught his eye was the white marble dome and slender spires rising above the ck rooftops, emitting a faint white glow like a beacon, warm and mesmerizing.


    "Isn''t that the Dawn Cathedral in Canlight City from the game ''Gods Apocalypse''?"


    Suddenly, his head throbbed as a torrent of information flooded his mind. William clutched his temples, grimacing as he absorbed the sudden influx of knowledge.


    After a while, he finally understood where he was.


    "My name is William Cain? A court viscount of the Fis Kingdom?"


    "Have I transmigrated into the world of ''Gods Apocalypse''?"


    ''Gods Apocalypse'' was a revolutionary immersive online game, offering 100% simtion with its specialized game pod. It attracted millions of yers worldwide, peaking at an unprecedented 50 million concurrent users, nearly obliterating all other online games of its time.


    As a groundbreaking game, the developers were adept at maintaining game bnce while enhancing its yability andpetitiveness. It drew countless guilds and professional yers,unching professional leagues and national wars, which further boosted its influence to its zenith.


    William''s gaming studio thrived within ''Gods Apocalypse,'' employing a group of people to grind and level up characters, yielding considerable ie.


    As a hardcore yer and top-tier expert, though not inferior to professional yers, William specialized in fire magic and ranked within the top thirty mages in his countries server.


    Preferring his independence, he didn''t join a professional team and instead ran his own studio, earning as much as professional yers and gaining fame among bosses and ordinary yers alike.


    Unexpectedly, he had transmigrated into the world of ''Gods Apocalypse.'' Currently, the Gaia world was still peaceful, but William knew it was about to experience a series of tumultuous events.


    For instance, the impending ''Total War'' across Gaia''s six continents, the still-sunken ''Floating City of Azelia'' in the eastern sea of Fanor, the ''Philips Crystal'' that opens portals to numerous small alternate worlds still floating in the void, the disaster seed in the abyss that would lead to the corruption of Gaia''s world tree Yggdrasil in the ''Crimson Invasion,'' and the gods, still sitting in their divine realms, unaware of the impending ''Temporal Tide'' that would dethrone them.


    ying ''Gods Apocalypse'' had been thrilling for William, making him wish he could rece his game character to fight enemies himself. But now, thinking about the uing dangers and conflicts, he just wanted to return to his cozy home in his great mothend and enjoy some idle talk.


    Don''t ask why. It''s simply out of caution.


    "Damn it!"


    William suddenly leaped from the bed, his face twisted, wishing he could bang his head against the wall.


    "I''m screwed!"


    William suddenly remembered that before his transmigration, his USB drive, containing 5TB of meticulously curated study materials, was still plugged into his workputer.


    It would be fine if Father Weiss or his little brothers found it, but if the girls at the orphanage discovered it, how could he maintain his image as the noble and heroic older brother in their eyes?


    William turned into a gray-white statue, recalling how he had mocked the male protagonists in web novels for not taking better care of their precious study materials.


    Feeling utterly defeated, he copsed onto the carpet, wishing he could sink into the wooden floor beneath him out of sheer embarrassment.


    After writhing on the ground like a worm for quite a while, he managed to vent most of the anxiety brought by his transmigration. Sprawled out on the floor, he stared quietly at the dim crystal chandelier hanging above.


    Could he ever go back? Would anyone remember him?


    Father Weiss would, and the little brothers and sisters at the orphanage probably would too. As for others, aside from the employees at his studio, he didn''t have many close friends.


    William pped his face hard.


    Since he had already arrived in the world of ''Gods Apocalypse,'' the most important thing was to survive well.


    If he could, like his game character, wield extraordinary powers unknown in his previous life, meet influential figures of this world, and explore treasures buried in the mists of history, it might be a rather fascinating experience.


    Trying to call up the game interface as he did in his past life, he swiped his right hand in front of him. A light screen adorned with intricate, mysterious patterns appeared before his eyes.


    Sure enough, his previous life''s game system had followed him into this world! William eagerly checked it out.


    The system interface was the same as in the game, with options for [Status], [Forum], and [Inventory] from top to bottom. However, options like [Friends] and [System Settings] were nowhere to be seen, and [Forum] and [Inventory] were grayed out and unselectable.


    "Sure enough, the logout button is gone too?" William thought bitterly, then opened the [Status] panel.


    [


    Name: William Cain


    Race: Human


    Level: 30


    Health: 1050/1050


    Mana: 110/2040


    Status: Fatigued


    Experience: 4396/170000 (Unallocated Experience Points: 0)


    Primary ss: Mage


    Secondary ss: None


    Talent: Jack of All Trades


    Attributes:


    Strength: 35


    Agility: 36


    Intelligence: 68 (Attribute Modifier)


    Charisma: 38


    Mystery: 33


    Endurance: 35


    Luck: 3


    Free Attribute Points: 0


    Specializations:


    Magic Mind: Intelligence attribute receives a 2x multiplier, mana recovery speed +50%, spell power +10%


    Advanced Fatigue Resistance: Reduces the negative impact of fatigue status on the body, stamina recovery speed +50%


    Skills:


    Tricks (Mage Hand, Prestidigitation, Light)


    First-Circle Spells (Fireball, Ice Arrow, Charm Person)


    Second-Circle Spells (Ice de, Wind Walk, Earth Glide)


    Third-Circle Spells (Chain Fireball)


    Milestones:


    Junior Mage (Bronze Level)


    Fame: 10 (National Level - Court Viscount)


    Equipment: Emerald Amulet, Emerald Staff, Focus Ring


    Description: "Amon, verymon young mage, but seems to possess extraordinary potential."


    ]


    Staring at the information interface before him, William raised an eyebrow.


    Everything was familiar: the interface, the stats, the mage skills¡ªjust like his previous life. The only difference was...


    William nced at the talent section of the interface. The colorful "Jack of All Trades" text made him pause. Could this be the kind of talent he was thinking of?


    Taking a deep breath, William clicked on the detailed information for [Talent: Jack of All Trades].


    [Talent: Jack of All Trades]


    [Rank: Legendary]


    [Effect: Your talents break the limits, allowing you to learn and master other ss specializations and skills. The more specializations and ss skills (excluding primary ss skills) you master, the faster you will grow (Current additional experience bonus: 0%).]


    ''Just as I thought!''


    William grinned. If it weren''t for the fear of rming others in the manor, he would have jumped up and shouted out his joy.


    A legendary talent!


    In the game ''Gods Apocalypse,'' a character''s initial talent nearly determined the yer''s future ss and development path.


    You wouldn''t y a warrior with a mage talent like [Elemental Affinity], would you? It would be as ridiculous as ying Vayne with Aftershock or Maokai with Lethal Tempo in League of Legends'' ARAM.


    In ''Gods Apocalypse,'' talents were categorized into Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Legendary tiers. Since game ounts were bound to real-life information, yers had three chances to rebuild their characters and refresh their talents, but the highest attainable talent was Gold tier.


    Legendary tier talents were only seen in a handful of NPCs'' interfaces, all of whom were key figures in their respective factions and highly regarded by yers.


    For example, the legendary talent [King of Battle] of the Blood Rose Princess Hilda from the Fis Kingdom granted immunity to negative status effects, significantly boosted her attributes, physical defense, magic resistance, and resilience in battle, and provided 50% life and stamina recovery based on damage dealt.


    Another example was the [Heart of the Forest] talent of Ad the Sage from the Southern Elf Forest, which doubled the power of nature spells and greatly increased her attributes in forested areas.


    Compared to these known legendary talents, [Jack of All Trades] was equally impressive, if not more so.


    William could already imagine himself using a priest''s [Blessing], sneaking up on enemies with a rogue''s [Stealth], ambushing with a mage''s [Lightning Whip], and if the enemy still stood, finishing off with a ranger''s [Vine Bind] and a warrior''s [Whirlwind sh].


    Beautiful, absolutely beautiful!


    William thought gleefully, feeling this talent perfectly suited his open and honest fighting style.


    After a moment of excitement, William calmed down and began reviewing the other information.


    "Only 3 points in Luck? Did I use all my luck drawing talents?"


    "Oh, advanced fatigue resistance. Must have been grinding a lot, no wonder my mana is nearly empty. Did I die from overworking?"


    "And I''m a court viscount? This is much better than losing everything and getting dumped."


    Suddenly, William frowned and touched his chin.


    "Wait a minute, why does the name William Cain sound so familiar? A court viscount of the Fis Kingdom..."


    Since William had started in the Fis Kingdom''s beginner area in his previous life, he knew the main storyline of the Fanor Continent''s Fis Kingdom well. He quickly pinpointed what felt off.


    "Oh no!"


    "Isn''t that the head of the Cain family who gets assassinated during the Sacred Festival on the third day after the gameunch, sparking the 2.0 version of the Fanor Continent''s human kingdom war?"


    William stared nkly at the interface, muttering:


    "So, I''m going to die soon?"

 Chapter 2: Preliminary Planning

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


    Chapter 2: Initial nning


    "I remember that theter main storyline never provided the specific reason for Viscount Cain''s death."


    William Cain, who had just realized that he would soon face a death scenario after his rebirth, frowned as he summarized and recalled the information from his previous life. He tried to find a way for the new Viscount Cain to avoid this plotline death.


    The game ''Gods Apocalypse'' takes ce in a world called Gaia Prime World. Surrounding Gaia Prime World in the astral realm are countless alternate nes, divine realms, and the abyss and hell, shrouded in darkness and blood.


    Within Gaia Prime World, there are six continents: Fanor, Isen, Kortan, Tudos, Gerna, and Anora. Each continent corresponds to different regions'' servers in the game, and the main storylines for each server vary in the early stages of the game. Fanor Continent is the main birthce for yers from Huaguo.


    In his previous life, William primarily operated in the Fis Kingdom on the Fanor Continent during the early stages of ''Gods Apocalypse,'' so he was quite familiar with the main storyline of the Fanor Continent in the 1.0 version.


    The Fanor Continent is shaped like an irregr rectangle, covering billions of square kilometers. The central and eastern ins are home to several human kingdoms. In the south lies the vast, dense Navia Forest, where the Elven Kingdom is situated. The north is a snow-covered expanse, home to various magical creatures and alien races. The majestic Gnar Mountains stretch from the middle to the west of the continent, and beyond the mountains is the deste, uninhabited desert.


    The Fis Kingdom is located in the east of the continent. The Gedo River, originating from the Gnar Mountains, flows through the entire Fis Kingdom towards the Pearl Sea in the east, providing the kingdom with vast, fertilends and convenient transportation, making it stronger than the surrounding countries.


    Every year on October 10th, the Fis Kingdom celebrates the Annual Holy Festival. During this time, the kingdom is bustling and joyful, with people decorating cities to celebrate and enjoy the harvest they worked hard for, while praying to the gods for favorable weather in theing year.


    The grandest celebration takes ce at the Victory Square in the capital, Canlight City. The Annual Holy Festival celebration at Victory Square, hosted by the royal family, sees the king and all nobles in Canlight City attending, making it the most important moment of the year in the capital.


    Every year at the Annual Holy Festival, the King of Fis sits on the throne on the ceremonial tform. Numerous ministers and nobles ride around the throne to show respect and support for the king. The citizens of the capital, guarded by the royal guards, gather around the square, enjoying free wine and food while watching the Annual Holy Festival ceremony.


    This year, as King Morton Fis was about to ignite the sacred torch symbolizing the next year''s harvest, a gold tier assassin suddenly attacked and assassinated several nobles around the king. In front of the stunned crowd, several nobles had their throats slit and fell before the king and the onlookers.


    Viscount Cain, the current William Cain, was the highest-ranking noble among the unfortunate ones who were assassinated. To minimize the negative impact of this heinous event on the kingdom, the assassination wasbeled as the "Viscount Cain Assassination Case."


    Almost all yers were warlike and unstable. William remembered watching the cutscene of Viscount Cain being assassinated by the assassin, and most yers were thrilled by the scene of the assassin elegantly escaping the Golden Lion Knights and court mages after killing several nobles in public. They were all excited, shouting with enthusiasm, eager to experience it themselves.


    Later, game statistics showed that the number of yers in the Fis Kingdom who chose the assassin profession was several percentage points higher than in surrounding kingdoms, showing the impact of this event on the yers.


    For the Fis Kingdom, this was a severe humiliation. Such an incident during the kingdom''s most important festival, with several nobles killed, was a p in the face for the entire royal family. This incident was one of the triggers for the Fis Kingdom to start a war and invade other countries in the 2.0 storyline.


    Even though the Fis Kingdom eventually won the war and gained numerous benefits, the "Viscount Cain Assassination Case" had no follow-up and seemed to be forgotten by everyone in the kingdom. Even the yers who specialized in storyline analysis couldn''t find any clues whenpiling the history of the Fanor Continent. They recorded the assassination merely as one of the causes of the war.


    "Damn it, what did Viscount Cain do wrong to deserve this?"


    William Cain bemoaned his fate, feeling sorry for the unlucky viscount who was now himself. Although he had enjoyed watching the cutscene in his previous life, it was a different story now that he was the victim.


    In his previous life, some yers spected that the assassination was orchestrated by the Fis Kingdom itself to justify the subsequent war. After all, the kingdom had long coveted the eastern port of the Bertich Kingdom. But there was no evidence, and the logic didn''t hold up. With so many major events happeningter, this assassination gradually faded from memory.


    "I still have too little information, and with more than three months until the assassination, I can''t figure out who wants to kill me."


    William muttered, pressing his temples. Ultimately, it came down to hisck of power! If he were a legendary mage, he wouldn''t worry about being assassinated by a high-level assassin. One legendary spell like Meteor Shower would send the assassin to hell.


    So, the immediate priority was to increase his strength. William called up the system panel again and carefully examined each piece of data.


    Now, as a Level 30 Bronze Mage, William recalled that the level cap for yers in the 1.0 version of Gods Apocalypse was indeed Level 30.


    In the game, most professions, including mages, followed this structure: Level 0-50 were Bronze Mages, Level 51-100 were Silver Mages, Level 101-200 were Gold Mages, and Level 200+ entered the Legendary realm. Whether there were higher levels beyond that was unknown since the 200+ stages hadn''t been unlocked in the previous version of the game.


    His ordinary level and attributes, coupled with his title of Court Viscount, didn''t directly enhance hisbat power. William even suspected that his title as a Court Viscount was the main reason for his assassination.


    So, what should he focus his efforts on? William looked at the talent section of his information panel.


    [Talent: Jack of All Trades ]


    [Rank: Legendary]


    [Effect: Your talents break the limits, allowing you to learn and master other ss specializations and skills. The more specializations and ss skills (excluding primary ss skills) you master, the faster you will grow (Current additional experience bonus: 0%).]


    William frowned, his right index finger tapping rhythmically on the bed as he fell into deep thought.


    After the initial excitement of discovering his legendary talent, William realized some limitations of this powerful talent. Although Jack of All Trades allowed him to master specializations and skills across different professions, it also introduced a new problem: skill levels.


    In Gods Apocalypse, learning and mastering a skill was only the beginning. Skills needed to be leveled up to unleash their true power, increasing both damage and effectiveness. For example, a Level 1 Rogue''s [Stealth] skill could be easily detected by any mid-level professional relying solely on their instincts.


    Thus, prioritizing skill level upgrades was crucial, and upgrading skills required consuming character experience points. For some professions, upgrading core skills was even more important than leveling up the character itself.


    If William learned a bunch of other professions'' skills without having enough experience points to upgrade them, those skills would be practically useless inbat, serving only to boost his talent. Even with the extra experience points provided by Jack of All Trades, it wouldn''t suffice for upgrading all skills.


    However, [Jack of All Trades] didn''t just allow William to master other profession skills; it also let him acquire various specializations.


    Specializations could be understood as passive states that continually enhance oneself, typically boosting attributes, effects, resistances, and more. Compared to profession skills, specializations didn''t require level upgrades, making them more powerful and harder to obtain.


    For example, William''s mage specialization [Magic Mind] doubled the intelligence attribute value, a core effect for all mage specializations.


    Each profession had its unique specializations, and thesergely determined the future development path. If William guessed correctly, he could acquire other professions'' specializations as well.


    Even without considering other effects, merely obtaining the corresponding attribute modifiers from another profession would be immensely powerful. If William acquired any warrior specialization, his strength attribute would also receive a 2x modifier.


    What kind of concept was this? Not only could he hit harder, but he''d also be tougher!


    William felt he had found the right way to utilize his talent. While selectively learning profession skills, he should focus more on acquiring various specializations.


    Conveniently, who was William?


    In his previous life, he was a top-tier yer in Gods Apocalypse and now a transmigrated person! He knew all about obtaining powerful skills and specializations for various professions.


    Wasn''t this his area of expertise? So what was there to worry about? Just grind!

 Chapter 3: Specialty "Arcane Mind"

    <h4>Chapter 3: Specialty "Arcane Mind"</h4>


    Chapter 3: Specialty "Arcane Mind"


    The morning had been the busiest time at the Cain residence, awakening from a night of silence with the activity of the servants.


    Maids had prepared breakfast, diligently wiping down the dining room tables and chairs that had yet to gather dust.


    In the stables, stablehands had replenished the troughs with fresh hay and carefully brushed off any hay fragments clinging to the horses¡ªa task that could not be neglected. Neglect could have led to embarrassment for Master William if noticed while he was out riding, spelling trouble for the stablehand involved.


    Maid Rosie had cautiously knocked on Master William''s door and, receiving no response, had nned to enter and wake him as usual.


    Before Rosie could push the door open, it had suddenly swung open from inside, and William, already dressed, had stepped out.


    "It''s Rosie, isn''t it? Please tell Bend that I''ll be going out soon."


    "Of course, Master William," Rosie had quickly replied, bowing and stepping aside, her maid''s outfit entuating her figure.


    Even the seasoned William couldn''t help but take a few extra nces, admiring the original host''s diligent pursuit of knowledge.


    In the open-minded capital of the Fis Kingdom, being a virgin court noble at 18 and wholly absorbed in magic to the exclusion of all noble social events had been, in a sense, quite notorious.


    At 18, the original William had been merely a bronze mage¡ªa prodigy if he had been ofmon birth. But for the scion of the Cain family, known for producing legendary mages, spending years and vast resources to achieve only junior mage status had hardly been remarkable.


    Consider Princess Hilda Fis, who had be a golden warrior at 20 and had ascended to the legendary realm ten yearster. The gap between their achievements had indeed been disheartening.


    But William had clenched his fists.


    In this second life, he had refused to be an inconsequential background character. He had been determined to seize control of his destiny in theing era of tumultuous change.


    Starting that day!


    In the morning, the bright and warm sunlight filtering through the mansion''s corridor stained ss windows had fallen on William. Maid Rosie, stealing a nce at his retreating figure, had found something different about the master who had never used to rise early.


    ¡ª


    In the dining room of the Cain mansion, William Cain, now the family''s sole member, had enjoyed breakfast alone at the long, white dining table.


    After wiping his mouth with a napkin, William had set down his cutlery, satisfied. The house''s cook had excelled once again, with delicious chocte pancakes and butter-jam-thered white bread. The slightly bitter chocte had perfectly bnced the jam''s sweetness, though William had found the morning ck coffee a bit much, preferring a rich green tea instead.


    Seeing this, Joyce, the butler in his crisp ck uniform, had signaled a maid to clear the tableware and had presented William with a tray of various letters. The intricate gold filigree on the envelopes had indicated they were from nobles and merchants eager to unt their wealth and status.


    "Master, these are invitations from Count Rey, Viscount Peck, and the Golden Rose Commerce Chamber Of Commerce, inviting you to their uing dinners."


    "I see. Leave them on my bedroom table. If I decide to go, I''ll let you know."


    To William, these had been merely obligatory gestures; as a rtively obscure noble, his attendance or absence would hardly have been noted.


    "As you wish," Joyce had responded meticulously, as always.


    "Your carriage is prepared and waiting at the front, sir. Shall we depart now?"


    "So soon, then let''s go."


    Eager to acquire his first and most crucial professional specialty, William had hastened to depart.


    "Master William!" Stablehand Bend, in his neat ck livery, had polished the Cain family crest on the carriage, greeting William with a bow as he had stepped outside.


    "You''re looking sharp today, Bend," William had remarked with a smile.


    "Of course, sir. It''s not often you use the carriage, so I must make every effort," Bend had replied with a chuckle, his efficient demeanor slipping into sycophancy as he had assisted William into the carriage before asking, "Where to today, sir?"


    "To the royal library."


    "Right away, sir. Please, make yourselffortable," Bend had said as he had closed the carriage door, saluted butler Joyce, and had taken his seat at the front, guiding the sturdy chestnut horses forward.


    William observed the bustling scenes along the way, befitting the capital of the powerful Fis Kingdom, a hub ofmerce with endless streams of merchants and travelers.


    Perhaps it was psychological, but the sporadic calls of vendors seemed to carry a bit more of the lively essence of real life than the "100% realistic" ambiance of the game from his previous life.


    Fis Street, where his mansion was located, had been known to be an important area of Canlight City, humorously referred to as the noble district. It hadn''t been far from the Royal Library and the Royal Magic Academy, and he had arrived shortly.


    With Bend''s courteous assistance, William had stepped down from the carriage. He had looked up at the solemn granite entrance, distinct from the surrounding architecture, had smiled slightly, had adjusted his ck hat, and had walked in.


    "Good day, Viscount Cain. How may I assist you today?"


    Upon entering the Royal Library, a server had promptlye forward to inquire.


    The Royal Library, as Fis Kingdom''s most esteemed court library, generally hadn''t been open to the public.


    ess to peruse its collections had required certain qualifications, which, for yers, had meant needing a reputation of "Friendly" or higher with the Fis Kingdom and spending contribution points to gain entry. This had been the biggest barrier to acquiring this professional specialty in his past life.


    But for William Cain, a court viscount, entry to the Royal Library had hardly been an issue, which had been why it had been his first choice for obtaining a professional specialty.


    "No need, I''ll just look around on my own."


    William had waved off the server and had strolled deeper into the library.


    It had been early, and not many had been inside. A few people had been slumped over tables in the borrowing area, surrounded by stacks of books, evidently having spent the night.


    "A moment of fun for a lifetime of grind!"


    William had shaken his head, no longer paying attention, and had recalled the location of the book from a guide in his previous life.


    Having frequented the library for magical research before, William had quickly identified his target.


    "Hmm, second floor, history section of the continent."


    "Seventh row, innermost shelf."


    "Top row. Found it!"


    William had carefully descended the rollingdder, holding a thick volume with a dark grey cover.


    He exhaled deeply as he had opened the "History of Magical Development in the Fis Kingdom" (Volume 7) to pages 352 and 353, where a thin piece of parchment had been tucked between pages detailing the legendary mage Bobaca''s significant contributions to spell modeling.


    William had gently held the parchment, inscribed with elegant handwriting:


    "Ah, congrattions! For mages who have made it this far, this is a small reward from the great Elemental Maniptor, Master Bobaca. ept it and praise the magnificent Bobaca!"


    [Item received: "Bobaca''s Arcane Notes"]


    [You have begun studying "Bobaca''s Arcane Notes," gaining many insights!]


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


    [Your understanding of magic had improved, allowing higher-level elemental control. you have acquired a new mage professional specialty¡ª "Arcane Mind"]


    [Analysis in progress... Detected possession of the lower-tier professional specialty "Magic Mind," which could be reced]


    [Recing...]


    [You have lost the mage professional specialty "Magic Mind"]


    [You Have acquired the mage professional specialty "Arcane Mind"!]

 Chapter 4: Glittering Gold

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


    Chapter 4: Glittering Gold


    [Your understanding of magic deepens, allowing you to control elements on a higher level. You have acquired a new Mage specialization: Arcane Mind]


    [You have gained the Mage specialization: Arcane Mind!]


    [Specialization: Arcane Mind¡ªIntelligence attribute receives a 2x modifier, Elemental Affinity +100%, Arcane submodules unlocked]


    Seeing the new Mage specialization appear on his panel, William clenched his fist in satisfaction and gave a triumphant swing. Carefully, he rolled up the [Bobaka''s Arcane Notes] and ced them into his storage ring.


    Even though he had already acquired the Arcane Mind specialization, the notes contained the legendary mage Bobaka''s arcane research insights, which would still be immensely helpful for mastering his specialization.


    At the very least, he could auction it offter. Such legendary insights would be highly coveted by advanced mages.


    For someone who once owned a gaming studio, William knew that every grain counted towards the harvest.


    After confirming he hadn''t missed anything else, William casually carried the *History of Magical Development in the Fis Kingdom (Volume 7) and headed to the second floor''s exclusive lounge, open only to nobles and select visitors.


    Sinking into a plush fur sofa, with the light scent of peppermint oil in the air, William gestured for a nearby servant to rece the ck coffee with hot cocoa. He flipped through therge history tome absentmindedly, his thoughts far from the text.


    The Arcane Mind specialization was crucial for his primary profession as a mage, not just for the +100% Elemental Affinity.


    To be honest, many mage specializations were powerful. For instance, the specialization [me God], which William had mastered in his previous life, directly increased fire spell damage by 50%.


    The key was the phrase "unlock Arcane submodules." This effectively paved the way for William to be an Arcane Mage.


    Why be an Arcane Mage?


    Based on the ancient Netheril Magic Empire records, more than half of the mages who achieved legendary status also specialized as Arcane Mages.


    This trend continues to be validated even now.


    Although no yer had reached the legendary tier in his previous life, the power of the Arcane Mage was well-known.


    While it might be somewhat weak in the early stages, as more exclusive arcane spells were mastered, the Arcane Mage''s unparalleled versatility and power made it a top contender in yer polls for the most hated opponent.


    William was pleasantly surprised at how smoothly he acquired the Arcane Mind specialization.


    Utilizing his noble status to bypass the qualifications needed to enter the Royal Library proved that his strategy was viable.


    He could use shortcuts to avoid theplex prerequisite quest chains and directly obtain the final treasures, giving him a tremendous advantage.


    Although he wasn''t sure if the yers from his previous life would reappear, at least the treasures he remembered were still present in this world, waiting to be rediscovered.


    The thought of this made William''s heart race with excitement.


    As William daydreamed about bing a legendary mage,manding a floating city, and leading armies of dragons and constructs across the starry expanse, a mocking voice snapped him back to reality.


    "Well, well, if it isn''t the famous Viscount Cain. Finally decided to take a break from your research and get some fresh air?"


    The oily, irreverent tone disrupted William''s fantasy. He looked up from the text about the Fis Kingdom''s Royal Mage Corps'' glorious victories.


    Before him stood a slender young man of simr age, dressed in luxurious attire. His golden hair and gold-fringed white suit made him shine, though his paleplexion was notable.


    In any novel from William''s previous life, this character would undoubtedly be the one who jumps out to challenge the protagonist and get humiliated.


    Unfortunately, William''s memory clearly recalled this young man. Indeed, he was a young master, but not one who looked down on William or sought to educate him. Instead, he was one of William''s two lifelong best friends.


    The memories in his mind allowed William to naturally blend into his past social interactions.


    Seeing this, William didn''t even bother to get up. He remained slouched on the sofa and casually replied:


    "Well, well, isn''t it Mora Carl, the second young master of the illustrious Golden Vine Chamber of Commerce? What brings you out of your haven of pleasures today?"


    Mora waved the attendant away and slumped onto the sofa next to William, shedding his previously polished demeanor and revealing a moreid-back side, responding:


    "It''s been a while. Since when did you learn to be so sarcastic?"


    "Learned it from you. What brings you here? I''ve never seen you in a library before."


    "Do I need a reason to visit a friend?"


    Mora toyed with a gold coin, bearing the likeness of Quentin Fis, the first king of the Fis Kingdom.


    "It''s been a while. We should get together with Bernie sometime."


    "Isn''t he busy with his mentor at the academy''s magic workshop?"


    William put down his book and thought of their other best friend.


    "Come on, he can''t be researching all the time. Not everyone''s like you, burying themselves in studies. You should get out more and enjoy life, or else it''s a waste."


    The gold coin spun deftly between Mora''s fingers as he spoke casually, always trying to involve William in some venture.


    "I''ll be quite busy for a while. Just let me know when you''ve set a date."


    With that, William closed History of Magical Development in the Fis Kingdom and ced it on a nearby table, knowing someone would return it. He got up, ready to leave.


    "Leaving so soon? Has our friendship really soured that much?" Mora said with a theatrically hurt expression, not budging from his seat.


    William didn''t respond, simply offering a universal gesture of goodwill.


    "I''m having a party next week for my birthday. Make sure you attend."


    Mora made a point of mentioning it, worried that William might ignore the invitation among a pile of others as he usually did.


    William waved to indicate he understood, straightened his clothes, and walked out of the lounge.


    Mora didn''t mind, sipping his coffee contentedly and stretching, enjoying his rare free time.


    As William exited the Royal Library, an attendant escorted him out. Bend immediately brought the carriage around, opening the door and helping William in. Standing respectfully by the door, he asked:


    "Young master, do you have any other destinations for today?"


    William thought for a moment, squinting slightly, and replied:


    "Take me to 16th Street, West District."

 Chapter 5: The Prodigal Son

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


    Chapter 5: The Spendthrift


    If the eastern half of Canlight City represented its bright and prosperous side, with the pce, noble district, churches, andmercial streets, the western half was home to its lower and middle sses, with residential areas, workshops, and slums.


    Among these, 16th Street in the West District was one of the most dpidated and neglected ces, often ignored by the city''s patrols. Naturally, it became a gathering spot for gangs and vagrants.


    However, today, 16th Street was different. The sound of rolling wheels echoed as a beautifully decorated four-wheeled carriage, drawn by two tall horses, slowly made its way down the street.


    The low houses along the street appeared especially shabby, their dark doors and windows tightly shut, expressing an unweing attitude toward outsiders. Even the beggars on the roadside hurriedly shrank away, fearing to anger the noble within the carriage.


    As the carriage wheels rolled over the muddy and rocky ground, Bend nced disdainfully at the vagrants lying by the walls, flicking his whip and feeling a bit of pity for the sshes of mud on his well-maintained horses and carriage.


    Soon, the carriage stopped in front of a small two-story house. Bend carefully jumped down, took out a footstool, and ced it properly before opening the carriage door.


    "Young master William, we''ve arrived. Please watch your step."


    "Thank you, Bend."


    William stepped down from the carriage and looked around at the familiar yet rundown street. For first-time visitors, it was hard to believe this was just half a city away from the morous eastern district.


    William smiled as he eyed the small brick house with its metal door, different from the surrounding buildings, and knocked forcefully out of habit.


    After knocking for a while without any response, William frowned.


    Strange. Usually, Jack would havee out cursing by now. Why is there no reaction this time?


    At this moment, a small window across the street opened a crack, and a timid eye peeked out, speaking softly to William:


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


    With that, the window quickly shut with a bang, as if afraid of the outside world.


    Why are they so afraid of me?


    William sensed a few hidden nces from the shadows, but they quickly disappeared when he looked around.


    He nced down at his clothes and suddenly understood.


    In his previous life, he was all about maximizing profits, counting every penny (being frugal), unlike those who spent extravagantly on their attire. He hadn''t realized that his clothing and the apanying carriage would draw such attention on 16th Street.


    Looks like I''ll need to wear something simpler and avoid bringing the carriage next time.


    William made a mental note. Although Jack wasn''t around, the trip wasn''t a total loss.


    "So, that future Shadow of Death lives across the street now!"


    ---


    Ashley patted her chest, having used up all her courage just to say that one sentence. If Uncle Jack hadn''t asked her to inform his visitors, she wouldn''t have dared to speak to such imposing-looking people.


    After hearing the carriage leave, Ashley cautiously opened the window again, sighing in relief as she saw it trundling away.


    "Ashley, you did great! Helping Uncle Jack wasn''t so hard after all!"


    Was that person a noble?


    Probably. Only nobles dressed so beautifully and cleanly. She had never seen such a lovely carriage, adorned with a silver-white eagle in flight.


    But he didn''t seem as scary as Aunt Anna said. Do nobles really take girls like her away to eat them?


    Ashley''s little head was full of big questions as she shut the window again.


    When Aunt Anna wasn''t home, Ashley always locked the doors and windows tightly. Despite the darkness inside, she never felt scared. In fact, she enjoyed staying quietly in the shadows, findingfort in the surrounding darkness.


    Cain family estate.


    As William stepped down from the carriage, he saw Joyce, the butler, waiting for him. Joyce was the epitome of elegance in his meticulously maintained ck and white tailcoat, gold-rimmed sses, and a perfectly executed bow.


    "Joyce,e with me to the study."


    "Yes, young master," Joyce replied, following the principle of a butler who asks few questions and speaks sparingly. He followed William a step behind as they made their way to the second floor of the manor.


    Sitting behind his desk, William looked at Joyce standing respectfully to the side and, using the same tone as his predecessor, said:


    "Joyce, what is the current status of the family''s businesses?"


    Indeed, William was thest remaining member of the Cain family. The previous William had been so obsessed with magic that he left all the family businesses in Joyce''s hands, merely asking Joyce to prepare whatever he needed.


    However, Joyce was trustworthy. The Cain family had only been ennobled for three generations and was considered a new noble house by the royal faction. Joyce had served as the family''s head butler since the time of the second Viscount Cain without making a single mistake. He knew the Cain family better than William himself.


    Joyce had also personally raised the previous William, who was orphaned at a young age, so William had no doubts about Joyce''s loyalty.


    Although William rarely cared about the family business, Joyce did not dwell on it and replied after a brief consideration:


    "Currently, the family''s annual ie is approximately 7500 gold coins. This includes 5000 gold coins as the royal stipend, about 2000 gold coins from three shops in the Fis district, and around 500 gold coins from the produce of two estates outside the city."


    "Our annual expenses are roughly 4800 gold coins. This includes 1000 gold coins for the maintenance and repair of the estate and manors, about 300 gold coins for servants'' wages, 1000 gold coins for food and daily supplies, approximately 2000 gold coins for maintaining social rtions with the royal family and other nobles, and about 500 gold coins for misceneous expenses."


    (Note: 1 gold = 10 silver = 200 copper. The annual ie of amoner is about 10 gold coins, and the cost of a basic meal of ck bread and vegetable soup is two coppers.)


    Because the Cain family held the title of Court Viscount without a fief, their primary source of ie was the royal stipend.


    William clicked his tongue in amazement. Being a noble certainly had its advantages. He remembered how hard he had to work in his previous life to earn a single gold coin bypleting a quest in the game.


    However, high ie also came with high expenses, most of which were for maintaining the family''s noble image.


    There was no way around it. Reducing these expenses was not an option. As a court noble, living like amoner would be seen as an insult to the Fis royal family, potentially leading to punishment or even stripping of the title.


    ss distinctions were indeed stark. Nobles truly lived in luxury and indulgence!


    William took a sip of the hot chocte Rosie had just brought in, inwardly criticizing the extravagant lifestyle of the nobles.


    "How much do we have in savings?"


    William estimated that, having been passed down for three generations, the family should have a decent amount of savings.


    "Due to your recent purchases of many precious materials for magical research, the family currently has only 500 gold coins left after ounting for this year''s necessary expenses."


    "Ugh," William choked on his hot chocte.


    Good heavens, the Prodigal son is me!

 Chapter 6: New Goals

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


    Chapter 6: New Goals


    "So, as Viscount Cain, I only have 500 gold coins at my disposal now?"


    William received a positive response from Joyce and rubbed his temples with a headache.


    How could his predecessor waste so much money? He spent the Cain family''s annual ie plus the savings umted over many years, and after all that time, he was just a junior mage. No wonder he was bing a joke among the Fis nobility.


    He thought he could live a life of financial freedom, but it turns out that even being reborn as a noble, he still had to face an economic crisis.


    500 gold coins might seem like a lot, but in reality, it was just that¡ªamon magical equipment could cost over a hundred gold coins.


    "Prepare 300 gold coins for me first; I need it."


    William instructed Joyce listlessly, and Joyce didn''t ask for the purpose but simply bowed in agreement.


    "Do we have any other residences in the city? Preferably with a spacious yard and a bit secluded."


    After thinking for a moment, Joyce said:


    "If that''s all you require, there''s a warehouse with a yard on Bell Street. It''s usually used to store goods from the manor and shops outside the city. If you need it, I can arrange for it now, and it will be emptied by tomorrow."


    "Clear it out first." William hesitated for a moment and then asked, "How many guards does the family have, and what are their strengths?"


    William apologized for asking such a question, but his predecessor really didn''t care about these matters concerning his own safety, yet this was very important for William''s next n.


    "ording to royalw, you can have a guard squad of ten people, but currently, we have only hired three, and the family is training three exclusive guards, making a total of six. Among them, there is one golden warrior, one silver warrior, and the rest are bronze warriors."


    "What weapons are they good at?"


    Hearing this, Joyce looked up at William and hesitated to say:


    "I''m not very clear about that. Captain Welf should be good with a long sword, and the other guards use spears more often. Do you need me to find out for you?"


    William pondered for a moment: "Never mind, just ask Welf toe to the study, and prepare a set of servant''s clothes for me in my room by tomorrow morning."


    After Joyce bowed and left the room, heavy footsteps were soon heard.


    "Come in."


    Gently pushing the door open, a very sturdy middle-aged man in light leather armor came in, holding his right chest with his left hand and bowing:


    "Good morning, Master William, what can I do for you?"


    William looked at the only golden warrior guard of the family, who truly valued physical strength in his profession, with arms almost as thick as William''s thighs.


    "Recently, I''ve been wanting to strengthen my physical training a bit. What weapons are you and the other guards good at?"


    Welf was a bit surprised. Hadn''t their young master always been immersed in magical research, hardly ever leaving the house? The guards'' work had be much lighter. Why suddenly think of physical training? Could it be...


    "If you just want to strengthen your body, you don''t need to start with weapons. We can assist you in starting with basic strength enhancement, such as the upper body, waist..."


    William frowned, jokingly noting he could hear what Welf was implying, and waved his hand, saying:


    "You don''t need to worry about that. I want to start with weapon training to see which one suits me best, and I want to try them all."


    Welf didn''t mind; he wasn''t a guard raised by the Cain family but had only signed a contract for hire. As a golden warrior, he could still gain a certain respect among some small and medium-sized nobles. A little joke was harmless.


    "I''m skilled with the sword and shield. Among the guards, there are those who know how to use spears, bows, knives, axes, and hammers. Although they are not experts, it''s no problem to give you an overview."


    "Okay, I''ll have Joyce clean up a warehouse on Bell Street, and then arrange for two guards and you to bring weapons and practice there with me tomorrow."


    Although it seemed strange not to train directly in the mansion''s courtyard, Welf didn''t overthink it. He couldn''t fathom the thoughts of nobles; it was best just to follow orders.


    After Welf closed the study door and left, William sighed in relief, lightly tapping his index finger on the bronze-gilded mahogany desk in front of him.


    It was time to prioritize his secondary professional specialty.


    The warrior specialty [Mastery of Arms]!


    This was one of the easier warrior specialties to obtain, requiring no prerequisite tasks.


    All he needed was to achieve intermediate proficiency with ten types of weapons to automatically acquire it.


    The effect of [Mastery of Arms] was straightforward, unlike other specialties that provided various enhancements. Its benefit was entirely focused on weapon mastery.


    [Mastery of Arms ¡ª Strength attribute receives double value correction, all weapons'' initial proficiency fixed at intermediate level, mastery level of the weapon with the highest proficiency +1]


    This specialty was the most suitable for William, considering he had the [Jack of All Trades] talent, allowing him to master skills from other professions. The overall enhancement of weapon proficiency was highly beneficial.


    Of course, the main benefit was still toe.


    Unconditionally increasing the mastery level of the weapon with the highest proficiency by one!


    In the game "Gods Apocalypse," weapon proficiency levels were categorized into low, intermediate, high, and legendary. Achieving legendary proficiency was extremely challenging for yers, making the [Mastery of Arms] specialty highly sought after among warrior yers.


    After all, as long as a yer''s weapon proficiency reached a high level, it could be directly upgraded to legendary weapon mastery, making this specialty as valuable as any top-tier specialty.


    This effect also applied to staff-type weapons, which made the [Mastery of Arms] specialty highly coveted among mage yers.


    Therefore, in the game, yers with legendary staff mastery were quite rare, and many of them were special professions like magic swordsmen who could acquire the [Mastery of Arms] specialty.


    Since William possessed the [Jack of All Trades] talent, he naturally wouldn''t miss out on the [Mastery of Arms] specialty, which he had coveted in his previous life.


    The focus of his efforts in theing period would be to diligently study arcane arts while quickly mastering the [Mastery of Arms] specialty.


    As for other professional specialties, he might not have the opportunity to acquire them in the short term. The top specialties of other professions in his memory were still out of reach, and he didn''t want to settle for a random specialty. Cases like his mage specialty [Magic Mind], which could be directly reced by the superior [Arcane Mind], were rare.


    William''s current concern was how to avoid the fatal oue he would face in three months.


    After all, it was the opening of the Fis Kingdom''s main storyline in the game, and he had too little information. It was like facing a fog, unsure where to begin.


    He didn''t know if he was already targeted by the mastermind behind the scenes. Today''s encounter on 16th Street served as a reminder. He would need to keep a low profile and disguise himself when going out. Otherwise, his actions would be as transparent as ss to those with ulterior motives.


    "The task is arduous and the road is long!" William sighed.

 Chapter 7: The First Arcane Spell

    <h4>Chapter 7: The First Arcane Spell</h4>


    Chapter 7: The First Arcane Attempt


    William didn''t start researching the arcane subsystem right in the study but instead went directly to the magical workshop located in the basement of the mansion.


    This workshop was equipped with various magical research instruments, fundedvishly by his predecessor. It was also quiet enough, as the servants knew better than to disturb him here.


    Under the steady, clear light of the magic stonemps, William took in the sight of the advanced equipment.


    "High-grade Elemental Stabilizer, Elemental Observer, Magic Inscription Engraver..."


    What luxury! Even the top-tier Fis Royal Magic Academy might not be able to provide all their advanced mages with suchprehensive magical research instruments. Seeing them here made William question whether his predecessor, a mere bronze mage, could truly utilize these devices.


    To be cautious, William activated the high-grade Elemental Stabilizer installed on the wall, which resembled a small radar, before opening the arcane subsystem panel.


    In the game "Gods Apocalypse," each primary profession could choose a corresponding job advancement. For instance, a warrior could advance to a shield warrior, knight, pdin, etc., and a mage could be a fire mage, ice mage, or even a golem controller, humorously referred to as "piloting mechs" due to their expertise in controlling magical constructs.


    This feature of "Gods Apocalypse" ensured that yers could always find a profession they enjoyed, even catering to casual yers.


    Each advancement had its unique characteristics, often enhancing specific abilities, making the profession more focused and specialized.


    Among the numerous advancements, the Arcanist was exceptionally unique. It didn''t directly enhance any particr ability but provided yers with a path to grow through their efforts.


    It had a very high ceiling but also a very low floor.


    ording to descriptions from yers who had advanced to Arcanist in his previous life, and screenshots of the arcane subsystem, it allowed in-depth maniption and study of the four basic magical elements¡ªearth, water, fire, and air¡ªas well as higher elements like light and shadow.


    In "Gods Apocalypse," the basic principle behind the various spells mages could use involved forming spell models (specificbinations and frequencies of magical elements) with the aid of incantations and magical inscriptions, manipted through mental power. This resulted in extraordinary phenomena, such as conjuring fireballs or telekinesis.


    Currently, mages learned spells by memorizing incantations and repeatedly attempting to manipte the magical elements to form spell models, practicing until they could master the spell.


    However, Arcanists believed that while the magical elements were constant, each mage was unique. Some excelled in using fire element spells, while others were better at controlling spells.


    In the eyes of Arcanists, memorizing incantations and painstakingly mastering spells was the least efficient and most foolish method.


    Arcanists advocated exploring the deeper principles of magical elements¡ªwhy fire elementsbined to form a fireball, or why fire and earth elements arranged in a specific pattern created the ninth-level evocation spell Meteor Swarm.


    Moreover, Arcanists would adjust and modify incantations and elemental models based on their affinity with different magical elements, ultimately creating unique spells that best suited their nature.


    These modified spells were collectively known as Arcane Spells.


    Arcane Spells, being more attuned to the Arcanist''s nature, were often more powerful or had unique effectspared to the original spells.


    If some Arcanists'' exclusive Arcane Spells, while suiting their nature, also had significant universal applicability and value, they would be learned and used by other ordinary mages, bing new spells passed down through generations.


    For example, the original first-level spell Fireball had been continuously improved by generations of Arcanists, resulting in variations like Explosive Fireball, Kalugal''s Fire Dart, and even the terrifying ninth-level spell Annihtion Fireball.


    Thus, Arcanists were regarded as inventors and explorers among mages.


    Of course, as Arcanists themselves (pretentiously) put it:


    "Power is merely a small gift on our wondrous journey of exploring magical elements."


    In the previous life''s game, the arcane subsystem couldn''t achieve theplex adjustments of spells that real Arcanists could. yers with the arcane subsystem could only modify spell element models, seeking the arcane model with the highestpatibility.


    Since each modification required experience points, Arcanist yers jokingly referred to it as a lottery.


    If lucky, they might create an arcane model with over 95%patibility on the first try. If unlucky, they might fail to reach even 80%patibility after dozens or hundreds of attempts.


    Therefore, Arcanist yers were very weak in the early stages of each game version, only able to use lower-level Arcane Spells. But in the mid tote stages, once they adapted and modified new spells, Arcanist yers would be powerful again.


    Of course, this had nothing to do with William right now. With his luck stat of 3, he didn''t expect the process of improving Arcane Spells to go smoothly.


    He opened the arcane subsystem panel, which differed from the t control screen shown in screenshots by Arcanist yers. Instead, it presented a three-dimensional spell modelposed of magical elements right before William''s eyes.


    Hmm, it seems the arcane subsystem is different from my previous life. Is it because I truly transmigrated into the world of "Gods Apocalypse," and the arcane subsystem has changed?


    William shook his head, dismissing the thought. After all, this wasn''t something he could understand now. He then focused on the various spell models in front of him, which seemed to be spells he had already mastered.


    The red particles were fire elements, the yellow ones were earth elements, the blue ones were water elements, the green ones were wind elements, and the light white transparent particles were mental elements.


    Besides these, William could also see tiny white and ck particles, likely representing light and shadow elements. However, he didn''t find any legendary time or space elements.


    William''s attention shifted to a spell modelposed of fire elements, which should be the Fireball spell model.


    The Fireball spell model had a regr circr arrangement with three magic circuit lines formed by fire elements running through it.


    William pondered for a moment and then carefully adjusted the angle of one of the magic circuit lines rtive to the others. He then cautiously injected mana into the model.


    Before his eyes, the Fireball spell model grew brighter with the infusion of mana, forming a small crimson fireball that looked noticeably smaller than the usual Fireball spell.


    What''s going on? Did it seed?


    Uncertain of its power, William considered testing it by throwing it at something.


    Suddenly, the small fireball began to bulge and twist irregrly. With a look of horror on William''s face...


    "Boom~~~"


    ¡ª¡ª


    On the second floor of the mansion, in William''s bedroom,


    Rosie, the maid, was diligently cleaning the windows when she suddenly felt a slight tremor beneath her feet and thought she heard an explosion.


    "Strange, was that an earthquake?"


    She looked outside but saw the same peaceful Fis Street, as serene as usual. The white doves at the nearby fountain za showed no reaction, continuing to coo and peck at crumbs from passersby.


    "Maybe I imagined it. How could there be an earthquake?"


    Rosie shook her head and resumed her cleaning, thinking that William seemed differenttely, and she needed to work harder too.


    But soon, Rosie realized it wasn''t her imagination.


    The tremors from the basement persisted throughout the day!

 Chapter 8: The Royal Swordsmanship

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


    Chapter 8: The Royal Swordsmanship


    June 5th, at the Cain family mansion.


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


    William, however, appeared to be half-asleep, yawning as he sat at the breakfast table enjoying his meal for the day.


    Today''s breakfast consisted of bacon and eggs, blueberry cake, and yogurt nut cereal. The pink bacon, coupled with the golden eggs sprinkled with a bit of pepper and salt, was quite appetizing. The exquisite blueberry cake and the colorful yogurt nut cereal always brought a sweet start to the day.


    Even William, who had spent countless hours researching in the basement, felt somewhat revitalized. (ahem!)


    The continuous vibrations and noises from the basementst night did not rm the servants. Everyone knew that Master William was researching magic in the basement; it was just that this time it took a bit longer and was a bit louder than usual.


    William didn''t mind the servants'' dark circles under their eyes. Although he didn''t sessfully improve his first arcane spell after hours of experimentation yesterday, he still gained a lot.


    First, the arcane submodule of the system was different from his previous life. Now, every attempt to modify a spell model didn''t cost any experience points, the only limitation being that he couldn''t materialize the spell model without sufficient magical power.


    Second, the sess of each modification in the arcane submodule was no longer represented bypatibility. Therefore, William had to throw out a fireball each time after making adjustments to see the specific effects. He might know what sess looks like when he first constructs his own unique arcane model.


    Third, using spells in this real world is not like in the immersive game of his past life, where you could simply select and cast spells with your mind. Every time he used the Fireball spell, William could clearly feel real magical power circting within his body, and he needed to adapt to this sensation.


    Despite facing many difficulties, William was not discouraged. Unlike in the game, the feeling of truly mastering supernatural powers was so beautiful and enchanting that he quickly became immersed in it, losing track of time.


    Moreover, with continuous attempts, William had a premonition that he would master his first arcane spell within a week.


    William stretched his body, feeling that his physique was not yet in perfect harmony with him. For instance,st night, his spirit was still high, but his body was extremely tired!


    This pampered body was not yet ustomed to his soul that loved to stay upte!


    But it was no big deal. Just need to pull a few more all-nighters!


    A forced therapy session?


    While William was stretching, the butler, Joyce, said:


    "Master William, the clothes you ordered have been ced in your bedroom. Welf and two guards are waiting for you in the courtyard."


    William pped his face to wake up and said:


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


    "Yes."


    Soon after, William changed into his clothes and arrived at the mansion''s back door.


    Knowing that William nned to exercise and learn to use weapons, Joyce had prepared a set of shorts and a short-sleeved shirt made of cotton, which was veryfortable and breathable.


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


    One of the guards was somewhat slim and wasughing and chatting with Welf.


    The other guard, looking under twenty, stood alone with his weapon, not joining in the conversation. Seeing William approaching, he quickly stood at attention and saluted.


    Only then did Welf and the slim guard notice William and hurriedly saluted.


    "Good morning, Master William."


    William waved his hand: "I remember Welf, but you two are...?"


    The slim guard eagerly replied: "Good morning, Master William! My name is Bill, I joined the Cain family alongside Captain Welf."


    The young guard said with a steady and respectful tone: "Master William, my name is Dison, I was raised by Butler Joyce from a young age and have always stayed in the mansion."


    "Alright, I know now." William nodded, clearly understanding that Bill, like Welf, was hired by the butler to be a guard for the Cain family, while Dison was raised by the family from a young age, making him a trusted subordinate.


    "Let''s set off then. We''ll head straight to the warehouse on Bell Street. Today, we''ll just be ordinary people, act normal."


    Welf and the others had no doubts; they simply followed the young master''s orders, perhaps thinking that the young master suddenly wanted to experience the life of amoner!


    Bell Street was not far from Fis Street, both located in the eastern half of Canlight City.


    Looking at the spacious warehouse surrounded by grey-white walls, William roughly estimated it to be over 800 square meters with a ceiling height of 5 meters.


    The items once stored in the warehouse had been cleared out, leaving only some straw piled in a corner.


    Besides the warehouse, there was an open space of nearly 1000 square meters on the east side, seemingly used for parking carriages and goods, with the whole warehouse enclosed by a brick wall over a person''s height.


    The warehouse was rtively clean and seemed to be well-maintained.


    William was quite satisfied with the location; it was spacious and secluded. Besides the storage rooms for goods, there were also a few rooms at the back for temporary rest.


    After touring the warehouse, seeing that Welf and the others had prepared the weapons and even Rosie had brought a box filled with sweets and red tea, setting it aside on a table, William signaled Welf to start the training.


    Welf stepped forward, unhesitatingly handing William a practice wooden sword.


    "Master, let''s start with the single-handed sword."


    After saying this, Welf also picked up a wooden sword and skillfully twirled it, creating a beautiful sword flower.


    William tested the wooden sword in his hand; though it was made of wood, it was quite hard and heavy.


    Although his strength hadn''t been augmented by attributes yet, the strength increase from level 30 was enough for William to use the wooden sword normally.


    Seeing William awkwardly swinging the wooden sword, creating an irregr sword flower, Welf smiled and asked, "On the battlefield, the single-handed sword is generally used inbination with a shield. Of course, more skilled warriors seeking greater agility and freedom may choose to use only the single-handed sword."


    "Which swordsmanship would Master William like to learn? Rock Swordsmanship, Tide Swordsmanship, or Wind Swordsmanship?"


    These swordsmanships were all mastered by Welf and were considered upper-ss among publicly known swordsmanships.


    William didn''t hesitate, already having a n: "I want to practice Royal Swordsmanship."


    "Royal Swordsmanship?"


    Welf was surprised. Royal Swordsmanship was indeed a very famous swordsmanship, not for its power but because its moves were very elegant.


    In essence, it was a ceremonial swordsmanship, existing for the sake of visual beauty.


    Therefore, this swordsmanship was also esteemed by nobles and wealthy merchants.


    Welf certainly knew this swordsmanship, for its greatest advantage, besides looking good, was its simplicity.


    After hesitating for a moment, Welf gave up the idea of persuading William to choose another swordsmanship, thinking it was just a nobleman''s whim. Perhaps it was the love for this swordsmanship that led William, a prestigious mage, to specifically undergo weapon training.


    Welf raised his hand to indicate the de and tip of the sword, beginning to exin the single-handed sword and Royal Swordsmanship:


    "The parts of a single-handed sword that can inflict damage are these two. To fully..."


    As Welf exined, system messages also appeared before William.


    His choice of Royal Swordsmanship was for quick mastery. Royalbat techniques, including swordsmanship, spearmanship, and knifemanship, were proven through numerous experiments to be the fastest way to improve weapon proficiency.


    As for being mistaken for a show-off, William didn''t care. Mastering the Mastery of Arms feat as soon as possible was his priority.


    [Golden Warrior Welf teaches you single-handed sword techniques, increasing your proficiency with single-handed swords]


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


    [Your proficiency with single-handed swords has advanced to beginner level]

 Chapter 9: Arcanist Class Change and Blue Bomb Spell

    <h4>Chapter 9: Arcanist ss Change and Blue Bomb Spell</h4>


    Chapter 9: Arcanist ss Change and Blue Bomb Spell


    [Your proficiency with single-handed swords has advanced to beginner level]


    [Beginner Single-Handed Sword Control: You now have a basic understanding of the single-handed sword, slightly increasing the power of your attacks when using a single-handed sword.]


    William observed the new entry for single-handed sword control under his Intermediate Staff Control. Reaching the beginner or intermediate proficiency level for any weapon was rtively easy, but advancing further became significantly harder.


    For instance, despite practicing spells and using the staff for many years, his predecessor''s staff proficiency was still at an intermediate level, just shy of advanced. It was unclear when he would be able to break through.


    William also realized that although his weapon proficiency increased under Welf''s guidance, simr to how one could instantly learn skills from NPCs in games, his proficiency grew much faster when he dedicated himself to learning.


    After all, this was a real world, and his system differed slightly from in-game mechanics.


    The knowledge and power he possessed were not merely game data but genuinely existed within his mind and body.


    This was far more enjoyable than grinding in a game!


    Despite Welf and the others being very careful, injuries were inevitable during training. However, feeling his strength increase, William was not discouraged and fully immersed himself in the training process.


    The following days were fulfilling for William. During the day, he learned various weapon techniques and skills with Welf and the guards on Bell Street. At night, he continued his "bang, bang, bang" arcane exploration in the mansion''s basement. His only leisure time involved asional massages from the young maid Rosie for rxation.


    Don''t get any weird ideas¡ªit was all very proper!


    ---


    The Sixth Day of Training


    Cain Family Mansion, Underground Laboratory.


    William, his face smeared with soot, used a Gust spell to disperse the smoke from yet another failed experiment, but his expression was far from discouraged.


    "I was too impatient. The essence of fire elements is explosive and restless; too stable abination of magic runes actually diminishes the power of the Fireball spell. However, this time''s elemental model seemed somewhatpatible with my magic."


    After pondering for a moment, William adjusted the architecture of the elemental model he had previously constructed using the nearby Magic Rune Recorder.


    "Let''s try this, adjusting the angle of the third long rune in rtion to the keystone rune and see the effect."


    He opened the arcane subsystem and carefully modified the Fireball spell''s elemental model once more.


    Taking a deep breath, William prepared for sess or failure in this attempt.


    As he infused magic into what felt like the umpteenth version of the Fireball spell''s elemental model


    Suddenly, a wonderful sensation enveloped him.


    It was as if the brightly glowing elemental model floating before his eyes had be a part of his own body.


    The magic flowing within him seemed to resonate with the newly constructed elemental model, continuously merging into it.


    The elemental model, now fully powered, floated serenely before William. Before he could study it closely, it began to glow, spin, and finally transformed into a fist-sized pale blue fireball in front of him.


    Observing the fireball in his hands, William examined it from all angles, feeling assured that he had fully mastered this fireball¡ªit wouldn''t explode unexpectedly like before.


    After examining it thoroughly, William turned his attention back to the system panel.


    As he sessfully conjured the fireball, a series of system messages popped up in the bottom left corner of his vision, which he hadn''t yet had a chance to read.


    ---


    [You have sessfully improved the Fireball spell model]


    [You have mastered the exclusive arcane spell (nameable)]


    [Initiating Arcanist ss change requirements assessment]


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


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


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


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


    [Yes/No]


    ---


    After much deliberation, given that the final form was a blue fireball, he decided to name it¡ª


    Blue Bomb!


    William, who has always struggled with naming, decided to call his first arcane spell "Blue Bomb," feeling as if shadows danced before his eyes.


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


    Unlike some specialized sses, the Arcanist ss change does not require a special ceremony; meeting the requirements is enough for an on-the-spot promotion.


    As for whether to change sses to an Arcanist? Obviously, why else would he have gone through the "arduous" process to obtain the Arcane Thinking feat? William decisively chose Yes.


    [You have chosen to ss change to Arcanist]


    [ss changing... ss change sessful]


    [Your primary ss Mage has been promoted to Arcanist]


    [You have achieved a new milestone The First Step of the Strong (Silver Rank)]


    [You have gained a new feat Tier Suppression]


    William felt a sudden rity in his mind, as if his thought processes had sped up and he had gained a new understanding of various elemental models and their properties.


    Shaking his head, William checked his attribute panel.


    ---


    Name: William Cain


    Race: Human


    Level: 30


    HP: 900/1050


    MP: 666/2040


    Status: Normal


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


    Primary Profession: Arcanist (Beginner)


    Secondary Profession: None


    Talent: Jack Of All Trades


    Attributes:


    Strength 35


    Agility 36


    Intelligence 78 (Attribute Modifier)


    Charisma 38


    Mystery 33


    Stamina 35


    Luck 3 Free


    Attribute Points 0


    Feats:


    Arcane Mind ¡ª Intelligence attribute receives a 2x value modifier, elemental affinity +100%, arcane submodule unlocked


    Advanced Fatigue Resistance ¡ª Reduces the negative impact of fatigue on the body, stamina recovery speed +50%


    Tier Suppression ¡ª You gain an extra power boost when facing lower-tier professionals, current bonus (10%)


    Skills:


    Tricks (Mage Hand, sh),


    1st Circle Spells (Fireball, Ice Spear, Charm Person.),


    2nd Circle Spells (Ice de, Wind Walk, Earth Escape),


    3rd Circle Spells (Chain Fireball),


    3rd Circle Arcane (Blue Bomb),


    Warrior Skills (Charge, Shield Bash, elerate.)


    Milestones: Beginner Mage (Bronze Rank), The First Step of the Strong (Silver Rank)


    Legend: 10 (National level - Court Viscount Legend +10)


    Equipment: Emerald Staff, Emerald Amulet, Concentration Ring


    William reviewed his gains over the past few days, feeling very fulfilled.


    The Tier Suppression Specialty and The First Step of the Strong milestone were inevitable upon advancing to a higher-tier profession, and their effects were quite satisfactory.


    Tier Suppression is essentially a weed-whacker, giving higher damage bonuses against opponents of lower tiers.


    The First Step of the Strong is self-exnatory, as most milestones directly add to free attribute points.


    He also secretly learned several martial skills from the guards through his Jack Of All Trades talent, adding to his gains.


    William felt content with his progress and decided to reward himself with an early rest for the day.


    The looming sense of doom had always given William a deep sense of crisis, only alleviating slightly whenever he made progress in his abilities.


    Hoping to eventually escape his fated demise~ Lying in bed, William sighed lightly and closed his eyes, entering a state of meditation.

 Chapter 10: The Guard’s Subtle Thoughts

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


    Chapter 10: The Guard''s Subtle Thoughts


    Early morning at the Cain Family Mansion.


    For some reason, Master William''s magical experiments ceased earlyst night, and the continuous "boom" sound that had been echoing for days vanished, granting the mansion''s servants a much-needed restful sleep.


    Rosie, the young maid, pushed open the window of the dining room, taking a deep breath of the fresh morning air. Her chestnut-colored ponytail swayed happily as she did so.


    As William''s personal maid, Rosie found it better that the experiments ended earlier than usual. Even though William''s experiments oftensted untilte at night, it was better than the days spent locked away in theboratory and bedroom.


    Compared to the times when she hardly saw William all day, even though she was more tired now, being able to give William massages these past few days, and having him asionally joke with her, made her feel like she was bing a morepetent personal maid.


    "Alright, Rosie, today let''s keep up the good work!" Rosie patted her smooth, cogen-rich face, encouraging herself.


    It was time to wake up William. He had been staying upte recently, not feeling too well, and Rosie had been the one waking him up. Should she prepare some refreshing tea for him today?


    As Rosie was about to go upstairs to wake William, she turned around and saw William already seated at the dining table, enjoying his breakfast.


    William waved to his adorable maid to have the kitchen bring another serving of ham and bread.


    The tender, fresh ham nestled in the soft white bread, apanied by the creamy mushroom soup, whetted William''s appetite.


    Of course, William''s good mood today might also be due to his sessst night.


    He sessfully improved his first exclusive arcane spell, sessfully transitioning to an arcane mage. This was the first step he took towards bing a legendary mage, a significant milestone.


    The arcane system he improved, the Blue Bomb Art, was judged to be of the third circle of arcane magic, a pleasant surprise.


    Typically, improving a first-circle spell would result in a corresponding first-circle arcane spell. To enhance its power and advance to higher circles, one would need to add moreplex elemental circuits and runes. But William''s Blue Bomb Art was different.


    If it wasn''t an issue with the elemental model, then was the reason found within himself?


    Perhaps it was because his soul was more attuned to fire magic. After all, in his previous life, he specialized in fire magic?


    William let his thoughts wander. The issue of elemental model and soulpatibility had never been definitively resolved, and he couldn''t determine what the situation was now.


    After enjoying his exquisite breakfast and letting his thoughts wander, Joyce, the butler, approached William as if he had something to say.


    Upon seeing William, Joyce seemed to freeze momentarily, his usually impable demeanor faltering.


    William nced at Joyce''s awkward behavior curiously and asked, "Joyce, is there something you wanted to say?"


    Joyce finally regained hisposure and bowed slightly with impable etiquette, "Master, Lord Mora''s men came to remind you not to forget his birthday party tonight."


    This guy...


    William was a bit speechless. Wasn''t it enough that he personally reminded him at the libraryst time? Now, they even sent someone to remind him again.


    If William didn''t have to prepare for rted matters, they might have evene to drag him there themselves!


    William recalled that his previous self had probably skipped quite a few invitations.


    Well, since they were so insistent with their invitation, he might as well reluctantly attend.


    "I understand. I''ll be back early today."


    "Very well, Master. I''ll have Rosie prepare your outfit for the party in advance."


    Bell Street


    Boom!


    On the t ground outside the warehouse, two figures parted ways after a brief encounter: William, panting and leaning on his long spear, and Dison, the guard, who still seemed to have energy to spare.


    "Master, when you swung the spear just now, you exerted too much force from your waist, causing your movements to deform slightly. When you exert force..."


    Seeing William exhausted, Dison put away his weapon and began pointing out William''s shorings in his movements.


    William nodded, wiping the sweat from his forehead with his hand as he looked at the panel information that popped up in his field of vision.


    "[Intermediate warrior Dison is teaching you the skills of using a long spear. Your proficiency with the long spear weapon (novice) has increased.] [94% to 95%]"


    Through these few days of training, William had already elevated his proficiency levels with single-handed swords, two-handed swords, and now the long spear to intermediate levels.


    And with more and more training, he found himself learning various martial techniques and strategies. It seemed like he was beginning to grasp things more intuitively, and the speed at which he increased his proficiency with weapons was elerating.


    Perhaps his "Adapter" talent had something to do with it.


    Originally, he estimated it would take about a month and a half to raise proficiency levels in ten weapons to intermediate levels, but now it seemed like a month might be enough.


    This was good news because he didn''t have much time. He needed to enhance his strength while also figuring out how to avoid the tragic cannon fodder plot awaiting him in the future.


    [98% 99% 100%]


    [Your proficiency with the long spear weapon has advanced to intermediate level.]


    [Intermediate Spear Mastery]: You have basically mastered the use of the long spear, and its effectiveness increases moderately.


    "Great, this is the third intermediate level!"


    After training with Dison for a while, William finally broke through to intermediate proficiency with the long spear. He stopped, leaving the spear aside, and said to Dison, "I feel like the long spear isn''t that interesting. It''s too simple. Could you teach me some sword techniques?"


    Dison, beside him, was momentarily stunned, not understanding why the young master suddenly didn''t want to practice the long spear, especially when William had been improving with it.


    But being typically silent, he didn''t say anything and just nodded, walking to the side to retrieve the standard longsword he had prepared in advance from the weapon case, and began demonstrating the techniques of the royal swordsmanship to William.


    Watching William toss the long spear aside and instruct Dison to bring out the sword for practice, Welf''s mouth twitched involuntarily.


    He had seen this scene a couple of days ago. He had taught William the single-handed sword diligently, but suddenly William didn''t want to continue and wanted to learn something else. It seemed that our young master William was once again losing interest in the long spear and wanted to practice swordsmanship.


    Bill, standing nearby, noticed Welf''s somewhat speechless expression and whispered, "I wonder what our young master is up to. He''s changing weapons after just a few days. This is already the fourth type of weapon he''s switched to."


    Welf shook his head. "You shouldn''t say that. Young Master William just wants to experience various weapons. Once he finds one he likes and feelsfortable with, he won''t be like this anymore."


    Bill hurriedly interjected, "Oh, sorry, boss, I just thought I''d mention it privately. It''s just that you''re already a golden warrior. Even the noble gentlemen would give you some face. Spending effort to teach the young master, and yet he picks and chooses... it''s a bit..."


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


    "These past few days, we''ve had to apany Young Master William here during the day, and then at night, he creates such a disturbance that we can''t rest well. Some of the brothers are starting toin."


    "Comin? I bet it''s just you and Lance, isn''t it? I don''t see Disonining."


    "It''s not the same. Dison and the others are orphans raised by the Cain family since childhood. But us brothers, we all recognize you as the boss. If..."


    Welf waved his hand to cut off Bill''s words. This guy, the more he spoke, the more unreasonable he sounded. But indeed, Young Master William was a bit too restless. Should he go and talk to that person?


    Seeing that Welf was taking his words into consideration, Bill stopped speaking.


    He, who always sought enjoyment, didn''t want to spend every day practicing swordsmanship and wielding weapons with the young master here. Wouldn''t it be better to go to the Golden Lily alley and find a girl to spend time with?

 Chapter 11: The Banquet and the Young Lady

    <h4>Chapter 11: The Banquet and the Young Lady</h4>


    Chapter 11: The Banquet and the Young Lady


    116 Fis Street


    At the entrance to the Carl family estate.


    Dressed in a ck noble attire, William alighted from the carriage, and a nearby servant quickly came to greet him, leading William towards the banquet hall. Bend and the carriage were arranged to rest elsewhere.


    William rxed his tight cor, still somewhat unustomed to such borate attire.


    Following the servant into the banquet hall, the luxurious setup of the several hundred square meters area was striking, with numerous polished, translucent crystal chandeliers hanging above, casting a soft glow. The tables wereden with aromatic delicacies and fine wines for guests to enjoy, with some already mingling with sses in hand.


    The Carl family, as one of the top five controllers of the Goldvine Commerce Guild in the Fis Kingdom and possessing enough influence to "purchase" a baronial title from the kingdom, showcased their substantial wealth and taste through their luxurious estate in the noble district.


    William, curious, surveyed the guests dressed in splendid attire around the dance floor. Since his predecessor seldom attended such parties, even though these should all be gentlemen anddies from Fis''s high society, he found no familiar faces.


    Just then, Mora Carl, having just finished speaking with a count alongside his father, spotted William standing out not far away. His eyes lit up, and after excusing himself to his father, he approached William.


    "You there, howe you didn''te find me after arriving? Are you really our esteemed viscount? Just standing there alone, not mingling with anyone else."


    William shrugged, "You know, I hardly ever attend these kinds of gatherings. I don''t know these people, how could I possibly mingle? I saw you were busy talking to that old man, so I didn''t bother you."


    "That ''old man'' is the Kingdom''s Minister of Finance, Count Dion Duval!"


    Mora, incredulous that William didn''t recognize even him, began introducing William to the distinguished guests around.


    "This is Arsen Had, the youngest son of the Duke of Had, recently favored by His Majesty the King."


    "That man speaking with my father is Mont Oya, president of the Oya Commerce Guild, which rivals our own in prestige, though he and my father are on good terms."


    "And that''s Lady Pasha Koiv, the famous socialite from Brightlight City. Be careful not to be enchanted by her!"


    Mora covertly pointed at ady in a purple tassel dress, smiling brightly while conversing with several gentlemen, and gave William a meaningful look.


    William took a closer look, impressed by her presence. After a schrly examination, he concluded she was indeed the real deal, a testament to her reputation as a renowned socialite. Mora and William foundmon ground in their academic discussion for the first time, agreeing on their assessment.


    "You wouldn''t have already done a field study, would you?" William looked skeptically at his friend, whose eyes were shining.


    "I''m just appreciating the art, okay? She''s almost old enough to be my mother!"


    Mora nearly jumped in his defense, swearing his innocence, though William saw right through his fa?ade.


    "Enough about that." Mora, seeing his father signaling for him, hurried over to greet another distinguished guest. "I''lle find youter, don''t sneak off!"


    As Mora''s birthday party host, although most attendees were there towork, it was crucial he not be absent from the festivities for too long.


    William, content to be left to his own devices, was d not to be familiar with the other guests, preferring no interruptions.


    Listening to Mora''s father, Frank Carl, thanking all the guests and making polite conversation, William went to the buffet table, selecting a te full of delicacies for himself.


    Roastedmb chops, snails in herb sauce, beef fillet with duck liver, Bertidge sweet shrimp sd, cheese and ham chicken cutlets, hazelnut caramel cake, coconut cherry pie.


    William, pleased with his selection, ignored the surprised looks from some servants and sat down in a corner of the hall to enjoy his feast.


    Indeed, being one of the kingdom''s top fivemerce guilds had its perks. Bertidge sweet shrimp, a delicacy from the eastern coastal kingdoms of the Fanor continent, offered a rare taste, transported from miles away to the ind Fis Kingdom.


    In his past life, William had never encountered such delicacies in the Fis Kingdom, only tasting such ingredients once during a mission trip to Bertidge. Indeed, the tender and springy texture of the seafood was top-notch.


    As William indulged in his meal, a te was ced on the table beside him,den with even more food than his own! Twomb chops buried under an assortment of dishes, topped off with two hazelnut cakes, seemed almost precarious.


    William''s attention was drawn to this "tower" of a te, and a figure appeared from behind it, taking a seat next to him.


    William observed this guest who, unlike the others mingling in the dance floor, chose to seclude in the corner to enjoy her meal, much like himself.


    Dressed in a fiery red off-shoulder evening gown, her ck hair simply cascading down to her waist, the dress''s tailored design highlighted the girl''s perfect silhouette, withyers of hollow patterns and delicate fringes entuating her fairness. The girl''s appearance might be considered average, but her gray-purple eyes sparkled with vivacity.


    The girl nced curiously at William, seemingly surprised to find someone as "unique" as herself at the banquet. She smiled gently at William before turning her attention back to her delicious spread.


    William felt a strange sense of familiarity but didn''t dwell on it, considering he might have encountered her in his past life in the game.


    The two thenunched an assault on their respective "mountains" of food. Despite their continuous eating, their table manners remained impable, and the food on the table visibly decreased at a noticeable rate.


    William had started eating first, but they finished almost simultaneously.


    As they both rose to refill their tes, the girl''sughter, reminiscent of silver bells, caught William''s attention. She looked at him curiously,ughing.


    "You''re quite the odd one. Don''t most peoplee to these events towork with officials and nobles? Why hide here and just eat?"


    William nced at the girl''s te and retorted, "Aren''t you doing the same? I can''t be bothered to tter those people."


    "I''m different!" the girl eximed, waving her hand. "I came with a friend to broaden my horizons and enjoy the food on the side. I heard the Goldvine Commerce Guild arranged a special caravan to Bertidge in the east to procure many rare ingredients for this banquet. I didn''t want to miss out."


    Her initial reason sounded reasonable, but her subsequent excitement revealed her true foodie nature.


    "That''s true. The Bertidge sweet shrimp sd is good. I''m nning to get some more," William said.


    The mention of food made the girl''s eyes light up. "Right? It''s amazing, something you can''t normally buy even if you have the money!"


    William, now engaged in the conversation, added, "But I think Bertidge sweet shrimp would taste even better as Golden Thread Shrimp Balls."


    The girl looked surprised, "Golden Thread Shrimp Balls? What''s that? Are you a cook or something?"


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

 Chapter 12: Reprimand

    <h4>Chapter 12: Reprimand</h4>


    Chapter 12: Reprimand


    While William was exchanging culinary experiences with the young girl at the evening party...


    At the Kane Viscount''s Mansion


    Joyce, the steward, was sitting in his own bedroom by the window, resting. He lightly rocked a high-footed ss filled with dark red liquid in his hand. Even though he was dressed in pajamas, it couldn''t hide his elegant demeanor.


    Surely if an outsider saw this scene, they would surely mistake him for some noble gentleman.


    "Knock knock~"


    "Pleasee in," Joyce said, cing the ss of wine in front of his nose, savoring the fruity fragrance slowly evaporating from the wine.


    "Apologies for disturbing you, Lord Joyce!"


    It was the chief guard, Welf, who walked in and gently closed the door behind him.


    "What''s the matter?" Joyce didn''t even nce at Welf, as if the fine wine in front of him was more worthy of his attention than Welf.


    Welf immediately recognized the wine in Joyce''s hand as the Wood Song wine from the Thousand Winds Hills in the southern part of the Fis Kingdom. It was highly sought after for its unique fruity aroma and delicate taste, and a single bottle could cost hundreds of gold coins.


    Of course, Welf had never tasted such a luxury item himself, but he was able to identify it thanks to the highly recognizable green wine bottle on the small table next to him.


    However, Welf didn''t find anything inappropriate about Joyce enjoying this expensive wine. Instead, he respectfully replied, "It''s about Master William."


    "Oh?" Only then did Joyce turn his head to look at Welf, speaking slowly and deliberately:


    "I recall that the young master was practicing weapons with you. What happened?"


    "It''s nothing major. The young master learns very quickly and diligently, but..."


    Welf lowered his head and cautiously said, "It seems that Master William is very impatient. Although he learns quickly, he immediately switches to another weapon as soon as he bes familiar with one. What he learns is mostly superficial, and we''re all at a loss."


    "And these past few days, the young master has been experimenting untilte at night, and everyone is not resting well."


    Welf gritted his teeth, feeling uneasy, but still expressed his thoughts.


    "Can you persuade the young master, Lord Joyce? It seems pointless for a distinguished mage to learn weapon skills."


    Welf, who had been apanying William''s antics for the past few days, also harbored some grievances, but most importantly, he felt that William, a mage, was wasting his time learning weapon skills!


    After finishing his words, Welf kept his head down and dared not look Joyce in the eye, as if the frail steward in front of him was a ferocious beast.


    After a moment of silence, as Welf became increasingly anxious and regretful for his impulsive act of "reporting"...


    "Is that what you truly think?"


    Joyce''s calm voice softly echoed in Welf''s ears.


    Seeing Welf remain silent, he continued:


    "It seems I''ve been too lenient with you all."


    Hum~


    Joyce gently ced the wine ss on the table. Suddenly, an extremely terrifying pressure enveloped the entire body of the chief guard.


    "Ughhhhh!"


    Welf instantly fell to his knees, pressing both hands firmly on the floor to support his body. The fear of death surged into his heart, and sounds of agony apanied his constant gasps, but he dared not take a breath of air, as if his entire body would burst under this terrifying pressure in a second.


    What... what''s going on?


    Is it just the released killing intent and aura that render me unable to move?


    Am I... am I going to die here?


    No, I was wrong,pletely wrong. I thought that after being promoted to a golden warrior, I would gain some status in front of him. Who would have thought that I couldn''t even withstand this pressure!


    This is not just a high-ranking professional I spected about. This is clearly an existence whose life has been sublimated, entering the legendary realm!


    That''s someone even kings would treat with respect, and the entire continent would pass down their heroic legends. Who would have thought that the frail steward in front of me is one of them?


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


    Helplessness and fear of facing death crazily tugged at the warrior''s nerves, overwhelming Welf''s heart with endless remorse.


    Just as Welf''s consciousness was about to disappear...


    "Remember your ce."


    Joyce''s fingers tapped on the table one after another, but each tap felt like a heavy blownding on Welf''s heart.


    "Master William''s words are absolute, even if it means sending you to your death!"


    Joyce ceased tapping his fingers and looked coldly at the golden warrior lying prostrate on the ground, drenched in sweat, and said indifferently:


    "Otherwise, you''ll know that death is the greatest relief."


    Welf felt as though he was facing hell itself, with a deep sense of killing intent piercing through his skin into his organs, as if his entire body was frozen, and his blood was about to stop flowing and coalesce.


    "Get lost!"


    Without waiting for a response, Joyce couldn''t be bothered to look at Welf again, waving his hand dismissively. With a muffled groan, Welf suddenly rose into the air and was thrown violently out of the nearby window.


    The old steward, havingpleted all this, remained as indifferent as ever, as if the terrifying methods just now were not employed by him.


    Joyce looked deeply at the dark red liquid flowing back and forth in his hand, continuing to savor the intoxicating aroma of the Wood Song wine, seemingly lost in thought.


    "An arcane mage, huh? ¡ª¡ª


    Fis Street, No. 116


    Unaware that his chief guard had been severely reprimanded by the steward for snitching on him, William was happily exchanging culinary experiences with the foodie girl he had met at the evening party.


    It was a moment of camaraderie!


    "So, there are actually many ways to make golden silk. Egg silk, potato silk, and even noodles can be used. Of course, my favorite is the one made with potato silk, whichplements the smooth and tender texture of the shrimp balls perfectly!"


    William spoke eloquently.


    "Oh~~! It must be delicious!" The girl looked at William, who seemed to be glowing all over, with admiration, not sparing her praise.


    ncing at the Bertie''s Sweet Shrimp Sd on the te, it suddenly didn''t seem so fragrant anymore!


    The girl''s eyes rolled around, and she reached out her delicate white hand to William, saying:


    "It''s nice to meet you. My name is Nichole."


    William, without paying attention to the obviously disguised pseudonym, gentlemanly lifted the girl''s hand with his right hand and bowed slightly to kiss it.


    "I''m William Kane. Nice to meet you."


    Nichole looked at William in surprise and chuckled:


    "Respected Mr. William Kane, has no one told you that kissing a girl''s hand is quite impolite?"


    Uh, I just wanted to blend in with the local customs, didn''t really notice that.


    Feeling a bit embarrassed, William thought to himself, but Nichole didn''t mind. Instead, she changed the subject and pointed to the figures approaching them.


    "My friend is here to find me. Nice meeting you, and next time, you must treat me to the golden silk shrimp balls you mentioned!"


    With that, the figure arrived in front of William and Nichole. He cast a slightly wary nce at William before turning to Nichole and saying:


    "Miss Nichole, it''s time to go back."


    "Okay."


    After bidding farewell to William with a wave, they left the party together.


    "Interesting!" William watched the two figures leave, smiling meaningfully.

 Chapter 13: The First Step of Gathering Intelligence

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


    Chapter 13: The First Step of Gathering Intelligence


    "Interesting, very interesting."


    William murmured to himself. The girl named Nichole was quite peculiar. Despite her refined manners, she exuded a sense of freedom and rebellion, which was contradictory.


    Moreover, when he lightly touched the girl''s delicate hand just now, he could clearly feel the calluses on her palm, formed from prolonged weapon use, which seemed inconsistent with her identity as a noblewoman.


    And the man who left with the girl just now was none other than Jason Harold, the youngest son of Duke Harold, mentioned by Mora earlier. Jason''s cautious gaze and the faint reverence in his eyes towards the girl reflected her extraordinary status.


    Shaking his head, William stopped dwelling on these thoughts. Who knows if they''ll meet again in the future?


    As for the golden silk shrimp balls the girl wanted to eat, it''s a matter for another day!


    "Miss Nichole, please don''t do this next time. I just went to say hello, and in the blink of an eye, you disappeared."


    Jason Harold said somewhat helplessly to the girl beside him.


    "Oh, I was hungry. There was so much good food here, and I didn''t go anywhere else!"


    Nichole happily waved her hand,pletely disregarding Jason''s tone of helplessness.


    "The person you were with just now..." Jason asked, feeling that William had a unique aura about him, unlike the typical noble who enjoys socializing and indulgence.


    "He said his name is William Cain, and he seems to be a very talented chef!" Nichole thought for a moment and said.


    "William Cain." Jason pondered for a moment, automatically ignoring thetter part, and asked in confusion, "Is he the Viscount Cain? The mage who stays at home?"


    "I don''t know, but he''s quite an interesting person! He also said he''ll make golden silk shrimp balls for me in the future!"


    "Shrimp balls. Is that a dish?" Jason was speechless. What was this all about? If it really was the viscount, although not from a major noble family, he wouldn''t be cooking, would he?


    Nichole paid no attention to Jason''s thoughts, humming a tune and tap-dancing along the streets at night, her fiery red skirt swaying with each step, just like her mood at the moment.


    Jason had no choice but to follow closely behind Nichole''s footsteps. Although Miss Nichole''s strength far exceeded his own, and she used magical items to conceal her appearance, if anyone dared to offend her, it would be his failure as a protector.


    ---


    After finishing his speech with his father, Mora had alsopleted the first dance with a shy noble girl and then stepped back to make way, leaving the center of the ballroom.


    With an affable smile on his face, Mora navigated through the crowd in the banquet hall, seemingly searching for something.


    "Well, I worked so hard up there, and you''re just hiding here eating?"


    Mora finally found William hiding in the corner, seeing the empty tes in front of him, he knew this guy hadn''t left this spot the entire time.


    "It''s your birthday party, didn''t you want me toe up and say a few words?"


    William focused on finishing the chocte vani ice cream in front of him. It was quite luxurious to experience a touch of coldness in the heat of June. It must have been made with ice magic or ice magic stones, truly extravagant, but I like it.


    Mora gestured for his own servant to bring him some food, took a sip of the golden champagne, exhaled deeply, and looked at the lively scene in front of him.


    "You know, celebrating my birthday is just part of it. The main purpose is to provide a social asion."


    "Oh, yeah."


    William couldn''t be bothered with this guy. He could bet that if he hadn''t arranged it, this guy would have been worried that his family''s business association was going bankrupt.


    "You!"


    Mora punched William lightly, but it didn''t carry much force.


    "But it''s quite rare for you toe this time. Is this your first time attending my family''s party?"


    William recalled for a moment, it seemed indeed to be the first time. Apart from the annual parties he couldn''t avoid from the royal family, he had never attended any other party, so he was regarded as quite unsociable by other nobles.


    "Let''s not talk about this. What about Bernie? I''vee, but hasn''t he?"


    "I heard he''s in the school''s magic workshop, at a critical point in his research, too busy to leave. But he sent someone to tell me and brought a gift."


    Mora stretched out his hand to show William. There was a ring with a transparent gemstone on his right index finger, emitting a faint magical glow.


    "Iron Armor Ring, enchanted with Tier 3 Iron Armor spell, can be used three times a day. The most valuable thing is that it can automatically trigger when in danger."


    "He''s thoughtful."


    This protective ring was worth hundreds of gold coins. Bernie knew this, even though his family''s condition was average, it must have taken quite an effort to send such a precious gift.


    "What about yours?" Mora didn''t bother hiding his curiosity and reached out his hand to William.


    "Your surprise isn''t ready yet, but it will definitely satisfy you." William shrugged. He did have some ideas he wanted to implement with Mora and Bernie, but they weren''t mature yet. It would take some time.


    "Alright, I''ll wait then." Mora trusted that William wouldn''t deceive him about this.


    "I actually have a favor to ask. Can you help me out?" William said to Mora.


    "What is it? A new experimental instrument, magical ore, or magic scrolls?" Mora casually replied, as in the past, William often asked for help in purchasing these items.


    "It''s not about buying things. I want you to help me gather some information about Canlight City, mainly about the various price levels and any unusual incidents."


    William pondered as he spoke. He still knew nothing about the masterminds behind the scenes, only that they nned to assassinate nobles including himself at the Annual Holy Festival three monthster. He hoped to gather some clues from Mora.


    "When did you start caring about this?" Mora nced at William, somewhat surprised.


    "I have my reasons." William didn''t want to exin in detail to Mora. After all, he couldn''t say that he foresaw his own assassination three monthster. That would only be seen as nonsense, and spreading it might even startle the snake.


    Seeing that William didn''t want to borate, Mora didn''t press further. After all, helping a brother wasn''t a big deal, especially when it was just a matter of raising a hand.


    "Alright, I''ll summarize the information from our chamber ofmerce for you every week, but it can only be those that don''t involve trade secrets. I''ll also keep an eye out for other information, and if there''s any, I''ll send it to you."


    "Thanks." William nodded. He had considered having servants or guards collect some information for him, but that would be too inefficientpared to asking Mora for help.


    The Golden Vine Merchant Guild was a well-knownrge chamber ofmerce with dedicated personnel for collecting information. After all, merchants were very interested in all kinds of information, as even ordinary information might conceal huge business opportunities and piles of gold coins.


    "Let''s not talk about this. Look over there, that''s the second daughter of Count Siani, she''s like a tempting rose. What do you think, captivated?"


    Mora, who had just regained hisposure, reverted to his old ways, bing unserious again.


    William sighed, embarrassed to associate with this person.


    "I''m speechless."

 Chapter 14: Contest

    <h4>Chapter 14: Contest</h4>


    Chapter 14: Contest


    Morning, Cain Manor


    Waking up from a good night''s sleep, William climbed out of bed and stretchedzily, the joints in his bones cracking as he did so.


    Last night, he had a few drinks with that guy Mora. The slight buzz was pleasant enough, and he went straight to sleep without meditating upon returning.


    The fatigue from several days of intense training seemed to have vanished, leaving him feeling refreshed.


    Today''s breakfast was vegetable cheese pancakes with blueberry oatmeal porridge. It seemed Joyce knew he had eaten a lotst night and instructed the kitchen to prepare something simple and refreshing.


    "Master William, here are today''s letters. There''s a formal letter from the Fis Royal Magic Academy, it might be important."


    Joyce stood by William''s side as usual, handing him the letter.


    "A letter from the school? What could it be?" William looked at the letter with puzzlement, unable to recall any reason why the school would be contacting him.


    The Fis Royal Magic Academy, where he studied, was named after the kingdom, indicating it was the best magic academy within the kingdom.


    William entered the academy at the age of ten. The Fis Royal Academy didn''t have a fixed teaching method; it followed a philosophy of free development. Students of the same year were considered ssmates and could choose courses they were interested in, somewhat simr to the elective system in universities in his previous life. The only restriction was that one had to achieve the rank of Intermediate Mage to graduate.


    So, it wasn''t umon to see a ten-year-old sitting in the same ss as someone in their thirties or forties.


    But he hadn''t been to school in months, so what could it be about?


    William opened the letter and found the handwriting neat and tidy, indicating it was an officialmunication from the school. However, it didn''t mention anything specific; it just invited William to visit the Fifth Magic Workshop at the academy.


    William knew about the Fifth Magic Workshop; the academy had many magic workshops, but only the top ten were highly sought after, with top-notch resources. The Fifth Magic Workshop was already quite prestigious. After all, the workshops preceding it were reserved for the dean and vice-dean respectively.


    But why invite him to visit? He hadn''t applied for anything.


    Oh well, he thought, he might as well go and see what advanced experimental equipment and intriguing research projects they had there.


    William stuffed thest of his pancake into his mouth and suddenly felt a craving for the pancakes with stuffing from his past life. He would have to figure out how to make them once he had taken care of his current concerns.


    The morning training flew by, but what puzzled William was the change in his apanying guards.


    Dison was the same as always, respectful and patient.


    But his chief guard, Welf, was acting differently. He used to be somewhat reserved and proud, but now his attitude was identical to Dison''s. William even felt a hint of... fear in Welf''s eyes?


    William didn''t know what kind of damage his steward had inflicted on Welf''s young mindst night, but he decided to joke about it, attributing it to Welf suddenly recognizing the wisdom and charm of his lordship, the Viscount.


    Jokes aside, William was genuinely curious. However, Welf refused to talk about it, especially with Bill, who imed to have fallen out of bed while sleeping, sporting a ck eye.


    But it was a good opportunity for William to ask Welf about somebat techniques he was interested in, such as taunting, blocking, and other warrior skills, as well as some very practical strengthening techniques like secondary attribute enhancement and danger prediction.


    By the way, during these days of practice, William found that his game system was still able to detect information about enemies, just like in his previous life''s games. Unfortunately, Welf''s level was too high, so he could only see a few lines of information.


    ---


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


    Name: Welf


    Race: Human


    Level: 102


    Health Points: ???


    Mana Points: ???


    Primary upation: Shield Warrior


    Secondary upation: Treasure Hunter


    Talent: Rock (Gold-level talent: When using a shield, gains a 30% increase in blocking effectiveness, and a 30% increase in strength attributes.)


    Attributes: ???


    Danger Level: Extremely Fatal!


    Evaluation: He relies more on brute force, while you rely more on intelligence and strategy.


    ---


    It seemed Welf had recently broken through to be a Gold-tier warrior. Still, William was confident in his own abilities.


    Although he had gained quite a bit of experience from his meditation during this time, using it all for leveling up would only result in an increase of about three levels, hardly a significant change.


    As expected, was the fastest way to level up still grinding monsters andpleting quests?


    William found himself nostalgic for the days of hardcore gaming in his previous life.


    Indeed, despite thefortable and luxurious life of a nobleman,plete with fragrant maids, he still preferred the adventurous life full of surprises and excitement!


    Evaluation: Geeky pursuits like being a homebody are out of the picture now!


    ''As soon as I master the Expertise in Various Martial Arts, I can proceed with the next n.


    Although I''ve sparred with the guards these past few days, it''s been more about learning martial skills and improving proficiency, rather than seriousbat.''


    With this in mind, after a moment of rest, William turned to Dison standing nearby and said:


    "Dison, let''s have a little contest. Let''s see how strong I am."


    After hesitating for a moment, Dison agreed. Being honest, he didn''t think he would lose, but he pondered how much force would be appropriate.


    ''Should I let the young master win by exposing a wter?''


    Seeing Dison''s somewhat conflicted expression, William knew what he was thinking.


    "I can use magic, you know. It wouldn''t look good for you, a mid-level warrior, to lose."


    Upon hearing this, Dison''s face grew serious as he assumed a defensive stance with his sword, waiting for William to make the first move.


    ''I''ve never fought a mage before; after all, among all extraordinary professions, mages have the highest entry difficulty.''


    In the bronze and silver stages,pared to therge number of warrior professionals, mages are quite rare. I''ve only faced the bombardment of their talent spells during monster hunting missions and haven''t had the experience of battling formal mages yet.


    [Ding~]


    [Limited Challenge Mission Triggered]


    [Objective: Defeat Silver Warrior Dison]


    [Reward: Depending on thepletion of the mission]¡ª¡ª


    Oh? A limited challenge mission has been triggered, so I must win!


    Seeing that Dison was already prepared, William grasped the long knife at hand and began chanting his magic.


    Although he wasn''t using a magic wand and didn''t have the corresponding power bonus and assisted casting, William smoothly released the spells.


    "Minor Deflection Field"


    "Spirit Armor"


    "Magic Brilliance"


    "Empowerment: Precise Strike"


    "Bear''s Resilience, Cat''s Grace, Ox''s Strength, Fox''s Cunning, Owl''s Wisdom"


    Regardless of whether they were useful or not, William bestowed all the enhancement spells he could cast upon himself, causing his entire body to shimmer with the hues of various magic for a moment.


    Dison made no move, silently waiting for William to finish casting, but what William did next changed his expression.


    William raised his knife and muttered to himself, a faint white light representing martial skills shed across his body.


    "Martial Technique: Minor Attribute Boost"


    "Martial Technique: Resistance Enhancement"


    "Martial Technique: Danger Prediction"


    There are fewer protective and enhancement martial skillspared to magic, but using this set of magic and martial techniques made William feel a bit drained. The practice just now consumed quite a bit of mana, leaving William''s mana pool considerably depleted.


    After all, my mana value is not much right now, and I don''t have the corresponding magic props and equipment.


    Dison looked at the young master, who was almost fully protected from head to toe, and couldn''t help but feel a bit uneasy.


    He never expected that in just a few days, the young master would learn and use martial techniques, which was a bit terrifying.


    Dison knew that some special transfers could use skills from two basic professions, such as a spell-sword, who could simultaneously use magic and martial techniques, but only those with extraordinary talents could achieve this. Most people, once they''ve determined their primary profession, are basically impossible to learn skills from other professions.


    Could it be that the young master has that kind of top-tier talent?


    Dison didn''t dare to be careless and dispelled the intention of not using martial techniques, also bestowing himself with enhancement status.


    "I''m ready!"


    William''s figure shed, charging towards Dison.

 Chapter 15 - 15 Victory

    <h4>Chapter 15: Victory</h4>


    Chapter 15 Victory


    Bell Street Warehouse


    William swiftly closed in on Dison, shing towards Dison''s shoulder with his knife.


    With the support of various buff spells and martial skills, even though William wasn''t a rogue or had his main attributes corrected, his speed at this moment was quite remarkable.


    ng ng ng~


    After all, Dison was a silver-ranked warrior. Besides intelligence, he had absolute advantages in all other attributes, so he easily blocked William''s consecutive shes.


    With a flick of his wrist, he pushed aside the long knife, but instead of pursuing William''s exposed vulnerability, he took two steps back, repositioning himself to await William''s second wave of attack.


    William flexed his wrist; he had been too forceful just now, and he wasn''t proficient in dissipating force, resulting in some numbness in his wrist.


    Grinning at Dison''s serious expression butck of initiative to attack, William pointed his index finger forward.


    "Fireball Spell!"


    A solid-sized orange-red fireball materialized in front of William, flying towards Dison.


    As one of the most handy skills from his past life, William was thoroughly familiar with all the techniques of Fireball Spell, and the power of this fireball was not to be underestimated.


    Dison felt somewhat ufortable; just moments ago, they had been engaged in a real martial skill duel, and suddenly a spell was flying towards him.


    However, his well-trained body quickly reacted, dodging to the right.


    Before reaching gold-rank, warrior professions didn''t have the ability to directly break through spells, let alone resist spell impacts directly like legendary warriors.


    Boom!


    This fireball spellnded directly where Dison had been standing just moments ago, sting open arge pit in the solid ground, leaving the overturned soil charred.


    As Dison dodged the impact of the fireball spell and regained his stance, he helplessly found another solid arrow of ice blue forming in front of William, swiftly flying towards him.


    "Ice Arrow Spell!"


    Something''s wrong! Even though Dison hadn''t directly battled with mages before, he knew that something was off with the spells Young Master William was using.


    Too fast! He had just dodged the Fireball Spell, and William had alreadypleted casting another spell. This casting speed was too fast, especially considering William wasn''t currently using a staff.


    Dison had seen other bronze mages cast spells before, chanting incantations and channeling magic, all of which required time and could easily fail with a slight mistake.


    What Dison didn''t know was that William had already advanced to be an Arcanist, greatly enhancing his elemental affinity and thoroughly mastering the spell models of various low-level spells through in-depth research.


    At the same time, as a former gold-ranked mage, while he might not be very familiar with skills from other professions like martial arts, he was adept at using various spells and techniques. He was naturally skilled in choosing the timing and methods of spellcasting.


    Supported by various factors, William had far surpassed other mages of the same rank in casting speed.


    Of course, limited by his own strength, William could only quickly cast low-tier spells.


    Feeling somewhat helpless, Dison dodged once again, but this time, it wasn''t just about dodging. After evading the Ice Arrow Spell, he charged straight towards William.


    He couldn''t keep dodging indefinitely; he couldn''t let Young Master William down!


    Seeing Dison wanting to engage in closebat, William didn''t fear. He directly confronted Dison.


    "Martial Skill: Fury sh!"


    As Dison approached William, a martial skill was used, but he held back some strength just in case William couldn''t withstand this strike. He hadplete confidence in stopping the sword''s momentum if necessary.


    Seeing that Dison didn''t go all out, William was naturally eager to try, wanting to see if he could withstand the warrior''s martial skill attack under various boosts.


    "Martial Skill: Defensive Stance!"


    This was a warrior''s defensive skill, allowing oneself to enter a defensive state and gain additional armor and block rate bonuses.


    Bang!


    The long sword heavily struck William''s knife. William gritted his teeth, his body slightly tilting backward as he barely managed to withstand this blow.


    Even with the support of various buff spells and martial skills, and even with his defensive martial skill, William almost didn''t hold onto the knife in his hand under Dison''s restrained force.


    Using the force to jump back, William freed himself from Dison''s subsequent attacks.


    Indeed, the vast attribute difference and tier suppression made it very difficult for low-tier professionals to challenge higher-tier professionals.


    The body, which had just undergone some exercise for a while, began to feel a little sore and tired.


    Throughout half of my life, my insufficient martial skills haven''t been of much use.


    As expected, direct confrontation doesn''t work; I must rely on spells.


    William exerted force to throw the long knife in his hand towards Dison. Dison didn''t expect William to directly abandon his weapon. He quickly swung his sword to knock the long knife away.


    Taking advantage of Dison''s defensive stance, William''s hand shed with light as he retrieved a shield prepared in advance from his storage ring.


    He dashed forward, a burst ofbat aura shimmering as he fiercely mmed the shield towards Dison''s face.


    "Martial Skill: Shield Strike!"


    Dison barely managed to raise his sword in front of him.


    Boom!


    Despite Dison being a silver-ranked warrior with some resistance to low-level skills, he couldn''tpletely resist the dizziness effect apanying the shield strike, entering a brief dazed state.


    This was the opportunity William was waiting for!


    He threw the shield to the ground and once again retrieved his primary weapon, the Emerald Staff, from his storage ring.


    With a sh of emerald light, true to its gold-ranked equipment status, although William couldn''t fully utilize the staff''s effects yet, the amplification effect was significant enough.


    "Weakening Ray!"


    "Dizziness Spell!"


    "Slowdown Spell!"


    "Grease Spell!"


    The emerald gemstone atop William''s staff shimmered with ethereal light as the stored magical energy within was drawn out, continuously replenishing William''s mana consumption.


    Even so, William felt like he was barely holding on. In the short time since the battle began, he had already cast nearly twenty spells. Even with the magical energy replenishment from the magic gemstone, he was quickly running out of steam.


    But he had alreadyid the groundwork.


    "Weakening Ray" was one of William''s favorite spells from his past gaming experiences. It not only reduced the enemy''s attack power but also weakened their resilience and elemental resistance.


    "Dizziness Spell," "Slowdown Spell," and "Grease Spell" were William''s go-to trio for control.


    Especially "Grease Spell." As long as the enemy hadn''t recovered from the effects of the previous two control spells and happened to slip, it would buy William a lot of time.


    After all, slipping didn''t care about personal resistance, especially for warriors. How could they exert force and use martial skills when lying on the ground?


    Although this set ofbos didn''t deal direct damage, once you were affected, there was hardly any effective resistance for a short period.


    It was like a turn-based game: I move, you move, I move, I move, I move, I move.


    Dison had never encountered this kind of tactic before. He perfectly endured all the control effects, leaving him unable to counter William''s subsequent spells.


    When he finally recovered from dizziness, Dison felt as if his body had rusted, slowing down considerably.


    Just as he took a step back to create distance, his foot slipped, losing bnce and falling to the ground.


    Dison didn''t have time to get up, hastily grabbing his sword to prepare for William''s next attack.


    But when he looked up, he couldn''t think of anything else.


    He saw William standing about two meters away, the staff slightly tilted forward, and a cyan-colored fireball floating quietly in mid-air.


    Unlike a typical Fireball Spell full of burning explosions, the blue mes seemed to flow like water on the surface of the sphere, seemingly devoid of any threat.


    But just a nce made all the hairs on Dison''s body stand on end.


    The warrior''s intuition constantly warned him, conveying the terror of this spell. He knew he couldn''t withstand it.


    ncing at William, who stood silently nearby with a pale face but made no other move, Dison knew that as long as Young Master William wished, just this brief moment of being down would have been more than enough for him to die multiple times over.


    Tightening his grip on the sword''s hilt, Dison fiercely threw his weapon aside and bowed his head towards William.


    "Young Master, I concede."


    [Ding~]


    [You have defeated the silver-ranked warrior Dison against the odds,pleting the limited challenge task.]


    [You gained...]

 Chapter 16: Rich Rewards

    <h4>Chapter 16: Rich Rewards</h4>


    Chapter 16: Rich Rewards


    Seeing Dison choose to surrender instead of resisting, William breathed a sigh of relief. To be honest, his mana was running dangerously low, and he was struggling to hold on.


    ncing at the cyan fireball in his hand, hezily smashed it towards an empty space far away.


    Boom!


    A deafening explosion rang out as the solid ground, weakened by the Blue Fireball Spell, crumbled like tofu, leaving behind a crater several timesrger than the previous Fireball Spell had created.


    "Lord William, that was terrifying!" Dison, still lying on the ground, stared dumbfoundedly at the deep crater with blue mes still roasting, feeling the terrifying heat even from such a distance.


    "If that had hit me, I''d probably be nothing but ashes."


    "Is he really just a novice mage?"


    Welf, who had been watching the entire battle, keenly felt the power of that spell. The frightening sensation made him realize that even he could be threatened by that spell.


    Who was he?


    A Golden Warrior! Even though there were many warriors, advanced warriors were considered top-tier fighters in the entire kingdom. Among a hundred warriors, it was rare to find even one of them.


    Logically, a low-level spell shouldn''t have been able to prate his defense. But clearly, the mysterious blue fireball in William''s hand could bypass defense and cause him harm. This was incredible.


    If, before the match, it was because of the respect for Butler Joyce, then now Welf truly felt a hint of fear towards his young lord from the bottom of his heart.


    As for Bill, who was standing beside Welf, his face was pale, his legs weak, and he was on the verge of copsing to the ground.


    William didn''t pay attention to the guards'' expressions. He took a deep breath to calm his wildly beating heart from the battle just now and checked the system prompts that had just appeared.


    [You have defeated Dison against the odds,pleting the limited challenge task.]


    [Judgment: Oveing a higher-ranked opponent. Judgment passed, reward increased.]


    [Judgment: Full-forcebat. Judgment failed (Dison did not exert 100% strength), reward decreased.]


    [Hidden Judgment: wless Victory. Judgment passed, reward increased.]


    [Taskpletion rate: 110%, rewards being distributed.]


    [You gained 330,000 experience points.]


    [You gained specialties "Fearless Challenger" and "Low-Level Resilient Body."]


    [You gained skill "Martial Technique: Furious sh."]


    William didn''t expect to trigger the limited challenge task. This was one of the most attractive game features in "God''s Apocalypse."


    When yers challenged NPCs, wild monsters, and bosses, there was a chance to trigger this limited challenge task, which offered generous rewards and the opportunity to obtain the target''s skills and specialties, as well as substantial experience points and gold rewards.


    However, while the rewards were generous, it meant that such tasks were very rare and the difficulty was very high!


    Firstly, it had to be a solo challenge to trigger this type of task.


    Secondly, there was only a chance to trigger the task if the system judged that the enemy''s level was simr to or stronger than one''s own.


    In "God''s Apocalypse," due to factors such as equipment and talents, NPCs were much stronger than ordinary yers at the same level, let alone important figures in the main storyline. They were beyond the resistance of even professional yers.


    Often, a storyline boss required a massive number of yers to sacrifice themselves to push through, being killed over and over again.


    So, in the end, there weren''t many yers who couldplete this task and receive rewards. However, many yers still enjoyed it, to the point where the NPCs who were more likely to trigger such tasks would avoid yers altogether.


    You walk along the road peacefully, and suddenly, someone dressed oddly jumps out, shouting "You scoundrel" and challenging you to a duel.


    Encountering this kind of lunatic hundreds of times a day would drive anyone crazy.


    After some thought, William dispelled the idea of finding someone else to trigger the limited challenge task. Firstly, his own strength was still insufficient, and defeating Dison was partly due to luck; he still needed to continue working hard.


    He could also have Welf and the others cooperate with him, but firstly, the chance of triggering such tasks was rtively low, and secondly, if he went too easy on them, the task rewards would decrease significantly.


    If he hadn''tpleted the hidden judgment this time, the rewards wouldn''t have been so generous.


    William estimated that if he had won against Welf by cheating, the system would have thrown him a few coins as a reward.


    Shaking his head to dispel these thoughts, William began to happily inventory the generous rewards from the task.


    "330,000 experience points, that''s amazing! I could level up by about two levels with that."


    "100 gold coins, if it were back when the server first opened, that would indeed be a lot, but now, as a nobleman, I already have plenty!"


    "Now, for the main event!" William rubbed his hands together eagerly and opened the detailed information on the specialties and skills he had acquired.


    [Fearless Challenger]¡ª Reduces damage received from being suppressed by ranks by 30% and has a chance to resist negative effects such as fear, stun, silence, confusion, charm, etc.


    [Low-Level Resilient Body]¡ª Increases HP by 10%, enhances recovery speed from light injuries, and slightly improves one''s resilience and elemental resistance.


    [Martial Technique: Furious sh]¡ª Intermediate warrior skill. Deals (30% of own lost HP + 200% * Strength attribute) theoretical damage to enemies, with a certain chance to stun. Cooldown: 10 minutes.


    "I won''t bother looking at Martial Technique: Furious sh for now. I don''t have enough experience points to upgrade this skill anyway, and the chance of triggering the stun effect at a low level is too low."


    "Fearless Challenger" is a very useful specialty, obtainable by every yer the first time they challenge an opponent of higher rank. The chance to resist negative effects coulde in handy during battles.


    "Low-Level Resilient Body" is a passive specialty that directly enhances one''s tanking ability. Warrior yers be top-tier tanks who can take a beating without breaking after acquiring numerous simr passive specialties, so the more, the merrier.


    Both "Low-Level Resilient Body" and "Martial Technique: Furious sh" should have been obtained from Dison. Thinking about this, William couldn''t help but look at Welf eagerly.


    If something this good could be obtained from a Silver Warrior like Dison, then what treasures could be obtained from a Golden Warrior like Welf?


    William nodded, silently marking down Welf''s name in his mental checklist of challenges.


    As Welf helped Dison up, he felt a chill in his heart and looked around, feeling as if he were being watched by something dirty.


    Seeing Dison struggling to clean the ck oily substance off his body, William suddenly felt that there might be more potential for the Grease Spell. It was so effective at nauseating people; it might be worth studying further when he had the time.


    Seeing that Dison might take some time to clean himself up and Bill still hadn''t recovered from the shock earlier, Welf, standing beside William, picked up his sword and stood in front of William, ready toplete the training task afterward.


    He couldn''t afford to be negligent now. Even though William seemed a bit tired, Welf didn''t dare to suggest ending the training prematurely without William''s instruction.


    It''s all because of this guy!


    Welf nced disdainfully at Bill, who was cowering on the side.


    I should really train this guy more. I''ve been too lenient with him before. How can I be a good protector for Lord William like this?


    Welf thought to himself earnestly.


    However, William didn''t intend to continue training. After calling out to Welf and the others, he prepared to rest and return to the Fis Royal Academy of Magic tomorrow. There was no need to overexert himself today.

 Chapter 17: Oh, This Familiar Routine?

    <h4>Chapter 17: Oh, This Familiar Routine?</h4>


    Chapter 17: Oh, This Familiar Routine?


    The next day, at the entrance of the Fis Royal Academy of Magic,


    William slowly stepped down from the carriage, dressed a bit more formally since it had been some time since hest visited the academy.


    He wore a formal ck mage robe, held a magic staff in his right hand, and neatly adorned himself with a jewels and a concentration ring.


    Welf, on the other hand, wore a silver-white warrior armor, his muscr figure and the golden emblem worn on his chest indicating his status as a powerful Golden Warrior.


    Today, Welf had volunteered to apany William to the academy, iming that William hadn''t been back to school for a long time, so he wanted to help out.


    William didn''t see the necessity for this himself; he wasn''t the type to seek attention. However, seeing Welf so eager, he didn''t refuse either.


    Having spent seven or eight years at the academy, William was naturally familiar with every corner of the school. He led Welf towards the direction of the Fifth Magic Workshop.


    Looking at the academy''s mismatched bronze gates and mottled dark blue brick walls, one could feel the sense of history permeating the air.


    It was said that the history of the Fis Royal Academy of Magic could even be traced back to before the establishment of the Fis Kingdom, only changing its name when the new royal family took over.


    Anyone who came here had to get off their carriages and walk into the academy, even the king was no exception.


    The reason for this rule was set by the academy''s principal.


    That legendary mage at the top of the entire continent¡ªFran Stephens, also known as the "me of Judgment."


    However, this legendary figure was often away, traveling the stars to study the mysteries of magic. In the years since William enrolled, he hadn''t even heard any news of Fran''s appearance.


    It could be said that in the past twenty years, no student from any magic academy had imed to have seen him.


    William, having witnessed legendary powerhouses in his past life, knew that each legendary figure was like a walking disaster, capable of shaking mountains. This was especially true for legendary warriors who could move mountains. Not to mention those legendary mages who mastered super-circle spells and forbidden magic.


    However, as a result, there was an unwritten agreement among legendary powerhouses: they didn''t participate in inter-country wars and didn''t engage inrge-scale ughter of living beings.


    The legendary realm was still far away from him!


    But, in this life, with the talent of the "Jack of All Trades," William was confident in climbing to that legendary realm. {A/N: I will change the name ''adapter'' to ''Jack OF All Trades''. I will make necessary changes in previous chapters.}


    As William pondered, an untimely voice suddenly interrupted his thoughts.


    "Isn''t this our noble homebody, Lord William Kane? Howe you''re willing toe out from your home today?"


    This slightly grating voice made William curious, and he looked towards the direction where the voice came from.


    What the heck? Was this some kind of pre-set scenario for showing off and getting pped in the face?


    There were five or six people in mage robes standing on the side, about the same age as William, who seemed to be passing by.


    William didn''t answer but instead carefully scrutinized them. They seemed somewhat familiar, wearing an arrogant expression on their faces, but their mage robes looked wrinkled and faded.


    Seeing William''s puzzled expression, the freckled young man who had made the sarcasticment couldn''t hold back his irritation and said bitterly:


    "Indeed, our noble Lord has quite the memory, can''t even remember his ssmates?"


    The others standing around him seemed to share his sentiment, all casting hostile nces at William.


    William once again carefully looked at them, sifting through the memories he had already discarded.


    "Oh~ Aren''t these the members of the Mutual Assistance Society? What''s up? Do you need something from me?" William squinted, looking at them with a gaze reserved for clowns.


    He remembered now. These were his ssmates from the same year, although they came frommoner backgrounds, their magical talents were decent enough to pass the entrance test.


    After enrolling, they started forming cliques, iming that even though they were nobles, they still had to fight for resources with them, disying a considerable degree of hostility towards William and Mora.


    The original owner of this body had always been immersed in studying magic and hadn''t paid much attention to them. Even though they had been hostile towards him, they had never been so confrontational in his presence before.


    "Hmm, I remember now. What do you want?" William smiled at the group,pletely unfazed, not taking their bait like a little troublemaker.


    "Erm," the freckled leader named Jonny, who had intended to provoke William to arouse his anger and achieve his goal, had been waiting with the others on this unavoidable route for quite some time, only to find out that William didn''t take the bait at all.


    "If you have nothing to say, I''ll be on my way to the Fifth Magic Workshop," William said, noticing the group''s bewilderment and finding it somewhat amusing. It seemed they hade specifically to find him, so he pretended to leave.


    Seeing William about to leave, the group became anxious. If they let William go directly to the magic workshop, wouldn''t all their efforts over the past few days be in vain?


    Jonny directly blocked William''s path, abandoning any pretense and said:


    "You can''t leave. Today, you must give up your assistant qualification for the workshop. That was originally intended for Camus."


    "Assistant qualification? Is that why you wrote to me toe to the Fifth Magic Workshop?" William pondered silently but maintained hisposure as he asked, "Oh? Why should I give it up? Tell me."


    "That was meant for Camus. Camus is so outstanding, but he''s been rejected so many times in his applications. Why should you be chosen instead?" Jonny hurriedly said.


    "Besides, even if you have that qualification, it''s useless for you. Despite spending so many resources, you''re still stuck at the same level, a mediocre student." Jonny added.


    "Why should I give it to you instead of Camus? It''s my business if I want to waste resources." William said calmly, not affected by Jonny''s words.


    "I don''t want to waste time talking with you. Dare to have a mage duel with me? The stakes will be the assistant qualification." Jonny proposed.


    William couldn''t help but smile at the person in front of him who was staring at him intently. He was indeed a small mage who had lived in an ivory tower all his life. Why was he so childish?


    "I''m curious. Why do you think I would duel with you?" William asked.


    "Don''t you have even a shred of noble honor?" Jonny felt that something was wrong. This guy, William, seemed different from before. Although he used to be a loner, he never refused a mage duel. He was always enthusiastic about anything rted to magic.


    But the William in front of him now seemed like apletely different person. The way he looked at him, as if watching a monkey show, made Jonny extremely ufortable.


    William yawned, "Sure, a duel is fine. What price are you willing to pay if you lose?"


    After thinking for a moment, Jonny replied, "If you win, then all of us will steer clear of you in the future."


    Was he kidding me?


    William chuckled and was about to leave, thinking, Why waste time here with you?


    Seeing this, Jonny quickly stopped William. It seemed he had to bring out the big guns to get William to agree to the mage duel. He couldn''t believe that he couldn''t defeat William, who had spent a huge amount of resources and was still stuck at the intermediate level of bronze mage.


    Gritting his teeth, Jonny pulled out from his mage robe...

 Chapter 18: Na?ve, Isn’t It?

    <h4>Chapter 18: Na?ve, Isn''t It?</h4>


    Chapter 18: Na?ve, Isn''t It?


    Jonny pulled out a crystal-clear gem emitting a faint crimson glow from his mage robe, as if one could faintly see the fiery essence swirling within it, and said:


    "So, how about we use this Fire Element Gemstone as the stake for our duel?"


    William nced at the gem in Jonny''s hand and then back at him, calmly saying:


    "Since you want to give me a gift, I naturally won''t refuse."


    "Great!" Jonny eximed excitedly as William finally agreed. "Then let''s go to the training ground."


    "No need, let''s just do it here. After all, it''ll be over quickly," William casually waved his hand, indicating that they could proceed right there.


    Jonny didn''t mind, so he agreed.


    Passersby noticed that a duel seemed about to take ce here and started gathering around. Most of them were academy mage students, confident that they wouldn''t be affected by the battle''s aftermath. They formed a circle, leaving the center for the two duelists.


    "You''re so stubborn. Just hand over the qualification and be done with it," Jonny said confidently, taking his staff from a friend nearby, as he didn''t have precious equipment like a storage ring.


    "Haha." William was in a good mood, evenughing as he performed the mage duel gesture towards Jonny.


    "Just wait, you won''t beughing soon!" Jonny controlled his mana, proficiently chanting the spell, and the fire element began to gather in front of him. It seemed he was about to cast the second-tier spell, ze Torrent.


    However, much to the surprise of the onlookers, William didn''t make any casting movements. Instead, he stood still, waiting for Jonny to finish casting the spell.


    A torrent of zing mes surged towards William, but he remained unmoved.


    Just as the mes were about to engulf William, a figure suddenly shed, and the mes were extinguished. The dispersed heat dissipated into the air.


    It was clear to everyone that it was William''s bodyguard, Welf, who had stood in front of William. The residual heat on his armor indicated that he had extinguished Jonny''s spell.


    Although the bystanders didn''t recognize Welf, his actions and the golden badge on his chest indicated his identity.


    A Golden Warrior!


    Jonny realized that the person who had been following William from the beginning was his bodyguard. It was only now that he realized that this person was already a top-tier warrior in the warrior profession.


    Although not standing at the peak of the continent like legendary warriors, it was effortless for him to deal with a junior mage like himself.


    Jonny quickly took a few steps back, nervously looking at Welf. He then turned slightly to William and shouted:


    "William, what do you mean? Why did your bodyguard interfere in the duel? Are you trying to cheat?"


    "Of course not. I''m aw-abiding citizen who keeps his promises," William shook his head, looking at Jonny with amusement.


    "But you may have, perhaps, seemingly, forgotten my identity."


    "Your identity?!" Jonny seemed to have realized something, his face suddenly stiffening, unable to say anything.


    But at this moment, the spectators around them had already exined the reason: "Isn''t William a court viscount? I remember that the royal family has regtions stating that, unless otherwise restricted in advance, individuals with noble titles can have their bodyguards participate in duels!"


    "Yes, it''s recorded in the kingdom''sws, so I haven''t vited any rules, right?" William smiled at Jonny, but in Jonny''s eyes, William''s smile seemed like that of a demon, mocking his ignorance.


    In fact, this rule was a special loophole reserved for nobles. After all, even noble enthusiasts who were keen on honor duels rarely wanted to personally risk their lives in battle. In most cases, they would have their family-trained bodyguards fight on their behalf.


    Jonny regretted deeply. He was inclined to admit defeat, but the thought of losing the Fire Element Gemstone made his heart ache unbearably. After all, this gem was borrowed from his big brother, Camus, just to facilitate this duel. Did he have to watch William take it away from him?


    But he couldn''t see even the slightest possibility of defeating Welf!


    "William, you coward, can you only let your bodyguard fight for you? Do you dare to face me alone?" Jonny attempted to provoke William with his words, hoping to get a chance for a one-on-one fight.


    William didn''t even bother to respond. Although he could easily defeat Jonny himself, why should he bother when Welf was already handling it?


    As for the insults, William just regarded them as the futile rage of a loser. Compared to the offensive remarks of inte trolls in his previous life, these were nothing but kindergarten-level insults. He didn''t even have the energy to retaliate, feeling it beneath him.


    "Welf, deal with him and get the stake back," William ordered.


    "Yes, young master." Welf, feeling somewhat speechless, couldn''t understand what these people were thinking. His young master was such a outstanding genius; how could they dare to challenge him?


    Welf, having forgotten about his recent act of eavesdropping, acted promptly. With a swift movement, he appeared in front of Jonny and delivered a kick.


    "Ugh!"


    Jonny copsed to the ground, clutching his stomach in agony.


    Welf retrieved the Fire Element Gemstone from Jonny''s chest, casually delivering a heavy p to Jonny''s face as he did so.


    As soon as Welf returned to William''s side, Jonny''spanions dared to approach and check on him.


    "Treating moderate injuries!"


    Suddenly, a person wearing a ck mage robe stepped forward from the crowd. A healing spell was cast on Jonny, and hisplexion improved slightly. Turning to William, he said:


    "Viscount Cain, aren''t you going too far? Why did you resort to such violence?"


    "Oh? And who are you?" William tilted his head, examining the person in front of him. This person didn''te with Jonny to confront him. He appeared somewhat handsome, with a smile on his face, but there was a hint of darkness in his eyes.


    "I am Camus. Viscount Cain, do you not intend to give me an exnation?" Camus answered. This Camus was the leader of Jonny''s group, considered outstanding within the entire academy, and admired by many instructors.


    "What are you, and why should I exin to you?" William looked at Camus without any courtesy.


    "This is the Royal Academy of Magic. By letting your bodyguard intervene so violently, are you trying to kill your ssmates?"


    "What''s wrong? Are you using me now?" William retorted firmly.


    "Firstly, this is a duel, and I haven''t vited any rules. Secondly, injuries are unavoidable in a duel. This is just a lesson. Do you think a Golden Warrior can''t control the force of his attacks and might kill someone identally? Thirdly!" William squinted at Camus, staring directly at him. "You hid to the side at the start of the duel, only toe out and pontificate when your own man lost. Do you think I didn''t notice? Are you looking for trouble?"

 Chapter 19: The Machinations of the Puppeteer?

    <h4>Chapter 19: The Machinations of the Puppeteer?</h4>


    Chapter 19: The Machinations of the Puppeteer?


    "You..." Camus wore a gloomy expression, utterly caught off guard by William''s straightforward response, leaving him no room to maneuver.


    Camus reluctantly pondered the situation. Under the suppression of Welf, the Golden Warrior, he had no chance of turning things around.


    He could only pretend to care about Jonny''s injuries and, together with the others, carried Jonny towards the academy infirmary.


    Before leaving, he cast a regretful nce at the Fire Element Gemstone that William was toying with. Seeing William unting it, Camus gritted his teeth and left without uttering a word.


    William didn''t stop him, merely watching them leave quietly, seemingly lost in thought.


    The onlookers, disappointed by the anticlimactic end of the spectacle, gradually dispersed.


    Seeing Camus and the others disappearing from view, William continued on his way to the Fifth Magic Workshop with Welf. It was gettingte.


    "Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!"


    Finding an excuse to leave the crowd, Camus returned to his dormitory at the academy. As an outstanding student, he had been assigned a single-person dormitory, safe from unexpected intrusions.


    The smile that Camus had maintained outside finally vanished as he angrily swept everything off the table, causing a loud tter. His face darkened with an intimidating expression.


    After venting his frustration, Camus finally calmed down and began contemting the consequences of his failed probe.


    The covert maniption of Jonny and hispanions should not have been discovered, but what should he do now that the mission had failed? There might not be another opportunity like this in the future.


    As for the assistant qualification, Camus couldn''t care less!


    He had secretly learned that William had been invited to the Fifth Magic Workshop today and had deliberately arranged for Jonny and the others to ''identally'' encounter him.


    Originally, ording to the n, Jonny, as a Bronze Advanced Mage, was supposed to probe William''s strength and any hidden cards, and it wouldn''t matter if he lost. It was just a normal magical duel, and even if the academy found out, it wouldn''t matter.


    But who knew that William wouldn''t y by the rules at all!


    That shouldn''t be the case. In Camus''s impression, William was a silent person who only cared about magical research. He had never acted like a noble viscount.


    After not seeing him for a while, why did it suddenly seem like he had changed?


    This is troublesome!


    The master wants me to probe William''s current strength and any protective measures he might have, but if he won''t even participate in a magical duel, what can I do?


    Camus pondered. Although he didn''t understand why the master wanted him to do this, William was just a junior mage, and the only thing that might be of interest was his noble viscount status.


    Camus was confident that he could surpass William with the same conditions.


    With the master''s noble status, he shouldn''t care about such an ordinary noble like William.


    And to probe William''s protective measures?


    Could it be...


    Camus suddenly shivered and stopped his dangerous thoughts.


    What the master arranges for me to do, the upper echelons'' machinations are not something a small fry like me can participate in.


    ''I''m just one of the hands secretly cultivated by the master. If it weren''t for this task, I wouldn''t even have had the chance to meet the master.''


    Thinking of this, Camus remembered the Fire Element Gemstone bestowed upon him by the master, and a pang of heartache pierced his heart.


    Originally, this precious magical gemstone was intended for this mission. If he had sessfullypleted the task, it would have been his.


    But now, not only had the mission failed, but even the gemstone had been snatched away by that despicable guy, William!


    If things didn''t work out, he would have to do that!


    Camus thought bitterly, revealing a hint of madness in his darkened expression.


    ---


    Welf followed behind William, carrying his sword, as they walked along the quiet academy avenue.


    Despite admonishing those people and obtaining a valuable high-level magic gemstone, shouldn''t Master William be happy? Why did he look so grave?


    Welf was puzzled, unaware of what was going through William''s mind.


    William, however, paid no attention to Welf beside him, twirling the Fire Element Gemstone he had just acquired in his hand, his mind still contemting the events that had just transpired.


    That Camus had a problem!


    He received an invitation to return to the Fis Royal Academy of Magic today, and these few people ''happened'' to encounter him, ''spontaneously'' decided to duel with him, and even brought out a highly valuable high-level magic gemstone!


    For reference, the emerald gemstone embedded in the staff he used was only worth as much as this Fire Element Gemstone, which was already worth over ten thousand gold coins.


    These few people, without background or umtion, he didn''t believe they coulde up with such a treasure on their own.


    Could it be that the Lord of Dawn sent someone specifically to give him treasures?


    Really? I don''t believe it!


    William didn''t think of himself as someone who could attract treasures even when sleeping at home.


    So those people must have a problem! And their leader, Camus, is the most suspicious one.


    Then why did they challenge me to a duel? It''s definitely not about that so-called assistant qualification.


    The opportunity to study at the Fis Royal Academy of Magic''s Fifth Magic Workshop is rare, but for amoner to openly challenge a noble viscount for it is just ridiculous.


    Especially that Camus! The fact that he could walk away when faced with my rebuttal proves that he''s not the kind of person who would recklessly challenge a noble just for a qualification, right?


    So since it''s not for the qualification, and I have no other connection with them, then their goal is the duel itself! For the sake of fighting me? To test me, to figure out my strengths and weaknesses?


    As William pieced together what had just happened, he increasingly felt that this incident was not as simple as it seemed, especially considering the impending assassination attempt he knew he would face in three months.


    Perhaps this is just a test by the puppeteer behind the scenes?


    William suddenly smiled confidently. If that''s the case, then great! He wasn''t afraid of being tested, but rather feared that his opponent would remain hidden, without revealing any weaknesses.


    As long as their ultimate goal is still to assassinate him at the Annual Holy Festival, they definitely wouldn''t arrange for high-level professionals to deal with him in advance, so as not to alert him.


    Or rather, they would definitely ensure that nothing happens to him before the Feast of the Saints!


    Knowing the future storyline gave him the greatest advantage!


    After rifying his thoughts, William nced at Welf, the Golden Warrior, beside him, feeling a sense of security. He solemnly said to him: "Welf, my safety will depend on you from now on. Keep up the good work!"


    Welf looked at William, who suddenly turned around and spoke to him, with a few question marks seemingly popping up on his not-so-intelligent head.


    What''s wrong with the young master? Has he developed paranoia? Of course, he couldn''t say such things. Welf just nodded calmly, giving William a look that said "You can trust me."


    Protecting the young master was, of course, a given. Welf couldn''t imagine how Joyce, the steward, would "take care" of him if something happened to William.


    Just thinking about it gave Welf chills, but his gaze became even more determined.


    William looked strangely at the captain of his guard who suddenly spoke to him out of nowhere, wondering why this guy''s expression changed three times in response to just one sentence from him?


    But William soon had no time to idle with Welf.


    Because ahead of him was the Fifth Magic Workshop of the academy.


    The workshop resembled a mage tower in structure, or rather, in a sense, the Fifth Magic Workshop of the Fis Royal Academy of Magic was a "public" mage tower, passed down among the academy''s mages.


    The deep ck walls were reinforced with multiple magical runes, impervious even to cannon fire.


    The multiyered tower seemed to radiate a silvery-white light, and to ensure the stability of the research environment inside, there were almost no windows on the entire tower.


    Especially without a sign saying "Such-and-such Magic Workshop," if William hadn''t been attending the school for several years, he wouldn''t have recognized this as one of the core magic workshops of the kingdom, the Fifth Magic Workshop of the Fis Royal Academy of Magic.


    Before William could even reach the door, the heavy walls opened like automatic doors, and a clear and familiar voice sounded in his ears: "William, why are you so slow to arrive?"

 Chapter 20: Bernie and the Fifth Magic Workshop

    <h4>Chapter 20: Bernie and the Fifth Magic Workshop</h4>


    Chapter 20: Bernie and the Fifth Magic Workshop


    "William, why are you so slow to arrive?"


    Upon hearing the voice, William immediately knew who it was.


    Out of the workshop''s open door stepped a handsome young man with a mild expression, his brown, slightly curly hair framing his face.


    "Long time no see, Bernie. Had some things to deal with on the way, just resolved them," William shrugged.


    "Who dared to bother you?" Bernie frowned, puzzled. In his view, William, being so low-key and holding a noble title, why would anyone be so foolish?


    "It''s nothing, but since you''re here waiting for me, does that mean the invitation I received is rted to you?" William didn''t mention Camus and the others, waiting to see their next move.


    Seeing William''s reluctance to talk, Bernie didn''t press further, just keeping it in mind.


    "Guessed it?" Bernie smiled. "I''ve been studying under Master Dahrtely, and he finally managed to secure the usage rights for the Fifth Magic Workshop of the academy. They needed someone, so I mentioned it to him."


    Bernie made it sound easy, but the opportunity to study at the Fifth Magic Workshop was extremely rare, especially for ordinary students. It might be their only chance to ess top-tier magic instruction.


    Ranked among the top five in the Fis Royal Academy of Magic, the Fifth Magic Workshop was, in a sense, among the top five in the entire kingdom. Just knowing that the Royal Mage Corps usually stationed at the academy, led by the legendary mage "mes of Judgment" Franz Stefins, showed how strong the academy was.


    So Bernie did indeed secure a precious opportunity for himself, but William wasn''t too sentimental about it. While it might be very valuable to others, it wasn''t such a big deal for Bernie.


    If Camus, who had previously caused trouble for him, ranked in the top ten among his peers, then Bernie was a genius who ranked in the top three among all students in the academy over the past ten years.


    As the proud disciple of the runemaster Josef Dahr, Bernie had long since advanced to be an intermediate mage. His talent in runecraft had amazed everyone, and at a young age, he had already be an intermediate runemaster.


    Despite being born into amoner family, Bernie showed no self-pity or envy towards others upon entering the academy. Instead, he achieved promotion and progress through his own efforts, all the way to where he was now.


    What puzzled others in the academy was the close rtionship between Bernie Bevan, amoner, Morra Carl, the second son of the Golden Vine Flower Guild, and William Cain, a viscount with a royal title. From the time they entered the academy, the three of them had be like long-lost brothers reunited, their bond unbreakable.


    If it weren''t for Morra''s desire to pursue business rather than continue studying magic, Bernie probably would have fought for him to have a chance to study at the Fifth Magic Workshop too.


    William was naturally the same. In his memory, he had provided Bernie with various precious resources in the past, and even Bernie could freely enter and use his undergroundboratory, which was off-limits to outsiders.


    So naturally, William wouldn''t say any words of thanks this time either.


    "Where''s Master Dahr?" William followed Bernie into the magic workshop, and the walls closed behind him, making it impossible to tell that this was the entrance and exit of the workshop.


    "After all, the Fifth Magic Workshop has just been secured by the master, and there''s a lot of preparation work to be done," Bernie pointed to the variousrge and small boxes ced around the walls nearby.


    "The master has just finished debugging the workshop''s magic intelligent life form. I reckon he''s now applying for various resources from the academy."


    "Oh right." Bernie''s magic light shed, and a slightly cold female voice sounded.


    "Mr. Bernie, is there anything I can assist you with?"


    "This is William Cain. He''s a new assistant. Record his information."


    "Yes, Mr. Bernie." With the voice gone, a white light scanned William''s entire body from an unknown location.


    "Personnel information recorded. Wee, Mr. William. You have level-three ess to the Fifth Magic Workshop."


    "In my previous life, although William had encountered many magical intelligent beings in the game, this is still the first time in this world, and it''s quite intriguing," William thought to himself.


    "This is the magical intelligent being of the Fifth Magic Workshop. The teacher hasn''t had a chance to name it yet. With your ess, you''ll be able toe and go freely, but there are still some important areas like the teacher''sb and storage rooms that you won''t be able to enter," Bernie exined as he led William around the workshop.


    The interior of the workshop was even more bustling than the exterior. While there weren''t many decorations, the floor was adorned with elegant Fis carpets. The dark grey walls were adorned with magical runes that emitted a dreamy glow, giving the space a simple yet majestic atmosphere.


    With the intelligent being in ce, Bernie didn''t have to worry about cleaning and maintenance tasks. They could be easily aplished with pre-set cleaning spells.


    The first and second floors consisted of public rest areas and some ordinarybs, while the third floor housedrgebs with precious equipment already installed.


    "The third floor is intended to be a runecraft researchb. The fourth floor and above are reserved for the teacher''s exclusivebs and lounges. Normally, I don''t go up there casually," Bernie pointed to the ceiling. "But I''m mainly responsible for this third-floorb. If you''re interested, you can join me in researching magic here."


    As William carefully surveyed the area, he noticed that even the second-floorbs wereparable to the ones he had set up with most of the Cain family''s savings in their mansion. And the third-floorb, with its clearly more advanced equipment, was even more impressive.


    For example, the elemental stabilizer on William''s left was two sizesrger than his own and should be capable of stabilizing elemental effects for advanced spells.


    As for the runic engraver on the other side, William couldn''t help but feel something was off. The silver-white material on the apanying engraving pen... could it be mithril?


    Seeing William''s curiosity about the runic engraver equipment, Bernie exined, "This set of engravers isn''t from theb. It was previously used by Master Dahr himself, but he''s nning to get a better one from the academy, so he gave this one to me."


    William was a bit speechless. "Why is Dahr so good to you? He''s willing to let you use such expensive equipment?"


    After all, Josef Dahr was one of the top three advanced runemasters in the Fis Kingdom. The runic engraving equipment he had used before must have been extremely valuable, yet he just gave it to Bernie. It seemed like he truly regarded Bernie as his sessor.


    "That''s just how the teacher looks after me," Bernie nodded, feeling grateful. "Recently, I''ve been helping the teacher organize the workshop and pack things up. I even missed Morra''s birthday party, which is a shame."


    "Don''t worry about it. Morra wouldn''t mind," William reassured him.


    "I see yourb here is almost ready. What are you currently researching? Is there anything I can help with?"


    "Oh, I''ve been studying and researching enchantment solidification work. There''s been some progress."

 Chapter 21: Civil Enchantment Products Plan

    <h4>Chapter 21: Civil Enchantment Products n</h4>


    Chapter 21: Civil Enchantment Products n


    "Rune research?" William was indeed quite interested, mainly because of his experiences from his previous life, which made him aware of the importance of rune research.


    Runes,posed of special characters imbued with power, are the essential carriers of magic. They mainly have two different application directions.


    Firstly, they form the basis for constructing spell models, serving as the key to harnessing and transforming various elemental powers. Except for very few exceptions, most mages begin learning spells by mastering the runes of spell models.


    The other well-known aspect of rune research is using engraving to imbue magical power into rted objects, such as weapons and armor. This process also has a unique term: ''enchantment.''


    The end products are widely known as rune cannons, enchanted weapons, magic stonemps, and so on.


    Josef Dahr, the strongest rune master in Fis City, primarily focuses on rune engraving and item enchantment.


    His disciple, Bernie, also focuses on this aspect.


    "I remember you were researching civilian enchantments before?" William asked while studying the use of the advanced rune recorder.


    "Yes, my mentor suggested I mainly start from this aspect toy the foundation for future in-depth research," Bernie replied while guiding William on how to use the advanced rune recorder.


    "I''ve just be an intermediate rune master. I don''t have enough knowledge and strength to delve into advanced weapon and armor enchantments yet. Recently, civilian rune products have been developing rapidly. New products like magic stonemps and runemunication devices represent the potential in this area," Bernie exined. "So, how about it? Do you want to research civilian enchantment products with me?"


    William nodded and said, "Sure, I wouldn''t miss this opportunity."


    Although his current priority was to increase his strength and uncover the truth behind the assassination at the Sacrificial Saint Festival, the opportunity provided by the Fifth Rune Workshop was also crucial for his future ns, especially in the field of civilian enchantment products.


    Because of the differences in this world, in his previous life, yers attempted to replicate modern technological products in the game world, but all of them failed. This world does not support the emergence of technology.


    However, due to the idental discovery of a few yers, simr products to some modern technological effects were achieved through the power of runes, such as magic air conditioners and magic cars.


    That yer immediately organized manpower to produce and manufacture rted products on arge scale, nning to expand production. However, various forces quickly targeted him, leading to suppression and sanctions. In the end, he had to choose to join the Church of Wealth and be one of its subordinate forces to survive.


    William was very clear about the entire process of this incident, as he was one of the participants at the time. Naturally, he also held the secrets of runes.


    This means that William could reproduce a series of products from his previous life now, earning huge profits.


    However, William didn''t n to do so. After all, he was just a court viscount, and he didn''t think he could hold on to such huge profits alone.


    Therefore, Josef Dahr and Bernie, as well as the subsequent Fis Royal Rune Academy and Royal Rune Corps, were crucial to his ns.


    The surprise he mentioned to Mora was also rted to this matter. After all, the sales channels of the Golden Vine Flower Merchants'' Guild were also essential.


    There was no hurry; he needed to n carefully. He didn''t have enough energy to invest in civilian enchantment products yet, and his strength was stillcking.


    Silently nning, Bernie, noticing William''s sudden distraction, asked curiously, "What''s wrong? Is this instrument difficult to use?"


    "Oh, no. I just remembered something else," William replied casually. "I noticed that theboratory is stillcking many things. Hasn''t the rune workshop officially started yet?"


    "That''s right," Bernie sighed. "I''ve been busy with this recently. It''ll probably be more than a month before we can officially start our research work. Mentor has many ideas."


    ncing at William, he continued, "So, there''s nothing urgent for you to do here today; I just wanted you to get familiar with the ce. You cane over when we officially start our research."


    "Okay, I''ve been quite busytely, too," William nodded. Being able to conduct experiments and arcane research here would be convenient. After all, both the elemental concentration and magical materials here were unmatched by his own research room.


    Not shying away from Bernie''s offer, William understood that Bernie was, in a sense, the second-inmand of the Fifth Rune Workshop.


    Bernie took William around the entire workshop, allowing him to familiarize himself with the surroundings, before seeing him off at the door.


    "That''s it then. I still have a lot of things to do, so I won''t apany you. I''ll notify you when the workshop is ready," Bernie said to William.


    "Understood." William waved his hand. There was no need for too many pleasantries between them. He directly left with Welf, who had been waiting outside the door.


    "Young master, where are we going now? Back home?" Welf asked as they boarded the carriage and he closed the door.


    William thought for a moment and said, "Let''s go to Bell Street and practice a bit more."


    "Okay." Welf knocked on the carriage door, instructed the coachman named Ben to proceed, then turned back and sat down.


    "Young Master William, your mastery of other weapons has been improving rapidlytely. Is there anything else you want to learn?" Welf asked.


    William calcted that he had reached intermediate proficiency levels in single-handed swords, two-handed swords, shields, spears, and knives. Additionally, he was about to break through to advanced proficiency in staffs. Considering that he could still learn bows, axes, and hammers from the guards, he was only missing one intermediate proficiency level weapon to achieve the "Mastery of Arms" skill.


    Unfortunately, there were no assassins among his guards, so he couldn''t learn daggers from them. It seemed that he would have to find another way to learn the final weapon.


    Hiring someone to teach him at home was not a good idea as he might still be under surveince by the hidden hand. He trusted his guards not to gossip about their noble employer, but hiring someone from outside posed certain risks.


    Therefore, learning incognito seemed to be the best solution.


    With this n in mind, William said to Welf, "Let''s continue practicing for now. I''m interested in learning archery, axes, and hammers. Arrange it ordingly."


    "I understand, Young Master William." Welf, having experienced that incident, wasn''t surprised at all why William wanted to learn these weapons. He didn''t want to delve into it either; he just wanted to fulfill William''s tasks well.


    After all, after finally breaking through to be a Gold-tier Warrior, he didn''t want to meet an untimely end too soon.

 Chapter 22: Conclusion of Phase Training

    <h4>Chapter 22: Conclusion of Phase Training</h4>


    Chapter 22: Conclusion of Phase Exercise


    About a week had passed since returning from the Fis Royal School of Magic.


    During this time, William had been quite upied. During the day, he continued practicing weapons with Welf and the others, picking up useful martial skills along the way. At night, he would immerse himself in theboratory, often staying until the early hours.


    William''s hard work didn''t go unrewarded. His progress in weapon training elerated, almost reaching intermediate proficiency for all the weapons in his n. He also umted a slew of rted martial techniques.


    There were advancements in his new magic studies as well. William had developed two new spells: "Fueling Spell," derived from the first-tier spell "Grease Spell," and "Slowdown ray," a modification of the third-tier spell "Aging Ray"."


    The "Fueling Spell" enhanced the viscosity andbustibility of the generated grease, particrly effective whenbined with William''s preferred fire spells. As for the "Senescence Ray," it unexpectedly emerged during William''s spell modeling experiments. Originally meant to enhance the weakening effects of the "Enfeeblement Ray," it instead reduced the physical strength of targets upon hit.


    Through several tests, William found that the spell effectively weakened enemy agility, strength, and resilience by around 30%. Though resistances could mitigate this effect, it remained a potent means of restraint, earning it the name "Senescence Ray" due to its resemnce to rapid aging upon impact.


    While these effects were temporary, they were enough to frighten Bill, William''s experimental subject, who believed William had acquired the ability to shorten his lifespan. William found Bill''s reaction both amusing and exasperating.


    Despite these sessful spell improvements, William didn''t pause his efforts. For a mage, having an extensive spell repertoire was akin to holding a trump card for any situation.


    He still had a long way to go!


    Since his arcane subsystem seemed to have evolved into an ability to assist in fine-tuning spell models without the need to spend experience points as in his previous life, William was determined to make the most of his time!


    As time passed, William''s weapon training n neared itspletion.


    With all ten shots hitting the bullseye at fifty meters, the system prompt came as expected:


    "[99% 100%!]"


    "Your proficiency in archery has reached intermediate level."


    "[Intermediate Archery Mastery]: You have mastered the basic skills of archery, increasing the power of your arrows moderately when using a bow."


    Putting down his bow, William sighed in relief. It was finally done; all the sweat shed during this time had not been in vain!


    Now, only one intermediate weapon proficiency remained before he could obtain the "Master of All Weapons" title!


    Moreover, with the battles during this period, William had seamlessly integrated thebat experience and techniques from his previous life''s gaming memories, eliminating any remaining awkwardness. He felt perfectly rounded, capable of decisively defeating Dison without holding back.


    "Young Master, well done!" Bill hurried over as William set down his bow, handing him a towel he had prepared in advance,plimenting him obsequiously.


    "After just two days of practice, being able to hit the target so urately from such a distance, Master William is truly a peerless genius! I believe the next legendary warrior of the kingdom will be you, Master!"


    William took the warm towel and gave the guy a disdainful nce.


    What nonsense! How dare he boast like that? It''s so far-fetched that I don''t even believe it myself. It''s just embarrassing; I feel like punching this guy.


    "Indeed, the young master is a genius," Welf chimed in, approaching from the side with heartfelt sincerity.


    During this period of practice, Welf was not only amazed by William''s astonishing learning speed but also because, amidst their training sessions, he had sparred with William several times. Though Welf always held back his own strength, William''s spell power far exceeded that of mages at the same level, and his seasonedbat awareness made Welf feel as if he were facing a seasoned veteran mercenary.


    Normally, William hadn''t had much realbat experience, having spent most of his time studying magic at the academy and in theboratory. However, his adept and calmbat techniques, along with his unruffled battle awareness in the face of danger, couldn''t have been honed without hundreds of battles¡ªreal-life, do-or-die struggles, not just simple sparring matches.


    Welf couldn''t fathom why William was so skilled in actualbat. He could only attribute everything to the young master''s extraordinary talent.


    Handing his bow and arrows to Welf, William wiped his sweat and said, "Let''s call it a day with the training for now. Take a few days off. I have other matters to attend to."


    "Yes, Master," Welf replied, taking the bow and arrows from William and tossing them to Bill nearby. He asked, "Shall we return to the mansion now?"


    ncing at the sky, William estimated it was only around three in the afternoon. After a moment''s thought, he replied, "You all go back first. I have somewhere else to go."


    "Do you not need me to apany you?" Welf asked, slightly puzzled. After all, William had been apanied by him as a guard whenever he went out these past few days.


    "No need. You go back too. Tell Joyce he doesn''t need to prepare dinner for me," William said. He wasn''t worried about his safety; although he had been tested a few days ago, Welf had intentionally observed their surroundings during their recent outings and hadn''t detected anyone following them.


    As long as the enemy didn''t deploy high-level professionals, those tracking him wouldn''t be able to conceal their traces from Welf, a senior warrior.


    This meant that nobody would be targeting him in the near future, allowing him to n some things in peace.


    After the experience on 16th Street, William made it a point to change into ordinary clothes before each training session, ensuring he looked like an ordinary handsome guy who wouldn''t attract attention with a little disguise.


    As a mage, as long as he didn''t wear mage equipment, there was nothing particrly remarkable about William''s appearance. But it was different for Welf. With his muscr physique and the imposing aura that couldn''t be concealed by a warrior, he would be recognized at a nce, even if thrown into a crowd.


    If William wanted to do something incognito and Welf was recognized the moment they stepped out, what was the point of hiding?


    As for the other guards, it didn''t make much of a difference whether they apanied him or not. He would be morefortable on his own.


    Putting some weapons into his storage ring, William pushed open the courtyard door and walked out.


    His warehouse was in a small alley in Belle Street, surrounded by ordinary residences, rtively quiet.


    William identified the direction; his former base of operations was in the Sparkling City. He was very familiar with the city, having spent considerable time there in his past life. So, he headed towards his destination.


    Objective: The Mercenary Guild!

 Chapter 23 - 23 Mercenary Guild

    <h4>Chapter 23: Mercenary Guild</h4>


    Chapter 23 Mercenary Guild


    The Mercenary Guild is arge organization spread across all human regions of the Gaia world, surpassing the scale of civilian organizations such as the Assassin Guild and Warrior Guild.


    However, unlike other organizations, among the Mercenary Guilds of various countries, besides the consistent systems of mercenary ranking and mission grading, the other management systems vary. There is no subordination between the Mercenary Guilds of various countries; they only pledge allegiance to the rulers of their respective kingdoms.


    This is also what every ruler hopes to see because, after all, mercenaries, as arge and powerful group within the borders of a country, would make any ruler uneasy if not under their control.


    In the previous life''s game, most yers joined the Mercenary Guild as their first faction in the early stages. They gained experience, money, and other extraordinary rewards bypleting variousmissioned tasks.


    Today, William''s purpose ining to the Mercenary Guild is also simple.


    First, it''s to attain thest intermediate weapon proficiency required for his "Martial Mastery."


    Second, it''s to register as a mercenary,pletemissions, and hunt monsters to gain therge amount of experience needed for his own advancement.


    Relying solely on meditation to gain experience, breaking through to an intermediate mage before the Annual Holy Festival is not very realistic, especially considering the bottomless pit of skill level upgrades awaiting him. He must find a way to broaden the sources of his experience.


    For mercenaries in this world, the purpose ofpletingmissions is to obtain rewards, but William is different. He has the game system, which grants him corresponding experience points whilepletingmissions.


    The simplest and most direct source of experience from the game system is none other than monster hunting!


    Completing somemission tasks is just a side benefit.


    William is almost unable to contain his desire to hunt monsters with his Kirin Arm!


    The Mercenary Guild of Canlight City is not in the eastern district of the city, but in the bustling Gedo Street in the west district. After all, most mercenaries are poor people from the lower strata of society. Before bing extraordinary professionals, they can only sell their strength toplete misceneous tasks in the city.


    Moving things, cleaning, finding lost pets, and other ordinarymissions are the daily lives of most ordinary mercenaries.


    To say that these people are mercenaries is just to say that they are poor souls trying to make a living.


    As for importantmissions such as guard duty and monster clearance, only extraordinary professionals can handle them.


    William remembered that when the game first started, yers rushed through all the tasks of the Mercenary Guild like a whirlwind, even epting tasks like unclogging sewers and moving trash without discrimination.


    The yers'' enthusiasm and efficiency inpleting tasks were so high that rumors spread among the mercenaries that there was a group of tireless construct golems disguised as mercenaries.


    With their high efficiency and unending working hours, yers upied most of the ordinary mercenaries'' tasks at that time, causing dissatisfaction among many mercenaries who made a living from them and even sparking some minor conflicts.


    However, once yers umted enough experience to be professionals, such incidents ceased to ur.


    After all, when ites to grinding, grinding monsters and dungeons is obviously more attractive than grinding toilets.


    Although William''s agility attribute value has not yet been corrected numerically, it far exceeds that of an average person, and he soon arrived at Gedo Street.


    Gedo Street is famous for being adjacent to the Gedo River, which passes through the west district of Canlight City, and is thergest gathering ce for goods and personnel in the capital.


    The Mercenary Guild is located at the head of Gedo Street, in the most conspicuous five-story gray building, which is the core of the entire kingdom''s Mercenary Guild.


    Standing in front of the Mercenary Guild building, looking at the brown wooden door full of the atmosphere of the years, even though it was approaching evening, many mercenaries dressed in various ways still entered and exited in a continuous stream. William felt the blood of adventure, hardcore grinding, and money-spending boiling up again.


    Entering the door of the Mercenary Guild, on the right side of the extremely spacious hall is the ce where mercenaries rest andmunicate.


    Returning mercenaries gather here with two or three friends, sitting around round tables, drinking wheat beer, boasting, venting the fatigue of a busy day, or easing the tension that has been tight since fighting monsters.


    "Mike, stop boasting. You''re the only one who can handle Fangtooth Boars. I bet you''d be scared witless at the sound of them!"


    "Yeah, Fangtooth Boars may not be extraordinary monsters, but their strength is even stronger than the weakest magical beast, Shadow Rabbit. Those fangs, tsk tsk, would pierce you right through."


    "I heard that Tony''s ntation outside the city was destroyed by monsters. They say they''re hiring Silver-ranked mercenaries to deal with it. Any of you interested?"


    "You guys don''t know, when I was adventuring in the Western Great Desert, I chopped a ogre into pieces with just one sword. But the meat wasn''t very tasty, got stuck in my teeth! Today''s goblins are nothing! Small fry!"


    Enduring the noisy noise of the mercenaries, William squeezed to the left side of the hall. Here is where the guild posts tasks, eptsmissions, registers and reviews mercenaries.


    And there''s a bar counter nearby, probably used to collect mercenaries'' sries.


    In his past life, William had spent a lot of money here; the gaming experience was just too good. He could drink without getting drunk, giving William, who was a lightweight drinker, a chance to show off.


    "Hello, may I ask if you need to upgrade your mercenary level or register as a mercenary?" The bored girl behind the counter immediately perked up at the sight of William. After all, who doesn''t love a handsome guy?


    "Hello, help me register as a mercenary," William nodded and said.


    "Name?"


    "Moriarty."


    "Age?"


    "18."


    "upation?"


    "None."


    Registering as a mercenary was simple, but William didn''t want to reveal his identity as a mage yet. After all, he wanted to learn new weapons, and having the rare identity of a mage among professionals would attract attention.


    "Here, this is your identity card. Right now, you''re just the lowest level mercenary. Completingmissioned tasks can earn you corresponding mercenary points to raise your mercenary level." The uniformed girl handed over a gray card, engraved with William''s information in magical patterns, which was extremely difficult to forge.


    "You can take on some ordinary tasks that can bepleted in the city, or you can team up with others to take on higher-level monster-hunting tasks. However,"


    The girl hesitated for a moment before giving her advice:


    "It''s best not to attempt these risky tasks before bing a formal professional. Staying alive is the most important thing!"


    After all, having worked in the Mercenary Guild for so many years, she had seen too many young people register as mercenaries and enthusiastically participate in those dangerous tasks, only to leave behind nothing but a memory.


    "Thank you for your advice, I understand," William replied with a smile.


    In this world, he didn''t know if he could have the resurrection ability like in the previous life''s game, so naturally, he wouldn''t charge into danger like those goofy yers shouting "Orcs will never be ves!" or "Demacia!" while rushing into battle like iron-headed kids.


    He was still just an unranked mercenary, essentially the same as most ordinary mercenaries,pleting simple but time-consuming tasks, possibly without ever having the chance to be promoted to a formal mercenary.


    Formal mercenaries are ranked from low to high as Bronze, Silver, Gold, Mithril, and Adamantite.


    Ranking doesn''t correspond directly with the rank of professionals; it solely depends on the level and quantity of taskspleted by the mercenary.


    ying with his freshly acquired mercenary identity card, William asked the uniformed girl:


    "Um, I also wanted to know, are there any career mentors avable in the guild now?"

 Chapter 24: Meeting Nichole Again

    <h4>Chapter 24: Meeting Nichole Again</h4>


    Chapter 24: Meeting Nichole Again


    "Career mentors? Just a moment, please."


    Upon hearing this, the girl behind the counter stood up and walked to the back to inquire with others.


    Career mentors were a benefit policy of the guild, offering the opportunity for regr individuals to gain extraordinary powers at a rtively low cost. However, due to therge number of applicants, mentorship was often mass-taught, and the quality of teaching was questionable, depending entirely on the individual''s aptitude.


    Shortly after, the girl returned to William and said, "Currently, there are mentors avable for the mage, warrior, and hunter professions. The assassin mentor is out handling amission and isn''t at the guild."


    William frowned upon hearing this. His goal was to learn dagger techniques from the assassin mentor, but now that the mentor was absent, did he have to wait indefinitely?


    Seeing William''s furrowed brows and silence, the girl assumed he was contemting which mentor to choose and advised, "I suggest you choose either the warrior or hunter mentor for now. Although there are fewer mage professionals and they hold higher status, there are very few individuals with mage talent."


    The girl paused for a moment before continuing, "Moreover, the mage mentor charges 10 gold coins per session, which is ten times more than the other mentors!"


    Wow!


    William hadn''t expected the mage mentor to be so expensive. After all, in his past life, he hadn''t switched to a mage profession through this method!


    Ten gold coins per person,


    Ten people per session,


    Ten training sessions per week,


    That''s 1000 gold coins in a week!


    Thinking about how he only had three hundred gold coins left from hisst order to Joyce, William''s eyes practically turned into gold coins!


    Although William knew that the calctions were definitely not that straightforward and the actual situation probably wasn''t as ideal, making a hundred gold coins in a week at most and taking up a lot of time.


    After some thought, William suppressed the urge to blurt out that he wanted to apply for the mage profession mentorship. After all, this activity consumed a lot of time, and most of the earnings probably had to be handed over to the guild. Besides, he wasn''t like the yers from his past life who were desperate for resources at that time.


    But here''s the problem: what should he do about learning hisst weapon?


    Just as William was scratching his head over this, a somewhat sleazy voice came from behind.


    "Hey, buddy, are you looking for a career mentor?"


    William turned around to see a man wearing ordinary mercenary attire standing behind him, rubbing his hands together with a grin, looking even sleazier than his voice.


    The man''s somewhat abstract appearance made William feel a bit ufortable, so he took two steps back and countered, "No, thanks."


    "Hey, don''t reject me so quickly, buddy! Look, this is my big brother, Albert. He''s about to break through to silver warrior status!"


    "Opportunity knocks only once! Enroll in one-on-one tutoring with my big brother now for just 5 gold coins, and I guarantee you''ll be an extraordinary warrior!"


    As the abstract man spoke, Albert, the man behind him, struck a pose, flexing his muscles!


    Before William could react, the girl behind the counter coldly interjected, "Saire, Albert, if you two dare to deceive people here again, I''ll have the guards throw you out!"


    The Mercenary Guild had a considerable security force to stop mercenaries from causing trouble inside the bulding.


    "No, no, we''re leaving, we''re leaving, Miss L, please don''t be angry."


    Before they could finish their words, the two quickly slunk away from the mercenary hall. They found it strange that L, who usually didn''t care about this sort of thing, would directly stop them this time. They were just trying to make a little extra gold. What did it matter what they taught?


    "Hmph!" L saw the two quickly leaving and snorted lightly.


    These two had been here all along, deceiving novice mercenaries into spending more gold coins to learn professional skills. And this time, they had even managed to deceive someone in front of her.


    Moreover, those two idiots couldn''t see it, but could she, who interacted with hundreds of people every day, not see it?


    Could the young man named Moriarty in front of her be an ordinary person?


    Although he was dressed in ordinary cotton clothes, he was very neatly groomed and had no signs of exposure to the elements on his face. His skin was even enviable in quality.


    Most importantly, the young man wore a precious storage ring on his hand, and judging by her eye, it was of high rank!


    It was probably another young master from some family who came out to experience mercenary life.


    William had no idea about the many thoughts swirling in L''s mind. He expressed his gratitude and said with a hint of thanks, "Miss L, right? Thank you earlier."


    "No problem, Mr. Moriarty. Have you decided which career mentor you''d like to follow?"


    "Not yet," William hesitated for a moment before saying, "I want to learn about the assassin profession, but since the mentor isn''t avable, Miss L, do you have any other assassin professionals you can rmend?"


    "Assassins, huh? There are very few people who choose this extraordinary profession. Let me think."


    Just as L was recalling which assassin professionals were still epting students in the guild, another voice echoed from nearby.


    "William!"


    This surprised voice made William pause. He hadn''t expected someone here to recognize him, and the voice sounded somewhat familiar.


    Dum-dum-dum~ The crisp sound of leather shoes hitting the ground approached from a distance, and a familiar face emerged from the crowd of mercenaries.


    Nichole!


    The spirited girl he had met at the Morra family''s party.


    He hadn''t expected to encounter her here.


    "Hello, Nichole! Didn''t expect to meet again so soon!" William waved and greeted the girl.


    "Hehe! I just felt a familiar presence over here. Turns out it''s you!" Nichole looked at William with her beautiful gray-purple eyes, full of surprise.


    William took a moment to look at her. Today, the girl wasn''t dressed in the gorgeous evening gown from theirst meeting. Instead, she wore a simple and practical brown leather armor that tightly wrapped around her slender figure.


    Only her fair and delicate arms and calves were exposed. She carried a ck longsword on her back, and her jet-ck hair was casually tied into a bun at the back of her head, with a few loose strands hanging down, giving her a yful and cute look.


    "What are you looking at?" Seeing William''sck of response, Nichole raised her fair wrist and waved it in front of his eyes.


    "Nothing. I''m here to register as a mercenary. What about you, Nichole?" William smiled and asked.


    "You''re really silly. Can''t you tell from what I''m wearing? I''ve been a mercenary for a long time."


    William wasn''t too surprised by Nichole''s mercenary status. After all, he had discoveredst time that the girl wasn''t as fragile as she seemed. She had even mastered extraordinary powers and be a formal professional.


    Meanwhile, L on the side spoke respectfully, "Miss Nichole is the most talented individual in our mercenary guild in nearly ten years. In just one year, she rose from a junior mercenary to a gold-level mercenary."


    Now William was a bit surprised. Gold-level mercenaries weren''t simple roles, especially achieving such a promotion within a year. It wasn''t something that could be achieved just bypleting numerous simple tasks.


    So, did Nichole aplish a considerable number of high-level missions andmissions by herself?


    And ording to L''s implication, Nichole''s strength was enough to handle high-level tasks on her own, not just by following a team.


    Did she have this kind of strength?


    Could it be that Nichole was a high-level professional?

 Chapter 25 - 25 Ding~ Your Golden Thighs Have Arrived!

    <h4>Chapter 25: Ding~ Your Golden Thighs Have Arrived!</h4>


    Chapter 25 Ding~ Your Golden Thighs Have Arrived


    "Oh, L, I''m not as amazing as you make it sound!"


    Nichole waved her hand embarrassedly, her face slightly flushed.


    "I didn''t expect Nichole to be so amazing! Much stronger than me!" William also raised his thumb at Nichole and said, "Your reaction is quite interesting."


    "Don''t praise me!" Nichole waved her hand, then turned to William and asked, "William, do you have anything else to do? I can help you, as long as you treat me to the golden shrimp balls you mentionedst time!"


    Nichole''s true nature as a food lover was revealed as soon as she opened her mouth.


    "I want to learn from the assassin career mentor, but unfortunately, he''s out on a mission and not at the guild."


    "Ah? William, why do you want to learn about assassins? Aren''t you a mage?"


    Nichole hadn''t finished herst word when William abruptly covered her mouth, preventing her from identally revealing his secret.


    She had indeed noticed that he was a mage!


    To avoid being seen as strange, William decided to change the subject and talk to Nichole elsewhere.


    "L, thanks, but I suddenly remembered something urgent at home, so I''ll leave first!"


    Without waiting for L''s response, he quickly dragged Nichole away.


    ---


    "Why did you stop me from talking?"


    In the alley outside the guild, Nichole, dragged there by William,ined a little.


    "I don''t want others to know that I''m a mage. You almost let it slip!"


    William said somewhat irritably.


    "I didn''t know! Why don''t you want people to know that you''re a mage? Aren''t mages very powerful?"


    Nichole was a little embarrassed at first, but then she became curious.


    "Because I have a rival, and I don''t want him to know my true strength. I''m nning to train hard and defeat him in the end."


    William decided to simply deceive Nichole, as she didn''t seem very bright.


    Although Nichole felt something was off, she didn''t mind.


    "Why do you want to learn about the assassin profession? Is it useful for you to improve your strength?"


    "Not really. I can''t switch to the assassin profession anyway. I just want to learn about a weapon casually. Learning from the assassin mentor would allow me to practice with daggers."


    "Then I''ll teach you! I know a lot!"


    Nichole brightened up immediately, proudly saying to William.


    William nced at the racetrack in front of the girl''s chest, realizing there was much room for improvement. After thinking for a moment, he felt it was fine and said, "Okay, what weapons do you know?"


    "Do you want to learn the longsword?"


    "I don''t want to. I already know a bit."


    "The spear?"


    "I don''t want to. I also know a bit."


    "The sword?"


    "I don''t want to. I also know a bit."


    Realizing that William already knew what she knew, Nichole fell into thought. What else could she teach? Unfortunately, she didn''t know how to use daggers.


    From Nichole''s words, William spected that if she really was a high-level professional, the most likely option would be a gold-level warrior.


    Thinking about his own Welf, who was in his forties and only just about to break through to be an Golden warrior, he looked at the girl''s face full of cogen, feeling the huge gap between people.


    If Welf found out, he would probably shrink.


    However, he didn''t have time to think about it just now. Nichole, who looked about twenty years old, although a bit naive and romantic, if she had already be a gold-level warrior, she must be an extraordinary talent.


    In the plot, she would definitely be a core protagonist, a child of destiny!


    He remembered in the main storyline of the game "Gods Apocalypse," there was a female warrior professional.


    "Sss..." William took a sharp breath, contributing his bit to the warming of the Gaia world.


    If she really was the one William had in mind, then it wasn''t just a simple thigh to cling to; it was practically the thigh of a giant, a "golden thigh"!


    William knew there were magical items for disguising, but when he looked at the girl, lost in thought with her head down, he couldn''t possibly associate her with the image of a valiant, decisive, and broad-minded female warrior on the battlefield.


    "I''ve got it!" Just as William was pondering, Nichole seemed to have an idea and eximed happily.


    However, when she looked up, she found William staring at her thighs with a strange look, sending a shiver down her spine. She quickly stepped back and asked, "What are you looking at?"


    Realizing he was caught staring, William hastily replied, "Ah, nothing. I was just thinking about what delicious dish to make for youter, considering you helped me so much!"


    He owed her this favor, whether she wanted it or not! After all, if he really ended up relying on her, the trouble of the Holy Festival assassination wouldn''t be much at all!


    "Oh, you''re so kind!" Nichole happily gave William her first "Good Person Card."


    I wonder how many of these cards it takes to turn oneself into a leg pendant.


    "Do you want to learn the whip? I know how to use it!" Nichole didn''t forget what happened earlier and said to William.


    "The whip?" William was quite curious.


    In the game "God''s Apocalypse," there were many types of weapons, but most people usedmon weapons like swords and spears. Even axes and hammers were rarely used, let alone a whip, a niche weapon.


    But apart from that, William only needed to master a new intermediate weapon to satisfy the requirements of his professional expertise. He didn''t actually n to fight with a whip.


    Thinking about the future female warrior teaching him how to use a whip, he felt quite excited!


    "Okay, I''ll learn the whip from you!"


    "Great." Nichole agreed happily. After all, she had been training in martial arts since childhood and had never been someone else''s teacher!


    William looked up at the gradually dimming sky, realizing that the sun was about to set. He turned to Nichole and said, "It''ste today. Let''s practice tomorrow. Let''s go buy some ingredients and I''ll make you golden shrimp balls tonight."


    "Sure." Nichole agreed happily, afraid that William might change his mind. She then dragged him to a shop at the other end of Gedo Street to buy ingredients.


    "Get more of this!"


    "I like this too, let''s get some!"


    "Can you make this, William? I want some too."


    After a round of shopping, they spent more than ten gold coins on various ingredients. Especially Nichole, who couldn''t resist buying what she wanted to eat.


    William carried the ingredients behind Nichole, saying they were going to the ce where Nichole''s team was staying.


    Because theirpanions had other things to do today and there were no suitable tasks, Nichole had been wandering around the Mercenary Guild alone, which was how she happened to meet William, who hade to register as a mercenary.


    In a way, it was also a kind of fate.


    Fortunately, although there were no condiments prepared in Nichole''s team, they did have various kitchen utensils, so William didn''t have to carry an iron pot from the store through the streets.


    "I''m back!"


    Nichole''s cheerful voice rang out, and a three-story garden vi appeared before William''s eyes.


    {A/N: The book haspleted signing the contract. I wont go premium anytime sooner. But please show your support to the book by donating powerstones and golden tickets. I wont set a goal or sort for time being. Donate ps as per your liking to this book. Again, Thanks for reading. Have a good day.}

 Chapter 26 - 26 Is There Anything Wrong with a Viscount Who Can Cook?

    <h4>Chapter 26: Is There Anything Wrong with a Viscount Who Can Cook?</h4>


    Chapter 26 Is There Anything Wrong with a Viscount Who Can Cook?


    "Ah, is everyone still not back yet?" Nichole opened the door and walked in, looking around the dark room. Not even the magic stonemps were lit, indicating that herpanions hadn''t returned yet.


    Dong!


    William put down the ingredients in his hand and nced around. The interior of this exquisite little house looked quite nice, but the weapon rack and various trophies ced on the side still exuded a strong mercenary style.


    It was quite rare to rent such a house near Geddo Street in the West District.


    "Not bad, this ce. Did you and your teammates rent it together?" William asked.


    Nichole nodded and gently ced the sword she had been carrying on her back onto the weapon rack beside the living room, then helped William carry the items to the kitchen behind the living room.


    Then, she watched with wide eyes as William began his operation.


    William wasn''t vague either. Although he hadn''t cooked since crossing over, he hadn''t forgotten his experience from his past life. Rolling up his sleeves, he began his preparations.


    The sound of nging and ttering echoed in the kitchen.


    First, he removed the heads of the fresh prawns, deveined them, and ced them in a bowl. He added salt and cooking wine to remove the fishy smell. Then, he cut the potatoes into thin shreds, rinsed off the excess starch with water, and fried them in oil until golden brown. After draining the excess oil, he coated the marinated shrimp with a batter made of flour and eggs, then fried them until golden brown. Finally, he coated the fried shrimp with sd dressing and rolled them in the fried potato shreds to create a golden, crispy shrimp ball.


    After preparing the shrimp balls, he arranged them neatly on a te, garnished with a few sprigs of fresh mint. The shrimp balls, with their tails curled up and lined up in a row, looked cute and delicate.


    Nichole, who couldn''t wait any longer, quickly grabbed a shrimp ball by the tail and popped it into her mouth.


    "It''s hot!" The freshly cooked golden shrimp ball was still quite hot, but Nichole didn''t spit out the delicious food, even though she was burned a little. Her beautiful eyes were misty with tears, but she couldn''t resist the temptation of the dish.


    The golden shrimp ball, with its tender shrimp and crispy potato shreds, offered a rich and unique texture, showcasing the ultimatebination of crispiness and tenderness. The sweet taste of the sd dressing covered the excess grease perfectly, emitting a fragrant aroma that made it irresistible.


    Nichole, lost in the enjoyment of the delicacy, felt a surge of energy rushing through her body. Although she had eaten fine food since she was a child, she had never experienced such a dish before, which gave her a sense of novelty.


    When she came to her senses, Nichole looked at the te of shrimp balls, which still had many left, and felt like she could eat the whole te by herself.


    William smiled as he watched the charming sight of the girl enjoying the food. It was as if he could see his own cute younger sisters from his previous life, who would always surround him, asking him to cook delicious food for them. Which chef wouldn''t like such diners?


    He reached out and pushed the te toward Nichole, saying, "Enjoy as much as you like. It''s all yours."


    Seeing that there were still plenty of ingredients left, William thought that since he had already started, he might as well make a few more dishes.


    While Nichole enjoyed the golden shrimp balls in the living room, William prepared to showcase his skills and became more joyful in his actions.


    In no time, William had prepared honey-zed carrot pork, a cold meat tter with sauce, crab meat and ham-baked vegetables, and arge portion of vegetable and fruit sd.


    All set!


    William washed his hands. Since he hadn''t prepared in advance this time, many of his favorite dishes couldn''t be made. He could ask Joyce to prepare a set of exclusive kitchen utensils and special ingredients for him next time.


    However, William found that the Level 0 spell "Mage Hand" was really useful. It felt like he had gained an extra pair of dexterous hands. Not only did it greatly improve his cooking speed, but it also allowed him to practice multitasking.


    In the living room, Nichole slowly tasted the golden shrimp balls and watched as William quickly brought out a pile of delicious dishes. Each dish was colorful, fragrant, and delicious, clearly the work of a master chef.


    Nichole turned her head to look at William, and in her eyes, it seemed like William was emitting endless light behind him.


    Could this be the angel sent by the God of War to save our adventuring party?


    William felt a bit strange under Nichole''s shining gray-purple eyes. What''s up with her? Did the taste not turn out right? It shouldn''t be.


    "William, you''re amazing!" Nichole eximed, putting down her mostly empty te with a tter and turning to William. "Since you want to be a mercenary, why not join my adventure team? You don''t have to do anything except cook, and I''ll take care of everything else."


    It wasn''t just a matter of craving food; it was tough because none of her team members knew how to cook. Every time they went out on a mission or exploration, they had to eat tough, tasteless dry rations. It was just too difficult.


    As Nichole thought this, she looked at William with a pleading gaze, hoping he wouldn''t reject her only request.


    Before William could respond, they heard the sound of the door being pushed open. Nichole''spanions must have returned.


    "Nichole, you''re back early!"


    The voice of a carefree man came through, and three people walked into the living room, chatting andughing.


    Leading them was a dwarf wearing full-body armor and carrying a half-height iron hammer on his back. He must have been the one with the loud voice earlier. He had a rough appearance, thick hair, and a long beard, the typical appearance of a dwarf warrior.


    Dwarves were rtively rare in the Canlight City. Generally, dwarves from the kingdoms in the central part of the Fanor Continent were moremon, as the Dwarven Kingdom was located in the Kanor Mountains between the central and western parts of the continent.


    Next was an elegant elf woman with a bow and arrow on her back. Her golden hair couldn''t hide her pointed ears. She looked like an elven ranger, her exquisite face truly representing the elegant and beautiful race.


    If dwarves were rtively rare, then elves were almost nonexistent in human kingdoms. Because of their beautiful appearance, they were often captured as ves by smugglers. Therefore, most elves naturally harbored hostility towards humans and generally only lived in the Navia Forest in the southern part of the continent.


    As for thest person, he was a familiar face: Jason Hard, the younger son of Duke Hard.


    "We have guests?" The elf immediately noticed William sitting at the dining table with Nichole and asked cautiously.


    "Elena,e and eat delicious food. My disciple William made it. Impressive, right?" Nichole called out with a smile.


    Jason peeked out from behind and took a look.


    William, is that the William Cain I know? What''s going on?


    William nced at Nichole and muttered, "When did I be your disciple? I don''t remember."


    Nichole didn''t pay attention to William''s reaction at all. She happily invited everyone to sit down and enjoy the delicious food in front of them.


    Jason pulled out a chair and sat down, looking at the table full of food with a strange expression.


    Wow, Viscount, you really can cook?

 Chapter 27 - 27 Joining the Adventure Team

    <h4>Chapter 27: Joining the Adventure Team</h4>


    Chapter 27 Joining the Adventure Team


    Nichole excitedly called everyone to sit at the table and introduced her teammates to William.


    "This is Lumbro Ironhammer, a ck iron dwarf shield bearer, our team''s vanguard. Don''t be fooled by his old appearance; he''s actually just in his thirties, barely an adult!"


    The dwarf named Lumbro Ironhammer had already poured arge cup of ale into his mouth, casually wiping away the white foam on his beard with his hand. He grumbled discontentedly, "Hey, Nichole, isn''t it inappropriate to say that about me in front of others?"


    Nichole made a face at Lumbro and then proceeded to introduce the others.


    "This beautifuldy is Elena, an elven ranger, our team''s scout. Elena is amazing; she helped me a lot when I registered as a mercenary."


    The golden-haired elf woman sitting next to Nichole nodded at William with a somewhat cold attitude.


    "And this is Jason, you''ve probably seen him before, Jason Hard, a warrior like me."


    Jason looked at William and said friendly, "Nice to meet you, Viscount William Cain."


    Since the other party was so polite, William also greeted this outstanding descendant of the Hard Duke politely.


    "Likewise, Jason Harold, Your Excellency," William replied.


    This was not a false statement; the Duke Harold was the most respected among all the court nobles and was also the most trusted by His Majesty the King.


    "Wow, William, you''re a noble? I couldn''t tell!"


    Lumbro said casually, without caring if his words were rude.


    "Just inherited a title from the family."


    William didn''t think much of it. Dwarves had always been direct in their speech, something he had experienced in his past life.


    Elena also scrutinized William for a moment, but there seemed to be a hint of hostility in her eyes.


    Nichole was a little dissatisfied and tapped the table. She hadn''t introduced William yet!


    "This is William Kane, I met him before and bumped into him today at the Mercenary Guild. He''s a Bronze-tier mage."


    Nichole looked around triumphantly, her small white face lifted proudly. "But from today on, he''s my disciple! How awesome is that?"


    William helplessly tapped the table with his index finger. "I remember I just wanted to learn a weapon technique from you. When did I be your disciple?"


    Nichole waved her hand dismissively. "Oh, it''s the same thing. If I teach you, then I''m your teacher, and if you learn from me, then you''re my disciple. No problem!"


    It was rare to meet someone who could save her stomach. How could she let this opportunity slip away?


    "All these dishes were made by William. They taste so good. I''ve already decided that from now on, when we go out on missions, William will take care of cooking!"


    Listening to Nichole''s straightforward arrangements, William felt somewhat helpless.


    Of course, he wouldn''t refuse. A golden opportunity had presented itself, and he couldn''t ignore the memories of his past life.


    But it still felt strange, as if he had suddenly been packaged and sold.


    Does this count as officially upgrading to being a leg essory?


    "Is he joining our adventure team? Since when?"


    The elf woman, who had been silent all this time, suddenly spoke, staring at Nichole.


    "Haha, ahaha."


    It was obvious that Nichole had thought of it on a whim and hadn''t discussed it with the team members.


    But seeing Lumbro drinking ale one cup after another, he clearly didn''t care whether William joined the team or not.


    As for Jason, he seemed to want to say something, but then realized that he had never sessfully stopped Nichole''s ideas, so he gave up.


    "Oh, Elena, William''s cooking is really delicious. You should try it!"


    The elf looked at the table full of meat dishes, except for the simple fruit and vegetable sd, and felt a bit speechless.


    What do you want me to try?


    Nichole seemed to realize the problem too and apologized awkwardly, shaking Elena''s arm and acting cute. "But William''s cooking is really delicious. I don''t want to eat those tough dry rations anymore. Let''s have William join us, okay?"


    Elena looked somewhat helpless as she watched Nichole''s pitiful act and said, "He''s just a novice mage, right? It might be dangerous for him to adventure with us."


    "I''ll protect him!" Nichole patted her small chest confidently.


    Elena felt a headacheing on. She wasn''t keen on suddenly letting someone she didn''t know well join the team, but seeing Nichole''s pitiful expression, she softened her stance.


    Nichole neverined or felt tired during adventures, although she was stronger than Elena. Elena had always treated Nichole like a little sister.


    "Alright, alright, stop shaking. I agree, okay?"


    "That''s great!"


    Without even asking for Jason''s opinion (lowering his status by 1), Nichole raised her cup filled with juice and eximed loudly, "Then let''s wee William to join our adventure team!"


    William genuinely showed a happy expression and after clinking sses with Lumbro and downing a cup of ale, he invited everyone to start enjoying the food.


    Nichole and Lumbro couldn''t resist and immediately began eating.


    "Mmm, this is delicious!" Nichole took a big bite of the specially made cold meat covered in sauce and widened her eyes in delight.


    Lumbro also praised William''s cooking, while Jason''s expression was somewhat strange. However, he didn''t eat any slower than the others.


    Even Elena was moved by the fruit pudding William had made specifically for her, and her gaze softened when she looked at him.


    "Oh, by the way, is our team an adventure-type team?"


    "Oh, I haven''t introduced that to you yet!"


    After snatching thest golden shrimp ball from Lumbro''s hand and enjoying it contentedly, Nichole began to exin to William.


    "We registered our team as an adventure team called Nichole''s Adventure Team. We mainly take on exploration and caravan escort missions. Although there are only four of us now, including you, we still have quite a reputation at the Mercenary Guild!"


    Mercenary Guild missions can bepleted independently or as a mercenary group, but most advanced missions are exclusive to mercenary groups. After all, it''s always possible for idents to happen on the way topleting a mission.


    Depending on the type of mission undertaken by the mercenary group, there are different ssifications.


    For example, there are mercenary groups that specialize in war contracts, as well as escort groups that primarily ept escort missions.


    Nichole''s adventure team belongs to a somewhat special category.


    Typically, mercenaries join to earnmissions and enjoy a better life.


    But there are some who are passionate about exploring the world''s secrets, discovering unknown wonders, and enjoying the thrill of traversing ruins and dangerous areas, even at the risk of their lives.


    Of course, obtaining more precious treasures is also a reward for their courage.


    These adventure teams generally undertake territorial exploration tasks issued by countries and mercenary associations, as well as long-distance caravan escort missions.


    During downtime, they also actively explore unexplored ruins and other areas, spending most of their time on the road.


    However, they probably won''t take on missions that are too far from the capital, right?


    Considering Nichole''s status, the kingdom probably wouldn''t allow her to venture too far from the capital!

 Chapter 28: Advancement in Rank

    <h4>Chapter 28: Advancement in Rank</h4>


    Chapter 28: Advancement in Rank


    The bustling gathering came to a close, and William and Nichole agreed to return here tomorrow for Nichole to teach William how to wield the whip. They prepared to leave.


    "See you tomorrow!" Nichole waved to William.


    "I''ll walk you out," Jason said, rising and signaling to William with a nce.


    William remainedposed, following Jason out of the vi.


    "Is there something you wanted to talk to me about?" William stood on the roadside steps, studying the green shoots sprouting from the cracks underfoot.


    "Lord Kane."


    Jason hesitated for a moment, then said to William:


    "I''m sure you''ve already noticed that Miss Nichole''s identity is not ordinary."


    William remained silent, tacitly agreeing with Jason''s statement.


    Even the duke''s most outstanding son appears like a punching bag in front of Nichole. Who wouldn''t see that?


    "Until I have permission, I cannot reveal Miss Nichole''s identity to you. I hope you understand."


    Jason paused, then said earnestly, "I don''t want to know if it''s a coincidence or some other reason that brought you into contact with Miss Nichole, but I hope you won''t do anything harmful to her."


    Jason didn''t finish his sentence, but William naturally understood what he meant.


    As for Jason''s veiled threat, William didn''t care. If it weren''t for the fact that he couldn''t reveal he already knew Nichole''s true identity, he would have wanted to bind himself to Nichole as a powerful ally.


    He was just one step away from saying, "If Your Grace will not refuse, I would like to request to be your son-inw."


    As for harming Nichole, that thought never crossed his mind.


    As the protagonist of this story, a destined child of fate, she seemed to carry a lucky goddess with her. No matter what difficulties she encountered, she would alwayse out unscathed. Such luck was not something ordinary people could counteract.


    "Lord Jason, I will not do anything harmful to Nichole. That is my promise as Lord Kane''s son."


    William said solemnly to Jason.


    "I hope so."


    Seeing William make a promise in the name of nobility, Jason''s expression softened a bit. After all, the nobles of the kingdom ced great value on their reputation. He nodded and said, "Wee to our adventure team, William."


    "Thank you, Jason. See you tomorrow then!"


    ---


    Back at the mansion, William sat at the small table in his bedroom, picking up the chilled fruit tea prepared by Rosie for him, pondering the events of the day.


    Meeting Nichole today was unexpected, and even more surprising was joining Nichole''s mercenary group just like that.


    It went smoother than he could have imagined!


    It seemed worth considering nning for the Annual Holy Festival. If he could gain Nichole''s support, he might have other ways to break through.


    However, Nichole''s strength should still be at the level of a Gold-ranked warrior. To wait for her to make further breakthroughs, he would have to wait until theter stages of the game version 2.0.


    But thinking that far ahead wasn''t necessary right now. He should focus on sorting out the Annual Holy Festival first.


    The incident with Camus was definitely nned by someone. Well, that meant they hadn''t achieved their goal that time, so they wouldn''t give up easily. He just needed to wait for them to reveal their intentions.


    Improving his strength should be a priority. Many things were beyond his abilities as a junior mage, such as the research and development of civilian enchanting products. He would need to advance to an intermediate mage before he could replicate the special magic array designs in his mind.


    Although there were many surprises today, all his objectives for joining the Mercenary Guild had been achieved.


    He registered as a mercenary.


    The final training for weapon proficiency was already scheduled, although the whip weapon didn''t seem very suitable for men, William wasn''t picky. As long as he could master ten weapons, it would suffice.


    He unexpectedly joined Nichole''s adventure team, so he wouldn''t have to worry too much about future tasks and experience.


    His several teammates were officially Silver-ranked in strength. Even if there were experience penalties, he wouldn''t receive fewer experience points forpleting tasks.


    And there was Nichole, an actual Gold-ranked warrior. Unlike Weyr, who was somewhat mediocre, William believed that with Nichole''s uniqueness, she might already have the strength to rival that of an advanced Gold rank.


    His own strength was still a bitcking.


    After some thought, William brought up the interface panel, deciding to use all the experience points he had saved up to level up his professional rank first; skill levels could wait for now.


    [You have spent unallocated experience points: 735,604!]


    [Your personal level has increased: 30¡ú31!]


    [You gained Strength +1, Agility +1, Intelligence +2, Charisma +1, Mystery +1, Endurance +1]


    [Your personal level has increased: 33¡ú34!]


    [You gained Strength +1, Agility +1, Intelligence +2, Charisma +1, Mystery +1, Endurance +1]


    [You have 10 free attribute points]


    [Your Intelligence attribute has been increased: 76¡ú96! (Attribute Correction)]


    As a series of system messages popped up, William felt a refreshing sensation, clearing away the slight fatigue from the day, making his mind much clearer.


    So this is the effect of improving personal attributes?


    The attribute improvement of the previous game character was ultimately just virtual numbers, and he didn''t have any intuitive feeling.


    William brought up his attribute panel.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Name: William Kane


    Race: Human


    Level: 34


    Health: 1280/1280


    Mana: 2000/2580


    Status: Normal


    Experience: 0/210,000 (Unallocated experience points: 15,820)


    Primary upation: Arcanist (Novice)


    Secondary upation: None


    Talent: Jack Of All Trades


    Attributes:


    Strength 39


    Agility 40


    Intelligence 96 (Attribute Correction)


    Charisma 42


    Mystery 37


    Endurance 39


    Luck 3


    Free attribute points 0


    Specialization:


    [Arcane Mind] - Intelligence attribute gains a 2x value correction, Elemental Affinity +100%, Arcane Submodule unlocked


    [Advanced Fatigue Resistance] - Reduces the negative effects on the body under fatigue state, Stamina recovery speed +50%


    [Tier Suppression] - You gain additional power when facing lower-tier professionals, current bonus (10%)


    [Fearless Challenger] - Reduces the damage received from tier suppression by 30%, chance to resist negative statuses such as fear, stun, silence, confusion, charm


    [Low-Level Toughness] - Increases health by 10%, improves recovery speed from minor injuries, and slightly enhances resilience and elemental resistance


    Skills: Tricks (Mage Hand, Prestidigitation, Light), First Circle Spells (Fireball, Ice Arrow, Human Charm), Second Circle Spells (Ice de, Wind Walk, Earth Tunneling, Moderate Injury Repair, Levitation), Third Circle Spells (Chain Fireball, Elemental Shield, Stench Cloud, Human Petrification), First Circle Arcana (Ignition), Third Circle Arcana (Blue Bomb, Aging Ray), Combat Skills (Fury sh, Shield Bash, Resistance Enhancement, Minor All-Attribute Enhancement)


    Milestones: [Novice Mage (Bronze Rank)], [First Step of Strength (Silver Rank)]


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


    Equipment: Emerald Staff, Emerald Amulet, Concentration Ring


    (A little progress, from cannon fodder to a slightly stronger cannon fodder!)


    ¡ª¡ª


    It must be said that mastering power feels really good!


    William nodded satisfactorily. Although he had almost emptied all the experience points he had painstakingly umted, his attributes had beenprehensively improved, which was worthwhile.


    Moreover, he could gain a stable source of experience bypleting mercenary missions in the future, so he didn''t need to agonize over whether to increase his personal level or skill level.


    William dered: I want them all!


    Feeling content, William poured all the not-so-cold fruit tea into his mouth, ready to go to theboratory to start today''s magical research.


    He not only had to study new arcana but also master new third-circle spells.


    William was not one of those chosen ones; he had to seize every moment. Only by umting bit by bit could he eventually possess the power to control his own destiny.

 Chapter 29: Leisurely Morning

    <h4>Chapter 29: Leisurely Morning</h4>


    Chapter 29: Leisurely Morning


    The next day, in the early morning.


    William, as usual, got up on time, dressed in casual and light clothes. After confirming with Welf that no one was following, he left through the back door of the mansion and headed towards Gedo Street.


    Normally, he would have enjoyed breakfast first, engaged in some light physical activities in the courtyard, learned some martial arts with Welf and others, and exercised his body.


    However, since he had arranged to exercise with Nichole this morning, William didn''t have breakfast at the mansion. Instead, he brought some ingredients from the kitchen to prepare a meal to share with his teammates.


    It was quite interesting to think about. Initially, he hadn''t nned to join the mercenary group. With the experience from his past life, he had nned to undertake some solo missions directly.


    Unexpectedly, he ended up joining Nichole''s adventure team directly.


    This could be considered as the protagonist''s team. Although Elena and Lumbro were not characters he remembered from his past life, Jason Harold waster the leader of the Golden Lion Knights of the Fis Kingdom, a person of high status and influence.


    Walking on the streets of the just-awakening Canlight City, many vendors were already busy in their shops, preparing for the day''s business.


    The aroma of freshly baked bread wafted through the air. A crowd had already gathered at the door of a small shop, eating a simple breakfast priced at two copper coins. Although it only consisted of a few pieces of ck bread and vegetable soup, it was enough to fill their stomachs and provide energy for the day''s toil.


    William had also eaten breakfast at these small shops in his past life. Although the taste was not great, it was cheap. If it weren''t for the fact that characters would continuously lose health due to high hunger values if they didn''t eat, William would have even wanted to save money on meals.


    Although Nichole had mentioned yesterday that William could directly stay in the vi residence of the adventure team, he hesitated and declined.


    After all, he still needed to conduct many magical experiments in his own basementboratory. It was better for him to go home every day.


    However, in the future, if there were things to attend to, he would still stay at Gedo Street. So, William chose a bedroom on the first floor of the vi.


    The boys all lived on the first floor, while Nichole and Elena lived on the second floor.


    William arrived quickly and opened the door with the key Nichole had given him yesterday. Upon entering the hall, he saw Elena sitting in one corner of the living room, applying something to her longbow, presumably doing weapon maintenance.


    Jason was sitting at the dining table, eating white bread with jam, while flipping through a thick biography.


    It seemed that Nichole and the dwarf Lumbro had not yet woken up.


    "You''re here early, William," Jason greeted as William walked in.


    "Have you eaten? I have some bread prepared in advance," Elena looked up at William and said nothing, then continued to maintain her beloved weapon.


    "Not yet, but I brought some ingredients to make something for myself. Would you like some too?" William was a bit speechless. Jason, you''re also a young master of the Duke Harold family. Howe you don''t feel a bit of a noble''s demeanor? You''repletely different from your appearance at the party.


    But then again, William thought, Jason is also a member of Nichole''s adventure team. Whenpleting missions and exploring dungeons outside, there are no conditions for good food and drink. He must be used to it.


    "Wouldn''t it be too much trouble for you?" Jason looked at the white bread on the te in front of him, seeming to realize something, and asked somewhat embarrassedly.


    "No problem, we''re all friends now. This is also the reason I can join our team," William winked at Jason, and the two smiled at each other involuntarily.


    As Fis Kingdom nobles, the current situation between the two of them would undoubtedly be considered very inappropriate by those who strictly adhere to noble etiquette. But it must be said, the lightness of putting aside one''s pride felt really good.


    William didn''t ask Elena either, and went straight into the kitchen. He took out the ingredients prepared in advance from his storage ring and began to y the melodious symphony of the kitchen.


    Soon, William had prepared breakfast for several people. He made chocte, banana, and strawberry pancakes, along with bacon and egg omelets and nut oatmeal porridge, a delicious and nutritious breakfast freshly served.


    William brought the breakfast out and ced it on the table. Jason couldn''t wait and sat down immediately.


    "Thanks." Jason didn''t even finish his sentence before he picked up a piece of chocte pancake and started eating.


    "Miss Elena, would you like to have some too? I made plenty, and you should like the banana-strawberry vor pancakes." Elves preferred various fresh fruits over grains. Apart from a few local fruits, fruits like bananas were transported to Canlight City along the Gedo River by merchants using special means, making them rtively expensive, beyond the reach of ordinary people.


    Elena, the elf, remembered the delicious fruit pudding fromst night. Without refusing, she got up, sat down at the table, and said, "Thank you," before leisurely enjoying the delicacy.


    William watched as Elena''s captivating pointed ears twitched slightly, realizing that she also liked this vor of pancakes.


    "Good morning~." At this moment, Nichole yawned and slowly descended the stairs, wearing cute pink pajamas. Perhaps due to her restless sleepst night, her fair and delicate corbones were exposed without any cover, right in front of William''s eyes.


    William remainedposed and said to Nichole, who hadn''t fully woken up yet, "Go wash up quickly. I''ve prepared breakfast."


    Nichole also smelled the aroma of food and suddenly snapped out of her half-awake state.


    "Ah, it smells so good." Nichole looked at the tempting breakfast on the table, rushed into the washroom, and after a ttering sound, emerged dressed neatly and sat down at the table. She began to enjoy the food along with Jason and Elena.


    "Where''s Lumbro? Should we call him out for breakfast?" William asked.


    "No need. If that guy doesn''t have anything to do, he likes to drink. If he drinks too much, he''ll sleep until noon. Just leave him be," Jason waved his hand dismissively.


    "Alright then." William didn''t mind either.


    After finishing breakfast, Jason took the initiative to clean up the tableware and wash them in the kitchen. He moved skillfully, indicating that he must have done this many times before.


    "I''m so full~" Nichole hummed happily, leaning back on the sofa in the living room. Elena couldn''t help but feel a little helpless.


    "Let''s get to work after eating," William patted her shoulder, feeling a bit helpless himself. Didn''t you tell me toe early? Howe it seems like you, the host, have forgotten about it?


    "Alright, alright," Nichole said, taking out a white whip from her storage ring and handing it to William.


    "This is a whip I bought when I was practicing before. You can use it for now."


    William took the whip, feeling its special animal leather material, which was quite tough. It seemed to be crafted by a master.


    Before William could get familiar with the whip, Nichole dragged him to the backyard of the vi, ready to start today''s training.

 Chapter 30: Mastery of Arms!

    <h4>Chapter 30: Mastery of Arms!</h4>


    Chapter 30: Mastery of Arms!


    "Ah, why are you so stupid! It''s so simple!"


    Nicholeined, unaware that William''s expression was even worse.


    What kind of teaching is this?


    What does "like this, like this, and that''s it" even mean?


    This is just too abstract. Comparing it like this, it seems like Welf and the others are much more gifted as teachers, at least much better than this mediocre one in front of him.


    William restrained his disdainful gaze towards Nichole, pondered for a moment, and suggested, "How about this, Nichole, let''s stop talking and just practice directly. I''ll learn by imitating your movements."


    "Sure." Nichole agreed after some thought, immediately assuming a stance and demonstrating the use of the whip.


    Today, Nichole simply tied up her jet-ck hair with a thin rope. It seemed as if a nimble deer was leaping in front of her on the field. Her hair danced freely in the air with her movements, while the whip in her hand swung around, dense and skillful.


    If Nichole''s whip proficiency were to be judged by the system, it would probably be advanced. Hearing her mention that she had self-taught herself yesterday evening, not to mention Nichole''s proficiency with her main weapon, she was probably not far from mastering legendary-level longsword techniques.


    "Do you understand now?" Nichole stopped her movements and asked William.


    "I''ll give it a try. You can correct my posture on the side." William didn''t refuse and immediately began to practice.


    The two started practicing one-on-one on the field.


    Indeed, this kind of learning effect was much better than listening to lectures like reading a book.


    Although the whip was a soft weapon, different from the swords and spears William had learned before, William had alreadyid a solid foundation. As long as he carefully pondered the control techniques and force application of the whip, progress would be rapid.


    After seeing William had basically be familiar with the use of the whip, Nichole also picked up her whip and practiced with him, helping him master the whip more quickly.


    One could only say that Nichole was indeed a future legendary warrior.


    Whether it wasbat skills or reaction speed, she outssed William, the half-baked warrior.


    William even felt that if he used his advanced mage ount from his previous life, he might not necessarily win against the still immature Nichole.


    But now, he also possessed a unique talent and had the confidence to reach, or even surpass, the future female warrior.


    The sound of training on the backyard of the vi continued from morning until dark.


    In the vi''s living room,


    Jason nced out the window and saw William still practicing with the whip under the glow of the magic stonemp. He couldn''t help but sigh, "Is he so diligent? It''s already dark. I just don''t understand why William, a mage, suddenly wants to learn the whip. It''s really strange."


    Elena was not in the vi at the moment, busy with something, but Lumbro had already woken up and was happily drinking and eating at the table.


    Outside, William was sweating profusely. Even though the sun had set, the heat of the June Canlight City hadn''t dissipated at all.


    William persisted in practicing until night not for any other reason, but simply because his whip proficiency had reached [Intermediate 95%]. If he stopped now, William suspected that with his somewhatpulsive personality, he wouldn''t sleep well at night, so he might as well grind a bit more to max out the proficiency.


    [Whip proficiency increased by 98%]


    [Whip proficiency increased by 99%]


    [Whip proficiency increased by 100%]


    [Your whip proficiency has reached Intermediate level!]


    [Intermediate Whip Mastery: You have mastered the basic techniques of using the whip, and its power increases moderately when using it]


    William stopped, wiped his sweat, and looked at the system prompt.


    Is iting? Is iting? Is the big oneing?


    [Ding~]


    [Detected that you have ten weapon proficiencies increased to Intermediate level!]


    [Activating hidden judgment! Warrior profession specialization [Mastery of Arms]]


    [Initiating judgment]


    [Judgment (1/3): Warrior basic profession judgment failed, main profession is Mage]


    [Your talent [Jack Of All Trades] effect is activated, judgment (1/3) passed]


    [Judgment (2/3): Proficiency in ten weapons has reached Intermediate level. Judgment passed]


    [Judgment (3/3): Strength attribute is greater than or equal to 20 points. Judgment passed]


    [All judgments passed, you have obtained the Warrior profession specialization [Mastery of Arms]]


    [[Mastery of Arms] - Strength attribute gains a 2x numerical correction, all weapon initial proficiency fixed at Intermediate level, control level of highest proficiency weapon +1]


    (You have a unique talent in using weapons. Regardless of the weapon, you can quickly be proficient. You draw from many sources and integrate various skills, forming your unique insights into the weapon you excel in.)


    [The effect of [Mastery of Arms] is activated, and your current highest weapon proficiency level is: Intermediate Staff Mastery]


    [Your staff mastery level has been raised to Advanced!]


    [Advanced Staff Mastery: You have fully mastered the use of the staff, and its power increases significantly when using it]


    Finally got it! [Mastery of Arms]!


    No matter how much sweat was shed before, at this moment, it has all paid off, and the rewards are quite generous,ying a solid foundation for one''s future development.


    The strength attribute has received a 2x attribute correction, soaring from 39 points directly to 73 points.


    Following the increase in strength attribute, the HP has also increased from 1170 points to 1510 points.


    William patted his chest muscles, feeling much more robust. His HP is now almostparable to that of a warrior of the same level. Finally, he is no longer a fragile mage!


    Isn''t it excessive for this viscount to be so muscr even though he''s a mage?


    Ordinary professionals with attribute correction effects can only have one basic professional specialization. However, with the talent [Jack Of All Trades], William can break through this limitation.


    William experienced this leap in attribute enhancement for the first time, and this enhancement is not just one-time but bes more apparent with his level increase.


    It''s simply very strong!


    Truly deserving of a legendary talent!


    Indeed, I''m a peerless genius, hahaha!


    Nichole, on the side, watched as William suddenly stopped, stared ahead nkly, and then grinned strangely.


    Nichole was shocked and shouted into the house, "Quick,e out! William has gone crazy from exercising, his brain is overheated!"


    "Don''t! Why are you talking nonsense?"


    William, who realized what was happening, pulled Nichole, who was about to go into the house to call for help, and said with a wry smile.


    "Oh, William, are you okay?" Nichole turned back to look at William, who looked helpless, and asked curiously.


    "I''m fine, I''m fine. I just had a breakthrough in my exercise earlier, and I''m a bit happy." William could only exin like this.


    "Then, do you want to continue exercising?" Nichole asked.


    "No, let''s rest. We''ve exercised enough today. Thank you for your hard work, Nichole." William said earnestly to Nichole.


    Although Nichole''s theoretical exnations may be unreliable, she did provide great help in actual exercises and patiently apanied him all day.


    In the medal of [Mastery of Arms], she had five points of credit, while the other ny-five points were all due to William''s outstanding talent.

 Chapter 31: Longing

    <h4>Chapter 31: Longing</h4>


    Chapter 31: Longing


    It''s been nearly a week since William obtained the [Mastery of Arms] warrior specialization.


    During this time, William has felt incredibly fulfilled!


    Joining Nichole''s adventuring party was unexpected, but William seized the opportunity to learn and train diligently.


    After all, it''s not every day you get to glean skills for free from your teammates.


    He acquired quite a few practical skills from Nichole and Jason, such as Charge, Soul Breaker, Tendon Sever, and Thunder Strike.


    From Lumbro, he learned useful survival skills like Hold Ground, Shield Wall, Iron Armor, and Stamina Enhancement.


    He even managed to acquire the racial skill Stone Form from the ck iron dwarf.


    [Stone Form: Upon activation, immune to bleeding, poison, and disease effects, armor value increased by 10%. Lasts for 8 seconds, cooldown time of 3 minutes.]


    As for Elena, after getting to know William better and realizing he''s not one of those despicable nobles who keep elves as pets, their rtionship has improved significantly.


    At William''s request, Elena also demonstrated some hunter profession skills, such as tracking, trapping, and Wind Walk.


    William managed to sneakily learn them all.


    However, he hasn''t been able to master the core hunter skill of taming wild beasts yet. William spected that he might need to obtain the hunter profession specialization first to unlock this part of the skill set.


    Compared to the bunch of pure warriors among the family guards, William couldn''t help but feel inferior, both in terms of quantity and quality. (Family Guard: Should I leave?)


    Although the others are curious about William''s request to demonstrate various professional skills, he exined that he rarely encountered other extraordinary professions before and wanted to familiarize himself to avoid being clueless when facing them in the future.


    William didn''t want to hide anything from his teammates, especially considering how much his talent [Jack Of All Trades] affects things. He had to be cautious until he had enough strength to protect himself.


    Being able to master corresponding skills across professions is already quite rare. If you can master all professional skills, isn''t it obvious that there''s something wrong with you?


    William ns that in the future, when he reveals his identity, he will only use warrior skills at most. If necessary, he can im to be a battle mage!


    Other profession skills, he''ll avoid using for now.


    At the same time, after William learned many skills and obtained the [Mastery of Arms] warrior basic specialization, the additional experience bonus brought by the talent [Jack Of All Trades] has also increased to 30%.


    The strength of the [Jack Of All Trades] talent is gradually showing itself.


    Today, William sparred with Nichole again untilte. William, covered in sweat and dust, continued practicing with his longsword despite thete hour.


    Nichole, indeed, lived up to her potential as a future protagonist. Despite her young age, herbat skills and battle experience far surpass those of the forty-something uncle Jason! (Jason: Should I leave?)


    "Alright, let''s go in now. Dinner is ready!" Jason called out from the window when he saw the two had stopped.


    Seeing this, William and Nichole stopped fooling around, packed up their weapons, and headed back inside.


    Nichole rushed into the house excitedly, shouting, "I''m so hungry! What are we having for dinner tonight?"


    "We ordered from Parsel Restaurant. It may not be as good as what William cooks, but let''s just make do with it," Jason said with a smile, waving at William as he greeted him.


    "No need to be so polite. I''m nowhere near as good as a restaurant chef," William humbly replied. He had cooked many times over the past few days and had almostpletely won over the several members of Nichole''s adventuring party.


    Jason waved his hand, not saying anything. In his eyes, William was indeed quite peculiar. Despite being a noble, he was very skilled in cooking, and as a mage, he was practicing meleebat with Nichole.


    However, after these few days of interaction, he felt that William was a decent person, unlike some stiff aristocrats who always carried themselves with a noble air. William had a broad knowledge and could easily exin many things Jason didn''t understand. It was quite pleasant to be around him.


    Today, it''s a rare asion for all members of Nichole''s adventuring party to gather together. As everyone enjoyed their meal, Jason knocked on the table and, when everyone''s attention turned to him, cleared his throat and said:


    "It''s been a long time since wepleted thestmission, and we''ve rested for quite a while now. With the addition of our new member, William, I think it''s time we go to the Mercenary Guild and pick up a new mission."


    As one of the rare gold-tier adventuring parties, Nichole''s mercenary group is naturally an important force forpleting advancedmissions for the Mercenary Guild. The guild has already sent someone to inquire if Jason wants to ept an advancedmission, especially since it was a task given to them from above.


    Miss Nichole has already reached a certain level of strength, and what''s left is to gain experience in various aspects.


    This is also the reason why Miss Nichole became a mercenary and roams around everywhere.


    "Agreed!" Nichole was the first to raise her hand, holding a chicken leg. She had been looking forward to this and found it quite boring to stay in the city every day.


    "I have no objections!" Jason nced at the mug of ale in his hand. Almost all the rewards from thestmission had been spent on drinking, so it was indeed necessary to earn some more beer money.


    Elena pushed a few strands of golden hair behind her ear with her right hand and nodded gently in agreement.


    Elena wouldn''t have any objections either!


    epting amission = Completing advanced missions = Massive experience!


    This was too tempting for William at the moment!


    "Alright, then it''s settled." Jason nodded. He was basically in charge of the daily affairs of Nichole''s adventuring party.


    "Shall we go to the guild tomorrow morning to check it out?"


    As he said this, Jason turned to look at William and hesitated before saying, "I think since it''s William''s first time joining our adventuring party, we should choose a simpler task like a hunting mission for this mission. Let''s get familiar with each other first."


    William nodded. It made sense after all. He was only at the bronze level, while his teammates were all at the silver level. Nichole was even a gold-level warrior. If the cooperation wasn''t good, his presence could even be detrimental to the team.


    Andpared to exploration-type missions, hunting missions had a higher margin for error. After all, danger coulde from all directions during exploration of mysterious realms, requiring a higher level of teamwork among team members. So Jason''s consideration was quite thoughtful.


    But William wasn''t worried about dragging the team down. He might not be able to aplish much else, but his realbat experience and skills were solid. These were honed through countless deaths in his past life.


    William didn''t believe that anyone else had experienced death as many times as he had. Ordinary battles couldn''t disrupt his calm andposedbat mindset.


    William''s current situation was somewhat like a skilled cook without rice, possessing maturebat experience and skills from his past life butcking corresponding strength.


    His progress in strength was not fast enough; he still had a long way to go!


    These few days of realbat training made him realize the huge gap between himself and Nichole, the protagonist of the story.


    Even if he unleashed all his strength, he couldn''t even scratch Elena.


    Too weak!


    William clenched his right hand, feeling the blood surging through his body, his soul roaring incessantly. The desire to improve his strength had never been so intense!


    It was even stronger than when he first realized the threat of impending death upon being reborn as a viscount.


    Yes!


    Since he had arrived in this vast and magnificent world, in this era of rising heroes, how could he be willing tog behind, to be carried along by the tides of fate, to settle for whateveres his way?


    Even if she''s the protagonist!


    I am William!


    In this world, I must climb to the pinnacle and let my name be remembered by all the races of this world!


    ================================================================


    Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation!


    Creation is hard, cheer me up!


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    Like it ? Add to library!


    Have some idea about my story? Comment it and let me know.

 Chapter 32 - 32 Mercenary Commission

    <h4>Chapter 32: Mercenary Commission</h4>


    Chapter 32 Mercenary Commission


    Early the next morning, William was already fully armed, standing at the entrance of the Mercenary Guild.


    Having introspected his inner desires yesterday, William felt a firmer resolve within himself. Perhaps this was his own inner conviction? William chuckled self-deprecatingly, but his determination remained unshaken in his eyes.


    The Mercenary Guild''s hall was bustling in the morning. Few people remained seated, chatting and drinking to pass the time. Most were gathered around themission board, discussing with their teammates which tasks to undertake.


    Surveying the surroundings, William noticed that Nichole and the others hadn''t arrived yet. Perhaps he should go to their vi first.


    But then again, maybe he should wait a bit longer.


    He might have been a bit impatient; after all, he had arrived earlier than necessary.


    Finding a ce to sit near the guild entrance, William began to construct magical models in his mind. His recent progress in arcane research hadn''t been significant, as much of his energy had been devoted to martial training.


    Since he had acquired the specialization "Mastery of Arms," and had familiarized himself with various weapons during his battles with Nichole, he realized he needed to focus on arcane research.


    After all, arcane arts were the foundation of his identity!


    As William contemted how to make a breakthrough in defensive arcane magic, he felt a tap on his back.


    "William, what are you daydreaming about? I called your name several times," Elena''s clear voice rang in William''s ears.


    "Oh, I was just lost in thought. Didn''t notice," William replied, turning around to see the fully armed quartet standing behind him.


    Nichole was d in a set of dark red leather armor, its faint glow indicating it was a valuable enchanted item. She carried a ck longsword in a scabbard on her back, looking lively and cute.


    Jason, on the other hand, wore a white full-body suit of armor and wielded a silver spear emitting a cold gleam. Handsome as he was, he seemed a bit showy.


    Lumbro, in contrast, donned aplete set of pure ck dwarven guardian armor, much heavier than Jason''s, yet he carried it effortlessly, even casually resting a hammer almost his own height on his shoulder.


    Elena was dressed in a standard ranger attire, her slender figureplementing her beautiful face. Mercenaries around couldn''t help but turn their heads to gaze at her. Even William''s eyes lingered on the fair skin between Elena''s shorts and boots.


    "Let''s go. We''ll register William into our adventuring party first and then see whatmissions are avable," Jason beckoned to William, and they all headed to the registration desk together.


    Coincidentally, it was L sitting behind the counter.


    Seeing Nichole and her group approach, L greeted them proactively, "Ah, it''s the esteemed members of Nichole''s adventuring party. Is there anything I can assist you with?"


    "This is our new member, William. Help him with the registration," Jason said.


    Official personnel information of mercenaries in the guild was registered and documented. Without registration,pletedmission tasks couldn''t be counted towards an individual''s mercenary points, thus hindering their progress in the mercenary rankings.


    "Is this... Mr. Moriarty?" Seeing her teammates'' strange looks directed at him, William couldn''t help but awkwardly cough and say, "That''s the pseudonym I''ve chosen. Let''s register under that name."


    "Alright," L responded promptly. If Mr. Moriarty was joining Nichole''s adventuring party, a top-tier mercenary group, then he must be someone exceptional. She hadn''t misjudged him.


    Surrounding bystanders, upon learning that Nichole''s mercenary group had a new member, couldn''t help but curiously gather around William.


    Though the name "Nichole''s Mercenary Group" didn''t sound as imposing as Blood Wolves, Lionhearts, or Falcon''s Eye, mercenaries valued strength above all else. Members of Nichole''s adventuring party were all of Silver rank or higher, making them truly illustrious among mercenaries.


    "Is there any other information you need to update?" L asked.


    William pondered for a moment before saying, "Change my profession to Mage."


    Previously, William had concealed his profession to focus on learning martial skills without drawing attention. Now that he had obtained the Warrior specialization, there was no need to hide anymore. Moreover, it was even more peculiar for an unaffiliated individual like himself to join Nichole''s group.


    "Then..." Seeing L''s hesitant expression, William didn''t say much and simply took out his Emerald Staff from his storage ring.


    As magical energy flowed, the gemstone at the staff''s tip emitted a verdant magical glow.


    Seeing this, L promptlypleted the registration. She handed the card to William and said, "Mr. Moriarty, your information has been registered. Please keep your mercenary identity card safe."


    Taking the card, William noticed the surrounding mercenaries looking at him, a young and handsome mage, discussing in hushed tones.


    "No wonder he could join Lady Nichole''s adventuring party. Looks so young. Turns out he''s a mage."


    "I wish our team could have a mage join us someday."


    "He must have Silver-level strength. To be a Silver mage at such a young age is incredible."


    "Definitely, didn''t you see therge high-level magic gem on his staff? It must be a Gold-tier equipment. If he''s not a Silver mage, could he be a Bronze one? If so, I''ll swallow my sword right now!"


    "True, but is it possible he''s a Gold mage? After all, Lady Nichole, being so young, is already a Gold-ranked warrior. I can''t be sure about this handsome young man."


    Listening to the surrounding mercenaries'' discussions, William''s mouth twitched involuntarily.


    Being a Bronze mage would indeed be disappointing.


    William forcibly resisted the urge to perform sword-swallowing stunts for the onlookers and followed his teammates to themission board to see what suitable tasks were avable.


    [Missing Person Commission: Mr. Smith has once again run away from home (with a portrait attached), requiring retrieval (force may be necessary). Reward: 5 gold coins, Duration: Unlimited.]


    [Escort Commission: Escort the Mayer caravan to the Duke of Baird''s territory to the east, requiring a mercenary group of at least ten. Reward: 100 gold coins, Duration: One month.]


    [Extermination Commission: The Hilo Manor outside the city is being invaded by a group of tusker boars, requiring the elimination of all tusker boars on the estate. Reward: 2 gold coins for each tusker boar eliminated, all spoils belong to the hunter, Duration: Unlimited.]


    ncing over a fewmissions, William felt a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu.


    He had epted many simr exterminationmissions in his past life. Such tasks were lucrative; selling a single boar fetched around 4 gold coins, and with an additional 2 gold coins as a reward for each elimination, it totaled up to 6 gold coins, a considerable reward.


    However, there probably wouldn''t be many people taking on this task. Apart from experienced hunters using traps for hunting, dealing with tusker boars alone would require a profession level of at least 10, which was equivalent to hunting low-level monsters.

 Chapter 33: Departure

    <h4>Chapter 33: Departure</h4>


    Chapter 33: Departure


    Early the next morning, a regr carriage swayed away from the bustling crowds at the east gate of Canlight City, heading southeast.


    This was Nichole''s adventuring party, consisting of five members, with Jason renting a carriage to take them to their destination.


    After spending some time yesterday examining and discussing, Nichole and her team finally decided on themission they would ept.


    [Advanced Extermination Commission: Baron Zet Tony''s vineyard has been invaded by unidentified monsters (suspected to be Silver-tier monsters), resulting in the deaths of a dozen people (including a Silver-tier mercenary). The request is to eliminate the monsters, clear all threats from the vineyard. Reward: 1000 gold coins, Duration: One week]


    As William had expected, new tasks had appeared in the system.


    ---


    [Silver-tier Mercenary Task: Monster Extermination]


    [Task Requirements: Apany Nichole''s adventuring party to eliminate the monsters causing trouble in Baron Tony''s territory.]


    [Task Reward: 700,000 experience points, 100 gold coins]


    ---


    Indeed, it was a Silver-tier task, and the experience reward was generous enough to raise his level by three more.


    Joining Nichole''s adventuring party truly proved its worth.


    Thinking about this, William leaned against the side of the carriage. Underneath him was a dry straw mat radiating a sunny warmth. In the fields surrounding the road, many farmers had already begun their day''s work.


    Though the carriage wasn''t moving fast, the vineyard destination wasn''t far from Canlight City. However, it would still take over a day on foot. To conserve energy and deal with unforeseen circumstances, Jason had decided to rent a carriage.


    They could have afforded a morefortable boxed carriage, but such carriages weren''t suitable for rough country roads. The lightweight carriage they were currently using was far more convenient and swift.


    Nichole and her team had grown ustomed to this mode of travel, especially William, who had relied on simr lightweight carriages for long-distance travel in his previous life''s game''s early stages. Advanced modes of transportation like teleportation circles only became avableter in the game.


    "We''re receiving a hefty reward for this missionpared to regr Silver-tiermissions," William remarked to Jason, who was driving the carriage.


    Nichole was currently lying by the carriage''s side, her eyes observing the nearby farmers working the fields. She held a thumb-thick twig she had picked up from somewhere, deftly twirling it in the air.


    Although she was the leader, she rarely dealt with matters concerning the adventuring party, leaving it all to Jason, who was a reliable worker.


    "You''re right," Jason nodded, controlling the reins to steer the horses forward. "Because this task is quite special. I asked the guild, and it''s been taken by some mercenaries before, but none havepleted it. Moreover, a Silver-tier mercenary was killed by the monster, so few are willing to take on this task now. The client increased the reward for this reason."


    "There must be more to it than just that," William continued to inquire.


    "Yeah, you should be aware of it too, as a noble," Jason paused before continuing. "As a noble lord, one of the most basic and important duties is to ensure the safety of the people within your territory. This is especially crucial for Baron Zet Tony."


    "Zet Tony, as a noble lord, has experienced such a serious incident within his territory, but has been unable to handle it properly. Not only has it severely affected the normal operation of his vineyard, causing significant economic losses, but more importantly, it will also raise questions about his ability to rule his territory by the royal family."


    "It wouldn''t matter as much if his territory was on the kingdom''s border. However, his territory is just a day''s journey from the capital, Canlight City. This is quite dangerous. If he can''t resolve the situation for a long time, he may lose his noble title and territory."


    "Exactly!" William nodded in agreement, his thoughts aligning with his previous spection.


    Gaia''s world was different from his previous life. In addition to human settlements, there were countless intelligent races, monsters, and beasts.


    To better govern the country, territories beyond the royal family''s control were granted to others, giving rise to the nobility.


    Those living within a noble''s domain owed allegiance to their lord and paid taxes in exchange for protection.


    After all, the wilderness was too harsh for ordinary people to survive in.


    The presence of magic allowed various extraordinary creatures to widely spread across the world. Even within human kingdoms, cities, and territories, various extraordinary creatures and monsters roamed. Despite the kingdom''s efforts to eradicate them, they could only keep their numbers at a low level.


    Even the weakest extraordinary creatures like goblins, kobolds, and slimes posed deadly threats to ordinary people.


    Therefore, even though the inhabitants within the city walls and castles had to pay hefty taxes, ordinary people still flocked to them, unwilling to leave. Perhaps this was due to the sense of security brought by the city walls and the lord''s army.


    However, humans were indeed a miraculous race. The weak couldn''t even defeat a slime, yet the strong stood atop the world, overlooking all beings.


    Reflecting on this, William pondered that this might be the reason why humans currently upied most of the primend in Gaia''s world. After all, human gods held the majority of seats in the council of the gods.


    As the carriage gradually moved forward, the surroundings became increasingly deste, devoid of human presence, with dense vegetation taking over.


    Nichole and herpanions became more alert. In the wilderness, the most crucial thing was not to be careless and let down one''s guard. Even for a Gold-tier warrior, how could one be certain that an ancient red dragon wouldn''t suddenly appear by the roadside and breathe fire, sending them to meet the Lord of Dawn? The probability might be low, but it was certainly not zero!


    Veteran mercenaries who had survived numerous adventures in the wilderness always remembered this point.


    As William multitasked, vigntly scanning the surroundings while mentally simting spell models, suddenly, from the bushes by the roadside¡ª


    "Yah!"


    Two small creatures suddenly dashed out, rushing towards William and the others in the carriage.


    Jason halted the carriage, unfazed. He had long recognized what was in front of them.


    "William, is this your first time leaving the city for a mission? Do you recognize these?" Jason asked calmly.


    Of course, William recognized them very well. In fact, he was quite familiar with them. At a nce, he could tell they weren''t human.


    Pah! These were actually one of the mostmon extraordinary creatures encountered in the wilderness¡ªa kobold.


    Kobolds were short in stature, with an average height of about two feet. Their scaly skin ranged in color from dark brown to ck. They had two small horns, glowing eyes, and a straight tail like a rodent''s.


    Kobolds were timid and cunning, adept at hiding and ambushing. They tended to mistreat other creatures. They feared bright light and generally inhabited dark areas, such as underground or densely forested areas.


    It was said that kobolds had a trace of dragon blood in them, which might exin why dragonblood sorcerers asionally emerged among them.


    Even though William had seen kobolds countless times, he couldn''t help but find them ugly creatures from all angles. Dragons finding them attractive? Perhaps dragons truly had eyes for discovering beauty.


    Watching the two kobolds bounding towards the carriage, Jason turned to William and said, "Since you''ve recognized them, how about you give these two a try?"

 Chapter 34: Kobolds!

    <h4>Chapter 34: Kobolds!</h4>


    Chapter 34: Kobolds!


    William lightly jumped down from the carriage, standing in front of it.


    The two kobolds, d in unknown red leather, seemed oblivious to the danger and continued wielding makeshift spears made of branches and stones as they charged forward.


    Nichole and her teammates, seeing William preparing to take action, also turned their gaze towards him.


    They weren''t doubting William''s ability to deal with these two kobolds. They just wanted to see how William would perform when facing monsters for the first time.


    Although kobolds posed a significant threat to ordinary people, it was mainly because they usually operated in groups. If their numbers fell below those of their opponents, kobolds generally chose to flee.


    Encounters like these, where two kobolds charged alone, were rare.


    William appeared calm and rxed, not even taking out his jade staff. He simply raised his right hand and cast a spell without a staff.


    "sh!"


    William deliberately increased the magical output. A dazzling light shed in front of the kobolds.


    Because kobolds had adapted to living in dark environments, even a zero-level cantrip like sh could have a blinding effect on them.


    "kreee! kreee!"


    Blinded by William''s sh spell, the two kobolds panicked, clutching their heads as they scurried around in confusion, emitting unintelligible cries.


    It seemed that only higher-level priests and sorcerers among kobolds could speak amonnguage and some Dragonic. Most koboldsmunicated with each other through their cries.


    "Fireball!"


    With a flick of his finger, William urately struck the two ugly kobolds with two Fireball spells, instantly incinerating them into ashes in the mes.


    "You have dealt fatal damage to the target with Fireball!"


    "You have in two kobolds (Normal) LV10!"


    "You have gained 200 experience points."


    "Kobold experience points are really low!" William quipped.


    There was no helping it. After all, kobolds were too weak. A single wild boar could take on five normal kobolds single-handedly.


    Jason raised an eyebrow. sh wasn''t much, but only an experienced wizard knew to use sh to deal with low-level kobolds.


    And William''s Fireball spell seemed a bit off. Why did it feel more powerful than the Fireball spells he had seen before?


    As William walked towards the jungle where the kobolds had appeared, Jason quickly asked, "William, where are you going?"


    "Kobolds usually operate in tribal groups. I''m going to see if theirir is nearby."


    "I''ll apany you. Nichole, you guys stay with the carriage."


    "I want to go too!" Nichole, who had been bored sitting in the carriage for half a day, naturally wouldn''t miss this opportunity.


    "Alright then." Jason sighed inwardly. But considering that Elena and Lumbro were guarding the carriage, nothing should go wrong.


    The three of them followed the path left by the kobolds towards the depths of the jungle. The traces left by the kobolds were still quite evident. Even though none of them had the Hunter profession, they quickly found the kobolds''ir.


    It was at the bottom of a small rocky hill, with an obvious dug-out cave leading into the mountain. At the entrance, two kobold guards stood watch.


    "How should we proceed?" Out of courtesy, William asked Jason before taking action.


    "There''s nothing much to say. Let''s just charge in. These kobolds pose no threat to us," Jason replied casually, then seemed to remember something and quickly reminded William, "William, remember not to use earth-based spells once we''re inside the cave."


    "I know."


    Of course, William knew why. In his previous life, there was a wizard who, for some reason, used an earth-based spell, Earth Tremor, while exploring a dungeon. This spell caused the entire dungeon to copse, resulting in the death of the entire team underground.


    This miraculous operation was hailed on yer forums as one of the ssic examples of a wizard''s blunder.


    That being said, William didn''t feel the need to cast any offensive spells himself. His teammates were simply too powerful.


    Before William could even cast Shield spells on Nichole and Jason, they had already charged out. The two kobold guards at the cave entrance hadn''t even seen what happened before their heads were sent flying.


    Nichole and Jason charged into the cave, leaving William shaking his head as he followed.


    This situation made me feel useless because my teammates are too powerful. The only thing I can do is cast Shield spells, Elemental Shields, and Protection Arrows on myself to feel more involved.


    Entering the kobold cave, William noticed that despite kobolds generally being only a meter tall, the cave was quite spacious. William could walk in without worrying about hitting his head.


    Kobolds, being natural miners, were skilled at excavating caves. William even noticed that at intervals along the way, kobolds had set up venttion shafts and support pirs. It was quite impressive.


    No wonder dragons liked to gather a group of kobolds as minions, letting them mine precious ores and gems. This was the reason William wanted to explore kobold caves. In his previous life, almost every time someone discovered a kobold nest, they could find some valuable ores inside. If lucky, they might even stumble upon magical gems.


    So many yers were addicted to exploring kobold caves as if they were opening blind boxes.


    Nichole and Jason had already disappeared from sight. For them, it wasn''t about the possibility of finding precious ores in the kobold cave. It was simply about eliminating threats. After all, while kobolds might not be much of a threat to them, they could pose a significant danger to ordinary passersby, especially considering how close this kobold nest was to the main road.


    William quickened his pace, heading deeper into the cave. Along the way, he saw one or two dead kobolds lying on the ground.


    His panel kept popping up with notifications of his teammates killing kobolds, and he shared some of the experience points. It was better than nothing.


    Estimating that the cave passage was over a hundred meters long, William soon reached the end.


    At the end was a rtively spacious area where the kobolds had excavated five or six meters upwards, forming arge space. On the sides of the walls were several separate caves dug out by the kobolds, where they probably rested.


    "William,e over here and take a look. There''s actually a sorcerer inside this kobold nest," Nichole waved excitedly at William, inviting him to see her discovery.


    William walked over to Nichole. This area faced the cave passage directly, and the caves on the walls were significantlyrger than the others.


    There was a dead kobold lying at Nichole''s feet. This kobold was obviously different from the others, wearing more intact animal skins. Next to it was a crude staff made of bone and wood.


    "You killed him already, so what''s there to see?" William couldn''t help but feel helpless.


    "Oh, I forgot. I saw the light emitting from his staff and instinctively chopped him down," Nichole said with some embarrassment. It was her first time encountering a kobold sorcerer, and she acted without thinking.


    "It''s alright. After all, there''s nothing much to discuss with these monsters," William waved his hand. Even if kobold sorcerers could speak amonnguage, William didn''t feel like there was anything tomunicate with these creatures. He didn''t need kobolds to help him mine.

 Chapter 35: Magic Crystals

    <h4>Chapter 35: Magic Crystals</h4>


    Chapter 35: Magic Crystals


    As William and Nichole surveyed the rare kobold sorcerer, Jason was busy inspecting and clearing the walls of the surrounding caves.


    All adult kobolds had been in by Nichole and Jason, leaving only some kobold hatchlings and unhatched eggs in the cave.


    Yes, koboldsid eggs.


    They would ce the eggs they produced inmunal incubation chambers. There was no distinction between their own offspring; instead, the entire colony would collectively nurture and educate them, forming a standard tribal survival system.


    Jason systematically killed each and every kobold hatchling in the cave, including those that hadn''t opened their eyes yet. There was no room for mercy towards these creatures that posed a threat to human survival.


    If they spared a few hatchlings, given their exceptional reproductive speed, it wouldn''t be long before another kobold nest appeared here!


    William observed the kobold sorcerer in the cave, flipping through the belongings of the obvious leader.


    Using his sword to overturn the misceneous items in the cave, amidst bones and animal skins, William made a new discovery.


    Several translucent crystals were piled together, each about the size of a finger, emitting a faint glow.


    William picked up a small piece with Mage Hand and carefully examined it, testing it with magical energy. He confirmed that it was indeed a magic crystal.


    Although not as valuable as magic gems worth tens of thousands of gold coins, due to its excellent mana storage and conduction properties, magic crystals were often used in magical equipment and valuable elemental research equipment. A small piece in his hand was worth hundreds of gold coins.


    Looking at Nichole, William thought to himself, "This must be the luck thates with being a protagonist!" After all, his own luck was pitifully only three points!


    William decided to keep all the magic crystals in his storage ring and said to Nichole, "This is the team''s gain. I''ll hold onto them for now, and we can split them afterpleting the mission and returning to the city."


    Nichole wasn''t interested in this and waved her hand, indicating that William could handle it. Instead, she picked up the kobold sorcerer''s staff and kept waving it around, seemingly more interested in some patterns in the kobold cave.


    Seeing this, William didn''t say much. After thoroughly inspecting the kobold sorcerer''s cave and finding nothing else besides some gold nuggets, he stood up and walked out.


    Jason had already cleared the entire kobold nest, wiped the red blood off his sword, and returned it to its sheath.


    Seeing William walk out, Jason asked, "William, are we done?"


    "Yeah, we''ve made some gains."


    "Okay, let''s go out. Once we''re out, could you use earth-based magic to bury this nest?"


    "No problem."


    After saying that, the two of them pulled Nichole, who was wandering around, and returned to the surface through the passage.


    As soon as they emerged, William couldn''t help but take a deep breath of fresh air. Even though the kobolds had venttion shafts in their nest, the strange smell still made him ufortable.


    After catching his breath, William took out his emerald staff from his ring, gathered mana, and began chanting a spell.


    "Earth w!"


    Although he hadn''t learned Earth Tremor, a high-level spell, yet, the third-tier spell Earth w he had recently mastered could also achieve the effect of destroying terrain.


    Under William''s control, ck three-fingered stone ws continuously emerged from the ground and crashed towards the entrance of the kobold cave.


    Boom!


    After several loud noises, the entrance of the cave had been destroyed, and the small mountain above it had copsed. The entire kobold nest was buried under the shattered rocks.


    "Job done."


    William waved his hand, and after confirming that everything was in order, he called Jason and Nichole to head towards the direction of the carriage.


    Waiting on the carriage, Elena and Lumbro felt relieved to see the three return unharmed.


    However, Elena tossed aside the kobold sorcerer''s staff that Nichole had picked up. It was nothing but a piece of junk made of bones and twigs. She couldn''t understand why a young girl like Nichole would bother bringing it back.


    Nichole shrugged, ustomed to Elena''s scolding, and climbed onto the carriage with a somewhat aggrieved expression.


    The group continued their journey towards Baron Tony''s vineyard. Although dyed by the kobolds for a while, they were still on track to reach their destination before dark.


    As the sun began to set, the group caught sight of Baron Tony''s estate.


    Perched atop a small hill, the town wasn''t veryrge. A clear stream flowed from the foot of the mountain, and the castle with deep gray walls at the top of the hill stood out prominently among the low brick houses. Judging from the appearance of Baron Tony''s domain, there should be around a thousand residents.


    Looking around, vast vineyards extended into the distance, but there were few farmers tending to them.


    Seeing their destination ahead, the spirits of the group lifted. The fatigue from a day''s carriage ride dissipated slightly.


    As the carriage approached the town, a middle-aged man paced back and forth in front of it. Upon seeing the group''s carriage approaching, he greeted them eagerly.


    "Are you the gentlemen from the Mercenary Guild? I am steward Zeman. Baron Tony has been waiting for you in the castle. Please follow me."


    Zeman knew that these gentlemen were all silver-ranked strong individuals, so he dared not treat them with the attitude he used forborers, even though he had been waiting here for a day.


    The group disembarked from the carriage, and the Baron''s stableman arranged the carriage properly. Then, they followed steward Zeman towards the Baron''s castle.


    As they walked, William observed the houses on both sides of the road. The doors and windows were tightly shut, and there wasn''t a single pedestrian in the entire town. Only a few guards remained near the castle gate not far away.


    "What''s going on? Has that unidentified monster invaded the town?" Jason also felt something was amiss and asked Zeman.


    "Yes, it''s like this. Two residents went missing in the townst night, only bloodstains were found. This is the first time that the monster has attacked people in the town, so everyone is too scared to leave their homes."


    Zeman said anxiously, asionally ncing around the corners, fearing that the monster would suddenly appear and attack him.


    "Has it be this serious?" Jason''s expression became serious. It was quite rare for a monster to directly invade a town and attack its residents.


    No wonder the town felt so lifeless. If this continued, merchants might not evene to this town for trade in the future.


    This would be a huge blow to Baron Tony''s livelihood, which relied on grape cultivation and winemaking.

 Chapter 36: Baron Tony’s Enthusiasm

    <h4>Chapter 36: Baron Tony''s Enthusiasm</h4>


    Chapter 36: Baron Tony''s Enthusiasm


    The steward Zeman led the group into the castle. The castle appeared to have some age to it, with ivy covering one side, giving it a sense of the passage of time.


    Although the castle wasn''t particrlyrge,pared to the colossal ones that could upy entire hilltops, it was well-equipped with all the essentials: walls, stables, training grounds, and so on.


    William and his group were ushered into the castle''s banquet hall, where a sumptuous dinner awaited them. Standing before the table was a man dressed in fine clothes, his face showing signs of worry, his belly protruding slightly.


    "I presume you''re the famous Nichole''s Adventurer Party. Our territory''s fate against the monsters now rests on you heroes!"


    This man was Baron Zet Tony, the owner of the territory. He appeared to have had several sleepless nights, evident from the prominent dark circles under his eyes.


    As the representative of the adventurer party, Nichole stepped forward to greet Baron Tony, saying, "You''re too kind. I am Nichole. Since we have epted yourmission, we will naturally carry out the task properly and help you eliminate the monster."


    "I know, I know. I''m counting on all of you!" Baron Tony finally breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing Nichole''s assurance. These past few days had really taken a toll on him.


    "You''ve all had a long journey today. I''ve already prepared dinner and a ce for you to rest."


    Not seeing Nichole introduce the other members, Baron Tony didn''t mind and promptly invited William and the others to take their seats.


    He had prepared thisvish dinner in advance today and even sent the steward Zeman to the town to greet them.


    All of this was arranged by a friend who had helped him post the task at the Canlight City Mercenary Guild. His friend had specifically instructed him yesterday that the individuals who epted themission to exterminate the monster in his territory were not ordinary.


    Initially skeptical of his friend''s words, Baron Tony had his doubts, especially since there had been Silver-ranked mercenaries who swore toplete the mission but ended up losing their lives. However, thest words of his friend dispelled all his doubts.


    Among the mercenaries who came this time was a Gold-ranked warrior!


    A Gold-ranked warrior! Such a powerful individual was a rare find, and if one swore allegiance to the king, they would be granted the title of Court Baron directly! This was much better than inheriting the title from his uncle.


    Baron Tony didn''t think he''d be so concerned about therge sum of money spent on hiring those mercenaries now that he could invite a Gold-ranked warrior. The Gold-ranked warrior should be this person named Jason, who seemed to be the leader of their group!


    This demeanor truly befitted a Gold-ranked warrior! Much stronger than the little girl beside him who seemed to be looking around aimlessly!


    Thinking of this, Baron Tony''s tone towards team became even more polite.


    Lumbro and the others also sat down at the dining table. The main dishes for dinner were stewed fish and grilled steak. Although it couldn''tpare to the Canlight City, the fact that such dishes could be prepared in this rtively remote town showed that Baron Tony had put in a lot of effort.


    Everyone declined Baron Tony''s invitation to taste the local specialty wine, including the dwarf Lumbro, who was usually addicted to alcohol. After all, they were about to face danger, and they couldn''t afford to numb their reflexes with alcohol.


    However, Elena quite liked the local grapes. These weren''t the sour grapes used for making wine but rather ordinary fruit grapes. They tasted quite good, with a unique vor of sunshine and rain.


    "Baron, could you tell us about the situation in your territory?" Jason asked Baron Tony as everyone finished eating and resting.


    "Oh..." Baron Tony sighed heavily, recalling the events.


    "It was some nights ago, one evening, when my steward reported to me that several goats had disappeared near the vineyard on the eastern side of the territory, and many of the vineyard frames had been damaged."


    "I initially thought it was fierce beasts like tusked wild boars or wolves, so I sent my captain of the guard with men to investigate, but then things went awry."


    "The captain of the guard lost an arm and fled back. Among the three men who went with him, only one returned."


    "My captain of the guard had just recently advanced to be a Silver-ranked warriorst year, so when I heard this, I knew I couldn''t handle it myself and had to ask a friend to post the task at the mercenary guild for me."


    "Several mercenaries came over a few days ago, wanting to exterminate this monster, but many of them couldn''t find it. Then, on the same night, a Silver-ranked mercenary was ambushed and killed by this monster, causing many mercenaries to be scared off and abandon the mission."


    "You are myst hope. If you can''t solve this, I''ll have to report to the king and request military intervention," Baron Tony said helplessly. He really didn''t want to rm the kingdom; otherwise, he might not even be able to keep his baron title.


    But not reporting was not an option either. If the monster continued to harass the territory without being dealt with, aside from his own safety concerns, the entire territory could decline rapidly in a short time. Then, what would be the point of being a lord?


    So he gritted his teeth and offered a reward of one thousand gold coins, which was the annual surplus of his ntation.


    William and Jason got a rough idea after hearing this. Jason then asked the baron, "What species is this monster? What does it look like, and have you confirmed any details?"


    "I''m not sure because the monster only appears at night, and those who returned alive didn''t get a clear look at it. They said it''s a ck quadruped monster, simr to a leopard or wolf, attacking townspeople and mercenaries."


    "It initially urred near the vineyard on the east side of the territory, butst night, it attacked people in the town. Everyone is terrified, staying home today, and I''ve ordered the guards stationed outside the town to call them back. Now, everyone is staying in the castle. Except for the guards guarding the castle, everyone else is patrolling the town."


    William nced at Baron Tony upon hearing this, surprised by how responsible this lord was towards his subjects and how well he had arranged everything.


    "I understand. Leave the rest to us, Baron," Nichole assured the baron.


    The baron repeatedly urged Nichole and the others to ensure safety. If even a Gold-ranked warrior couldn''t handle this, he would be at a loss. Should he pray for the monster to leave on its own?


    Jason gathered everyone and said, "You''ve all heard the baron''s description of the monster. What do you think it is?"


    "It sounds like a nocturnal monster. I think it''s highly likely to be a feline monster, such as a night panther or shadow panther. Of course, it could also be a terror wolf," analyzed Elena, being familiar with monster types as an elven hunter.


    The others nodded in agreement, acknowledging Elena''s perspective.


    "I also have some thoughts," William spoke up.

 Chapter 37: Division of Investigation

    <h4>Chapter 37: Division of Investigation</h4>


    Chapter 37: Division of Investigation


    "I don''t think it''s likely to be wolf-type magical beasts. Wolf-type magical beasts generally live in groups, but it''s obvious that in this attack, only one magical beast was attacking humans, and there were no signs of multiple magical beasts in activity," William analyzed.


    He had also hunted many wolf-type magical beasts in his previous life, so he was very familiar with them. Wolf-type magical beasts usually upy a territory in the wilderness as a group, and it''s rare for individual wolf-type magical beasts to live independently and wander around.


    "William and Elena make sense." Jason also agreed with this view and then said, "Moreover, ording to the previous situation, this magical beast should be of silver-level strength. If it were a golden-level magical beast, the previous mercenaries would not have just one casualty."


    After a brief discussion within the team, Jason spread out a simple map brought by the steward on the table and pointed to an area east of the castle.


    "This is the area where the previous attacks and the killing of the silver-level mercenary urred. And each appearance happened at night, so tonight, let''s do a simple patrol first to see if we can find traces of this magical beast."


    After saying that, Jason gestured on the map, "I''ll be responsible for this area, and the other half is for you, Nichole."


    Nichole nodded conscientiously. She just needed to follow the arrangements, without worrying because she was a young girl. If they really encountered that magical beast, the one who should worry would be the magical beast itself.


    "Elena, I need you to go to the farther areas of the vineyard to inspect and see if you can find any clues about the magical beast."


    Elena had no objections either. Wilderness exploration and tracking were the specialties of an elven ranger like her.


    "Lumbro and William, both of you stay in the castle. Tonight, the safety of the castle and the town residents will be entrusted to you two. Also, pay attention to signals. If you see one, provide timely support."


    "Regardless of who encounters this magical beast, prioritize your own safety, send signals immediately, and others should support without dy."


    After assigning tasks to everyone for tonight, Jason thought for a moment and emphasized to Nichole again, feeling somewhat worried:


    "Nichole, don''t chase after the magical beast even if you encounter it. Even if you''re strong enough, getting lost at night would be troublesome."


    Elena also looked over, and Nichole, who was somewhat unhappy, obediently nodded again, looking so sincere that she was almost swearing to the Lord of Dawn.


    It seemed that Nichole had done quite a few reckless things before.


    William chuckled and thought, noting all these things in his mind. This was valuable material for the future Valkyrie. The book could be titled "A Few Things About Me and the Young Valkyrie!"


    What stood out was a case of misleading marketing.


    "William, it''s your first time going on a mission with us. Make sure to stay safe and stick with Lumbro the whole time," Jason said to William right after mentioning Nichole.


    William nodded earnestly. Suddenly, he felt that Jason wasn''t easy either. He was practically the full-time nanny of Nichole''s Adventure Team!


    And as for himself, he didn''t need any special care. After getting the strength attribute adjustment from the Arcane profession specialty, his health points were not lower than those of warriors at the same level. Plus, with a bunch of magical shields and martial skill effects, William felt quite durable now.


    But indeed, for now, he couldn''tpare to Jason and the others, who were silver-level strongmen. Moreover, they were mostly melee professions, with most of their attribute point bonuses in strength and resilience.


    Then, with Nichole, Jason, and Elena all geared up, they headed toward the outskirts of the town under the darkening night.


    Meanwhile, William apanied Lumbro to the highest point of the castle, making it convenient to observe the surrounding area of the town, so they could promptly respond to signals for rescue.


    As the night deepened, the silver-white moon hung in the western sky, and the town beneath their feet fell into the silent darkness. Only a few flickering lights moved not far away, likely the baron''s guards patrolling diligently.


    Lumbro and William stood on the top of the castle''s watchtower, silently observing their surroundings.


    With the keen eyesight of two professionals, even the faint moonlight allowed them to see everything around them clearly.


    After a moment of silence, it was William who broke the silence, saying, "I heard Baron Tony''s wine is quite famous in Canlight City. After we deal with that magical beast, we can enjoy it."


    Lumbro, d in heavy armor, thought for a moment before gruffly replying, "Forget it. I can''t stomach wine. Ale is strong enough for me."


    Indeed, for dwarves, arge mug of ale that they could drink heartily was more to their taste than wine.


    Then, while keeping an eye on their surroundings, William and Lunbos chatted casually, covering topics from fine wine to gourmet food, from goblins to dragons. They seemed to have endless topics to discuss, as if they had known each other for ages, chatting about anything and everything.


    "William, you''re not bad!" Lumbro patted William''s shoulder and said, "Apart from thatd Jason, you''re the most different noble I''ve ever met. When we get back, I''ll help you get a full-body armor forged at the dwarven workshop in Canlight City. Consider it a wee gift, and it''ll definitely be better than what you''re using now."


    It seemed that he had some connection with the dwarven workshop in Canlight City. William remembered that it was called the Iron Hammer Workshop, and it truly embodied the dwarven style.


    Indeed, forging weapons and equipment was a specialty of the dwarves. From mining ore to smelting metal and forging equipment, dwarves had their unique techniques. Dwarven-made weapons and equipment were highly sought after by other races, so dwarven equipment workshops were almost ubiquitous in the major cities of the continent.


    "Well, thank you very much. I''ll trouble you when I need it," William replied politely. He wouldn''t let go of any opportunity to benefit himself without causing harm. He could always repay Lumbro by sending him some good ale in the future.


    Lumbro waved his hand indifferently. It was nothing to him, just taking up some of his drinking time. He could always ask a few fellow dwarves to help out and treat them to a drink at the tavern, killing two birds with one stone.


    Just as the two were chatting, a streak of light suddenly shot into the sky from a mountain in the east of the castle, emitting a conspicuous light. It should be a signal from someone in the adventure team.


    "Here we go, let''s move!" Lunbos said, lifting his warhammer and jumping directly from the castle wall about thirty meters high. Hended steadily on the ground, raising a cloud of dust. The robust and resilient dwarf body allowed him to easily withstand the fierce impact.


    William, however, couldn''t do the same. With his current physical strength, jumping down like that would result in either death or a broken bone.


    But for a mage, there were always more solutions than difficulties.


    Third-circle spell "Flight!"


    William also floated down directly from the castle,nding on the ground and following Lunbos towards the location where the signal was sent.


    Don''t ask why he could fly and still had to walk over. It was just that the speed of the third-ring spell "Flight" was too slow, equivalent to the walking speed of an ordinary person.


    Before mastering the sixth-ring spell "Agile Flight," mages didn''t have the ability to engage in aerialbat. Flying up would just make them sitting ducks, a lesson learned from the bloody experiences of mage predecessors.

 Chapter 38 - 38 Moon Spirit Leopard

    <h4>Chapter 38: Moon Spirit Leopard</h4>


    Chapter 38 Moon Spirit Leopard


    When William and Lumbro arrived at the location where the signal was sent, Elena and Nichole had already arrived ahead of them.


    The one who sent the signal was Elena. Seeing William and Lumbro had also arrived, she nodded in acknowledgment.


    "I discovered that magical beast here, or I should say, I was almost attacked by that magical beast," Elena pointed to the top of a huge rock in front of her and said, "That magical beast was right there at the time. It probably noticed me long ago, maybe nning to attack me when I passed by."


    "When I just searched here, my hunter''s instinct kept alerting me. I observed for a while before I found its location."


    "When that magical beast saw that I had noticed it, it immediately turned and left. I tried to chase it after sending the signal, but I didn''t catch up. I could onlye back here and wait for you."


    "That magical beast is so bad, it even wanted to ambush Sister Elena."


    Nichole waved her little fists angrily, as if she would immediately rush up and beat it fiercely if that magical beast appeared in front of her now.


    Jason wasn''t as impulsive. After all, Elena was standing there perfectly fine, evidently not having fought with that magical beast at all.


    "Elena, did you get a clear look at that magical beast? What kind of magical beast is it?" Jason asked.


    Elena seemed hesitant, but she still gritted her teeth and said, "I got a clear look. It''s a Moon Spirit Leopard."


    Moon Spirit Leopard, so that''s it. No wonder Elena''s expression was soplicated.


    William understood. He had wondered why Elena hesitated so much and didn''t want to say what kind of magical beast it was. So, that''s how it was.


    Jason also quickly caught on. As for Nichole and Lumbro, they still wore expressions of innocent confusion.


    Moon Spirit Leopard? What kind of magical beast is that? Why did Elena look so strange?


    It can only be said that these two aren''t really gifted in learning.


    William, who had rich experience from his past life, naturally knew what a Moon Spirit Leopard was. After all, in the 3.0 version of the game''s main storyline set in the elven stronghold of the Naviya Forest, William had encountered many secret pieces of information rted to elves.


    Among them, there was information about the Moon Spirit Leopard.


    The Moon Spirit Leopard is an extremely rare type of leopard-like magical beast that often appears at night. Its entire body is pitch ck, but its shiny fur emits a faint moonlight-like glow, hence its name.


    Most importantly, the Moon Spirit Leopard is the legendary envoy of the elven divine system: the messenger of the moon and the guardian goddess, Clemena. It is also the bestpanion and assistant of elven hunters. Almost all Moon Spirit Leopards on the continent live in the Naviya Forest, and all elven hunters take pride in gaining the approval andpanionship of a Moon Spirit Leopard.


    From this, you can see the status of the Moon Spirit Leopard in the hearts of the elven race and elven hunters!


    Elena, as an outstanding Silver-ranked elven hunter, naturally understood all of this. But to discover that the intruding magical beast was it, and to think that her team had to hunt it down, Elena was somewhat unwilling to ept it.


    "Is it possible that you''re mistaken?" William asked Elena, as Moon Spirit Leopards appearing deep within the human kingdom''s territory and killing many residents did seem somewhat unreal.


    "No." Elena took a deep breath, calming her somewhat turbulent emotions.


    "My mother''spanion is a Moon Spirit Leopard. It has been with me since I was little. I wouldn''t mistake it."


    Jason was somewhat helpless. He could see that Elena didn''t want to harm this Moon Spirit Leopard. If they had encountered it during a normal adventure, he naturally wouldn''t have acted, and he might have even helped Elena tame it.


    Even if the mission failed, Jason didn''t care much. After all, the mission''s reward wasn''t that crucial for the team.


    But the problem now was that this Moon Spirit Leopard appearing in Baron Tony''s territory had already killed more than a dozen residents and had be a ferocious beast, preying on humans. If left unchecked, it could lead to even more serious consequences.


    After pondering for a moment, Elena''s expression finally became firm. Gritting her teeth, she said:


    "Since it has already resorted to cannibalism, it can no longer be the envoy of the goddess Clemena. Let''s send this Moon Spirit Leopard to the goddess''s divine realm."


    For elves, consuming any humanoid creature was uneptable.


    Moreover, Elena had already felt the intense malice emanating from this Moon Spirit Leopard when it ambushed her. It was impossible for it to be apanion to elves anymore, so naturally, she gave up the idea of taming it.


    Jason also breathed a sigh of relief. It was best if Elena could think like that, so they wouldn''t have to worry about amodating their teammates'' thoughts during the crusade process.


    Seeing Elena determined, William asked:


    "How strong is that Moon Spirit Leopard?"


    Elena furrowed her brows, pondered for a moment, and replied:


    "An adult Moon Spirit Leopard should have the strength of a Gold rank. A few exceptional ones may even break through to the Legendary rank, but this Moon Spirit Leopard gives me the impression of being only at the high Silver rank. It seems to have not received the baptism of the goddess Clemena in the Naviya Forest, so its strength cannot break through the bottleneck."


    "That''s eptable, it hasn''t exceeded our expectations," Jason sighed with relief, understanding the type and strength of this magical beast. The crusade mission was already halfwaypleted; now, they just needed to find it and sessfully defeat it.


    "Elena, you''re most familiar with the habits of the Moon Spirit Leopard. Do you have any good ideas on how to deal with it?" Jason asked Elena.


    "Generally speaking, Moon Spirit Leopards are active at night, adept at hiding and ambushing. Their strength during the day will decrease significantly."


    "If a Moon Spirit Leopard has received the goddess''s baptism, it will receive the Moon Spirit''s blessing, and its strength will not be affected during the day. But obviously, this Moon Spirit Leopard hasn''t."


    "So, the most suitable time for the crusade is during the day?" Jason asked.


    "Yes," Elena nodded, "Even if it''s only at the high Silver rank, its speed and stealth abilities at night are formidable, and its perception is also strong. It will be very difficult for us to capture it."


    "But ording to the people from Baron''s domain, it doesn''t appear during the day. Can you find it during the day?"


    "I can try. Generally, Moon Spirit Leopards don''t have fixed territories; they usually roam around. However, this one has stayed in this baron''s domain for a long time, so it should have a fixed hiding ce. I can try to track its whereabouts tomorrow during the day."


    Elena analyzed clearly.


    "Alright, then let''s go back and rest for today. We''lle back tomorrow morning to find this Moon Spirit Leopard!"


    Listening to Elena''s suggestion, Jason made the final decision, deciding to continue searching for and defeating this magical beast tomorrow.


    Nichole and Lumbro had no objections. They were fine with the arrangements.


    William was the same. The most important thing in doing tasks while relying on others was to follow the arrangements. Being honest and staying put was crucial. Who would take you along next time if you ran around alone, causing chaos and wiping out monsters, and getting killed in instances?

 Chapter 39: Pursuit

    <h4>Chapter 39: Pursuit</h4>


    Chapter 39: Pursuit


    Early the next morning, William and the other four enjoyed breakfast at Baron Tony''s castle, and after sharing the fruit pudding William had prepared in advance, they set off for their task.


    For some reason, William found that when he stored some prepared hot dishes in his storage ring and took them out to eatter, the taste would be a bit strange. However, cold foods like pudding and ice cream didn''t seem to be affected.


    "Ah, let''s go!" Nichole, who was walking at the forefront of the group, eximed energetically.


    "Yeah, let''s do this," William nodded in agreement. The others didn''t react much; they were already ustomed to Nichole''s spirited demeanor.


    The group arrived at the location where they had discovered the Moon Spirit Leopard yesterday. Elena lightly leaped and stood on the huge rock where the Moon Spirit Leopard had been the previous night, surveying the area.


    The other four also searched around for any traces left by the Moon Spirit Leopard, fully participating in the task.


    After Elena finished her investigation and came down, everyone gathered together.


    "There are several w marks on the boulder, and some of the tracks aren''t very fresh. The Moon Spirit Leopard must frequent this area," Elena said, then pointed in the direction to the east, saying, "Yesterday, it left from this direction. Fortunately, there are still some lingering scents, so I should be able to track it."


    As the team''s scout and an elven hunter, Elena naturally had unique tracking methods to lock onto targets in the wild.


    William remembered that elven hunters could use the spell "Beast Tongue" to obtain information from surrounding small animals like birds and rabbits.


    Even after advancing to the Legendary rank, they could gain the divination spell "Ask Nature," which allowed them to directly obtain desired information from any living or non-living entity, such as forests, rocks, and so on. The effect was quite powerful.


    The others didn''t find any useful information, only confirming that there were indeed traces of the vineyard being damaged nearby.


    Following behind Elena, the group headed east. William also cast the spell "Featherlight" on everyone, making their movements even more agile and swift.


    After tracking for a long time towards the east, they were almost reaching the boundary of Baron''s domain when Elena suddenly stopped in her tracks.


    "What''s wrong?" Jason asked from behind.


    "It''s strange," Elena said with some confusion. "The Moon Spirit Leopard suddenly changed direction here and almost turned back towards the south of the domain."


    After discussing for a while, since there were no other clues at the moment, they decided to continue following to see if they could find any new discoveries.


    But strangely, the tracks of this Moon Spirit Leopard took another big turn to the west of the Baron''s domain.


    Fortunately, they had an elven hunter with them, whose scouting abilities were much stronger than those of human hunter profession. Otherwise, they might not have been able to find this magical beast and would have wasted time.


    Because there were few traces left by the Moon Spirit Leopard, and they were intermittent, Elena spent a lot of effort, even using the spell "Beast Tongue" several times to obtain information from surrounding small animals. It wasn''t until noon that they finally followed the tracks to a small stone mountain to the west of Baron Tony''s domain.


    This was one of the rare rocky hills in the Baron''s domain. The entire hill was less than a hundred meters high, and there were few trees and shrubs on it. There were many good hiding ces among the rugged cracks in the rocks.


    Because it wasn''t suitable for grape cultivation nearby and there were no special mineral resources, and it was nearly ten kilometers from the town, few residents of the domain passed through here.


    "Elena, is this the ce?" Nichole asked.


    "It should be. The scent of the Moon Spirit Leopard is very strong here. This should be where it hides during the day," Elena said, pointing to a clear w print left on the damp ground by the stream running beside the small mountain.


    "It should have been drinking water here. No mistake," Elena confirmed.


    "Okay," Jason said, then began to organize the tasks.


    "Elena, you and I will lead in the front. The task of exploration is up to you. Pay attention to discovering the Moon Spirit Leopard''s traces and don''t let it ambush us."


    "Yeah."


    "Nichole, you and William walk in the middle of the group. Pay attention to protecting William and be ready to support others in time."


    "Got it!"


    "William, before we set off, cast enhancement and protection spells on everyone. Make sure to maintain the effects of the spells. Of course, the most important thing is to protect yourself!"


    "Understood."


    "Lumbro, you walk at the back of the group. Remember to stay vignt and watch our backs."


    "I know."


    "Finally, everyone must be careful. This Moon Spirit Leopard is extremely skilled at ambushing in the dark. Stay alert."


    Jason emphasized onest time and prepared to head towards the mountain.


    Everyone took out their weapons and held them in their hands. Elena put away her longbow and switched to a shortsword, as the longbow wasn''t very useful in this exploration.


    William also took out his emerald staff and began casting enhancement magic for everyone.


    "Spirit Armor!"


    "Minor Deflection Force Field!"


    "Resistance to Energy Damage!"


    "Bear''s Resilience, Cat''s Grace, Ox''s Strength, Fox''s Cunning, Owl''s Wisdom!"


    "Precise Strike!"


    He cast various enhancement and protection spells on everyone. William felt a little relieved. Although mage''s enhancement and protection effects were not as good as the divine magic of a priest, it was still quite good for the adventure team without a mage or a priest before.


    "Not bad, William. I can clearly feel my strength has increased," Jason remarked.


    William didn''t cast all enhancement spells on each person, as doing so would drain his mana beforebat even started.


    For Lumbro, he cast Spirit Armor, Minor Deflection Force Field, Bear''s Resilience, and Ox''s Strength.


    For Elena and Jason, he cast Spirit Armor, Precise Strike, Ox''s Strength, and Cat''s Grace.


    As for Nichole and himself, he cast all avable spells. William understood the art of his work very well.


    Jason felt the effects of William''s enhancement magic, tightened his grip on his sword, and said to everyone, "Let''s go."


    The group formed a tight formation and slowly made their way up the mountain, staying vignt and observing the surroundings, especially the shadows where the Moon Spirit Leopard was most likely to hide.


    As they carefully explored every corner of the mountain, not overlooking any possible hiding spots, William, who had applied the advanced magic warning of the third tier spells to himself, suddenly felt something. He looked up towards the direction indicated by his spiritual alert.


    In a shadow of rocks not far from the group, a pair of bright yellow eyes were staring fixedly at them.


    It was the Moon Spirit Leopard!

 Chapter 40: The Battle Ended In a Blink Of an Eye

    <h4>Chapter 40: The Battle Ended In a Blink Of an Eye</h4>


    Chapter 40: The Swift Battle


    "There it is!"


    William pointed to the location of the Moon Spirit Leopard and reminded his teammates.


    Jason and the others also spotted the Moon Spirit Leopard with William''s guidance. Elena immediately dashed towards the target.


    She was the most agile member of the team and bore the responsibility of restraining the Moon Spirit Leopard. However, since it was daytime, the Leopard''s stealth ability was greatly diminished. Elena''s speed wouldn''t be affected. She was confident she could hold the Leopard off.


    As long as she could stall for a minute, her teammates could catch up, and together they could kill the dangerous beast.


    The Moon Spirit Leopard, hidden in the shadows, saw everyone charging towards its direction and knew it had been exposed. Without hesitation, it turned and ran. The rugged rocks around it didn''t hinder its movements. With a light step on the stones, it leaped down from the hill and ran towards the foot of the mountain.


    The threat these people posed to it far surpassed those who had chased it before. The intuition warned the Moon Spirit Leopard not to let these people catch up.


    Jason and the others, seeing the Leopard''s decisive action, cursed inwardly. They hastened their pace towards the Leopard.


    But they couldn''t catch up with the monster''s speed. Only Elena, the hunter, and Nichole, the Gold-ranked member, could barely keep up.


    "eleration!"


    With William''s incantation, a magical light caught up to Elena and Nichole, enhancing their speed significantly.


    "Well done," Elena couldn''t help but praise William as she rushed towards the Moon Spirit Leopard.


    When the distance between her and the Leopard was within her attack range, Elena put away her shortsword into her storage ring and drew her longbow emitting a faint green light.


    "Thorn Net!"


    Apanied by a green light, an arrow shot through the air towards the running Moon Spirit Leopard.


    Sensing the attack from behind, the Leopard agilely leaped into the air, dodging Elena''s shot.


    However, Elena''s arrow was not so simple. As itnded on the ground beneath the Leopard, awork of thorny vines erupted from the ground, attempting to ensnare the Leopard.


    With no leverage in the air, the Leopard could only be helplessly trapped by the thorny. Although the thorns couldn''t harm its tough fur, the was quickly torn apart by its sharp ws. But in just a few moments, it was enough for the others to approach.


    Elena, being the closest, swung her longbow. Three arrows were shot towards the Leopard.


    "Marking Shot!"


    "Shock Shot!"


    "Binding Shot!"


    Elena''s three consecutive shots weren''t aimed at causing significant damage but rather to control the beast as much as possible, awaiting her teammates'' support.


    Just freed from the thorn, the Moon Spirit Leopard couldn''t evade Elena''s arrows. The arrows struck its hindquarters directly, eliciting a pained howl. Its movement visibly slowed down.


    Realizing it couldn''t escape the hunters like William''s group today, the Leopard turned around. Its amber eyes seemed to be tinged with blood as it abandoned its escape and charged straight at Elena.


    The previously reduced speed seemed to recover as the Leopard entered a frenzy. A ck figure swiftly approached Elena.


    "Watch out!"


    Nichole, who was just behind, shouted.


    Elena remained calm. She proficiently executed the Hunter''s life-saving skill, "Leap Technique." A pale blue wind elemental aura surrounded her as she leaped backward, simultaneously bending her bow to shoot at the Leopard.


    "Burst Shot!"


    The Leopard dodged to the right, avoiding the arrow, and continued its charge towards Elena. It had realized that unless it dealt with Elena, there was no chance of escaping this pursuit.


    The hunter''s tracking and control abilities were too strong!


    However, the Leopard''s n was about to fail. Nichole finally arrived at the scene in the nick of time, drawing her ck longsword and shing towards the charging Moon Spirit Leopard.


    **Bang!**


    The Moon Spirit Leopard rebounded with even greater speed than before,nding on the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust.


    Even though the Moon Spirit Leopard was a Silver-ranked magical beast, only a hair''s breadth away from being Gold-ranked, but Silver-ranked was still Silver-ranked. That thin line was like a chasm, firmly blocking its path to resist the Gold-ranked warriors.


    Moreover, the one who struck, Nichole, was a standout among Gold-ranked warriors, almost sending the Moon Spirit Leopard flying in a crushing manner.


    Nichole didn''t say much, directly lifting her sword and charging towards the Moon Spirit Leopard.


    At this moment, the roles of offense and defense had shifted!


    Nichole arrived in front of the Moon Spirit Leopard and delivered a seemingly ordinary diagonal sh.


    However, the Moon Spirit Leopard sensed the smell of death from Nichole''s simple attack and dared not resist head-on. With its speed advantage, it swiftly dodged to the side, avoiding Nichole''s strike.


    Nichole furrowed her brows slightly. Although the Moon Spirit Leopard was a Silver-ranked magical beast, its speed was slightly faster than hers as a Gold-ranked warrior, which was quite annoying.


    If the Moon Spirit Leopard knew what Nichole was thinking, it would probably cry out in frustration.


    I''m an agility-specialized advanced magical beast. In this aspect, I''m just a tad faster than you, whose main attribute is strength. What more do you want?


    However, as a future legendary warrior, Nichole naturally wouldn''t be without countermeasures.


    "Charge!"


    A faint white light shed around Nichole as her petite figure rushed towards the Moon Spirit Leopard at an extremely fast speed.


    Before the Moon Spirit Leopard could react, Nichole, already close, raised her longsword, gathering faint blue electric lights on the de.


    "Thunderous Strike!"


    The Moon Spirit Leopard hardly had time to react before it was struck heavily. Even the toughest fur couldn''t stop Nichole''s sharp blow. A massive wound spread from the Leopard''s upper limbs to its abdomen, and dark red blood surged out uncontrobly.


    The severely injured Moon Spirit Leopard seemed to want to struggle, but the sporadic shes of thunderous electric light paralyzed its entire body, rendering it unable to move.


    Satisfied with taking down the Moon Spirit Leopard in just two moves, Nichole snorted softly, sheathed her longsword, and happily ran to Elena''s side, concerned about her elf sister who had been chasing after her during the pursuit.


    At this moment, William, Jason, and Lumbos had just arrived, looking somewhat helpless as they gazed at the almost defeated Moon Spirit Leopard lying on the ground.


    It feels like we didn''t have much to do?


    "That''s on you guys, I did make a move," William''s eyes nced at Jason, inly expressing his disdain for his cking behavior.


    "What are you looking at?"


    Jason nudged William''s shoulder and then walked towards Elena and Nichole.

 Chapter 41: Another Discovery

    <h4>Chapter 41: Another Discovery</h4>


    Chapter 41: Another Discovery


    Seeing the moon spirit leopardpletely devoid of any resistance, Jason shook his head and said to Elena, "Do you need my help?"


    "No need!"


    Elena bit her lip, refusing Jason''s kindness. At this moment, she seemed to have lost the resolute courage of a hunter she had just disyed in battle, revealing only the weak side of an elf.


    The moon spirit leopardy on the ground, excessive blood loss draining it of nearly all strength, allowing Elena to approach slowly.


    Elena squatted beside the moon spirit leopard, her slender hand gently caressing its head, tenderly as if treating a loved one, while a green glow from her hand slowly seeped into the leopard''s body.


    "Rest in peace, may all your pain fade away, and may you find forgiveness and tranquility in the goddess''s realm."


    The moon spirit leopard seemed to sense Elena''s kindness and sorrow, ceasing its final struggle, its amber eyes gazing quietly at Elena, conveying a profound sadness even to William.


    What''s going on? Why do I feel this way?


    William couldn''t help but feel puzzled. This was clearly a beast that had harmed others, right?


    Just when everyone thought the beast''s ordeal had finally ended here, the moon spirit leopard suddenly mustered itsst strength to lift its head and roar towards the small mountain behind the group.


    Just as William and others thought the leopard was rallying for a final stand, its massive body crashed heavily to the ground, thest glimmer in its eyes dissipating.


    Jason breathed a sigh of relief, lowering his raised weapon andforting Elena with a pat on the shoulder.


    Nichole also squatted beside Elena, whispering words offort. To an elf hunter, killing a sacred beast like this was too cruel.


    William, however, was curious. He felt no sadness for the moon spirit leopard''s death and walked over to examine the beast''s body closely.


    Something''s not right!


    With just a nce, William noticed something around the leopard''s neck.


    William squatted beside the leopard, feeling a cold, hard object hanging around its neck.


    Brushing aside the ck fur, William''s eyes fell on a ck chained cor. The bottom link was broken, indicating it was a special cor.


    It seemed this moon spirit leopard had an unusual origin. It wasn''t a wild beast but one that had been captured, tamed, and then escaped. No wonder it appeared thousands of kilometers away from the Navia Forest, deep in the territory of the Fi s Kingdom.


    William didn''t want to rm Elena and instead gestured for Jason toe over.


    Seeing William''s cautious expression, Jason walked over, somewhat surprised, and noticed the ck cor around the leopard''s neck.


    He also realized there was something off about the leopard''s origins.


    The two of them began examining the leopard''s body without changing their expressions.


    The strong scent of blood filled the air. William ignored the fierce wound on the leopard''s abdomen and carefully inspected other parts of its body.


    Sure enough, numerous scars were found all over the leopard''s back, many of them freshly healed.


    It seemed this leopard had just escaped from captivity. No wonder it attacked humans. It wasn''t just for food; it was likely also out of revenge against humans.


    William shook his head. There were always people, driven by greed or malice, who would stoop to such despicable acts.


    Not to mention capturing and imprisoning moon spirit leopards, those unscrupulous merchants didn''t spare even their own kind. Otherwise, how could such a vast ve market exist?


    Of course, human nature isplex, and William wasn''t a saint himself. He wouldn''t be shaken by this incident.


    Nevertheless, the leopard''s plight made William suspicious. Spending a considerable price to send such a valuable and powerful magical beast to the heart of the Fis Kingdom, William could already smell the scent of conspiracy.


    The world of "Divine Apocalypse" was deep. The kingdom''s calctions, the demons'' schemes, the gods'' resolutions¡ªall these lurked beneath the surface, waiting silently for the spark to ignite.


    Even William, who had experienced everything, couldn''t foresee all the events toe.


    This was a real world, filled with countless hidden conspiracies. Everyone was scheming for their own interests.


    However, William didn''t want to get too involved in these matters. He would not do anything beyond his capabilities. That was William''s code of conduct.


    But after experiencing this incident, Elena might be more extreme, William thought.


    William left the trouble they found to Jason and turned his gaze to the small mountain where the moon spirit leopard had hidden.


    Something felt off. The leopard''s behavior just now was peculiar, as if it held some special meaning.


    William pped his hands. Why think so much? Just go and see!


    "I''ll take a walk up the mountain and see if there''s anything to discover."


    William said to the others.


    No one paid much attention. The moon spirit leopard had been vanquished; there shouldn''t be any danger.


    But cautious Jason still had Lumbro apany William.


    Without saying much, Nichole helped Elena tidy up the scene, while William and Lumbro headed towards the small mountain.


    When the two arrived at therge rock where the moon spirit leopard had been found, they searched around but found nothing special.


    Wait!


    William cast the spell "Flight" on himself and floated in the air, carefully observing the hidden corners around.


    The moon spirit leopard''s den wasn''t here.


    This didn''t make sense. Since the moon spirit leopard had been lingering here for a long time, how could it not have prepared a resting ce for itself?


    After some thought, William, with a trial-and-error attitude, recited an incantation to use a new spell.


    "Life Detection!"


    This was a second-circle spell that could detect the position and strength of living beings within the spell''s range. The only drawback was that it couldn''t detect creatures stronger than oneself, which was also the reason why William hadn''t used it before.


    As an invisible ripple spread outwards, the entire small mountain was soon scanned by William.


    Closing his eyes, William saw the feedback from the detection spell in his mind.


    Dots of white light flickered in his mind, simting the various small creatures such as birds and rodents on the mountain. These faint glimmers were all living beings without extraordinary power.


    Soon, William noticed a feedback with a faint blue light on the back of the mountain. This should be a creature with extraordinary power, although it felt very weak.


    That must be it!


    William descended from the air and signaled for Lumbos to follow him. The two headed towards the location William had discovered.


    Finally, in a patch of low bushes on the back of the mountain, William found a small cave. Strictly speaking, it was a crevice formed by two ovepping rocks.


    The irregr-shaped entrance to the cave was hidden in the shadow of the bushes. If William didn''t know the exact location, it would have been difficult to find.


    William held his breath, focused, and cautiously entered the cave. His eyes adjusted to the darkness inside, and he saw the living being he had detected, feeling somewhat surprised.


    Is it really like this?

 Chapter 42: Moon Spirit Leopard Cub and Soul Return Ceremony

    <h4>Chapter 42: Moon Spirit Leopard Cub and Soul Return Ceremony</h4>


    Chapter 42: Moon Spirit Leopard Cub and Soul Return Ceremony


    William and hispanions quickly returned to the foot of the mountain.


    With the help of Jason and Nichole, Elena had already cleaned up the body of the moon spirit leopard, waiting to send it back to the realm of the elven goddess using an elven ritual.


    Jason also took two ws and some fur from the moon spirit leopard as proof ofpleting the mission.


    At this moment, William walked over, holding something in his arms.


    Approaching Elena, William handed her a small ck bundle wrapped in cloth.


    "Look, guess what I found?"


    Elena was puzzled, but she took the small object handed to her by William and nced at it, freezing in ce.


    A cute little head peeked out from the cloth, its eyes still tightly shut. The small ck body squirmed restlessly in the cloth, its pink paws struggling a bit uneasily. It seemed a little disoriented by leaving its familiar environment, constantly "humming" in protest.


    "Is this... a moon spirit leopard cub?"


    Jason, standing nearby, also saw the little fellow. It was unmistakably a miniature version of the moon spirit leopard lying on the ground next to it!


    "Wow, it''s so cute!"


    Nichole''s eyes sparkled as she stared at the little creature. Girls had no resistance to such fluffy creatures.


    "William, where did you find it? I want one too!"


    Remembering William as the one who initiated this, Nichole quickly asked.


    "I saw the moon spirit leopard roar towards the mountain before it died, which was strange, so I went to look around and unexpectedly made this discovery."


    William waved his hand, saying, "I can''t help you find another one. Maybe we''ll talk about it if there''s a chance in the future."


    "Ah, okay then." Nichole felt a bit disappointed but quickly ran over to Elena''s side, wanting to hold the moon spirit leopard cub.


    Ignoring Nichole''s coquetry, Elena held the little baby tightly in her arms. It seemed to sense the closeness and nestled quietly in Elena''s embrace, calming down considerably.


    Elena looked up, her eyes slightly red.


    "Thank you, William. I don''t know how to thank you."


    Elena squatted down, one hand holding the cub and the other gently stroking the fur on the neck of the moon spirit leopard mother.


    "Jason told me the truth, and I felt angry and hateful. As some elders say, humans, driven by their own desires, will destroy beautiful things. They seem to always carry darkness and filth with them."


    "But William, you, Nichole, and Jason have taught me a lot."


    "Among the despicable ve traders, there are admirable people like you, Nichole, and Jason."


    "Thank you, William. You are my eternal friend."


    Elena''s words were soft yet firm. She stood up slowly, gently cing the moon spirit leopard cub on her shoulder, looking at William with deep gratitude in her eyes.


    The moon spirit leopard cub seemed to sense something too, staying silent and obediently resting on Elena''s shoulder.


    When Elena leaned forward to kiss William on the forehead, William was taken aback. He felt like he had only done a small favor, never expecting Elena to be so grateful.


    Just then, a new message popped up on the system panel.


    [You havepleted the milestone "Friend of the Elven Race"!]


    [Effect of "Friend of the Elven Race": Your actions have won sincere gratitude from the elves, who see you as a true friend. Your charm attribute points increase by 10, and the initial goodwill of all elven factions towards you is raised to friendly (excluding dark elves). Under certain conditions, you can expend goodwill to obtain assistance from the elves.]


    This milestone effect is quite powerful!


    Unexpectedly, there was such an unexpected gain!


    Originally, William intended to give the moon spirit leopard to Elena without any ulterior motives.


    Firstly, Elena was his teammate, and it wasn''t appropriate for him to im possession of the moon spirit leopard at this time.


    Secondly, as Elena had mentioned, without undergoing a baptism, this moon spirit leopard would only have the strength of a silver rank in the future. It would also cost William a lot of precious resources, which wouldn''t be suitable for him.


    William was not a purely selfish person, and in his view, giving the little moon spirit leopard to Elena was the best choice.


    Although this situation wasn''t something William deliberately sought, he wouldn''t refuse it either.


    "Thank you, Elena. You are also my eternal friend," William said solemnly to the beautiful elven huntress whose cheeks were slightly flushed.


    "Oh oh oh~"


    On the side, Nichole made some unintelligible noises, joining in the fun and squeezing next to Elena, hoping to be kissed as well.


    Elena pushed Nichole''s head, which hade close, away unkindly, her expression turning serious as she said, "Everyone step back a bit. I''m going to prepare for the goddess''s soul return ceremony."


    William raised an eyebrow. The soul return ceremony? It was to return the soul of the moon spirit leopard to the goddess''s realm.


    Generally, when a follower of the gods died, their soul wouldn''t go to the underworld but would be guided to the realm of the gods, where they would be reborn or be worshippers. This was an act to enhance the gods'' own divine power, but it was also what the believers hoped for, thinking that this would grant them eternal life and happiness.


    In special circumstances where the soul couldn''t return to the realm of the gods, someone could hold a soul return ceremony to open the door to the divine realm and guide the lost soul.


    Of course, this required the consent of the owner of the divine realm, and the goddess Clemena would naturally not refuse the soul of a moon spirit leopard.


    Elena''s preparation should be for the soul return ceremony of the moon and guardian goddess Clemena.


    William and the others stepped aside, waiting for the ceremony to begin.


    Elena stood in front of the moon spirit leopard, taking out the emblem of the goddess Clemena from her storage ring.


    It was a shield-shaped emblem in the verdant green color of the pristine silver moon!


    Then she took out morning dew, a branch from the tree of life, and a green gem imbued with unique vitality.


    After preparing all the ceremonial items, Elena gently knelt down, closed her eyes, sped her hands together, and devoutly recited:


    "Great and merciful goddess Clemena!


    You are the embodiment of the silver moon in the night sky!


    You are the guardian deity of the elves!


    You are the protector of the rangers!


    We offer all our praises, gratitude, and honor to you!


    Your faithful here pray to you with sincerity,


    Please open the door,


    Let this wandering child return to your warm embrace!"


    { A/N: I have changed the name of moon goddess. Its shameful to say, but i forgot previous name and also lost my notes for this novel. So this name will continue from now on. Pleasement on this paragraph with chapter number where goddess was first mentioned and i will edit it. Thanks }


    With Elena''s prayer, a faint silver and green light appeared from the offerings, forming an illusory silver gate in the air.


    Even though William was just watching from a distance, he felt the irresistible divine aura of this seemingly weak power. Even without perceiving any threat, it seemed that a heavy pressure fell on his shoulders.


    Is this the aura of divine power?


    Even though he had witnessed scenes of divine incarnations battling countless times in his past life, this was the first time he had personally witnessed the disy of the vast power of the divine. Just the slightest breath made him unable to move.


    William''s mind was racing, but his eyes remained fixed on the scene of the ceremony in front of him, not daring to miss anything.

 Chapter 43: New Moon Blessing

    <h4>Chapter 43: New Moon Blessing</h4>


    Chapter 43: New Moon Blessing


    In Elena''s prayer, the illusory gate in the sky slowly opened inward.


    Through the gate, William could vaguely see a vast and lush forest full of vitality behind it.


    Just as the gate was fully opened, a faint white mist-like phantom appeared on the body of the moon spirit leopard''s corpse.


    This should be the summoned soul of the moon spirit leopard.


    The soul of the moon spirit leopard floated in the air, its illusory face lingeringly ncing at the little moon spirit leopard on Elena''s shoulder before soaring into the sky and entering the gate to the divine realm.


    Buzz~


    Suddenly, a loud sound echoed, and two doors shimmering with mysterious light slowly closed and sealed.


    William and the others breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that the soul return ceremony was over.


    Just as the gate summoned by the soul return ceremony was about to closepletely, several silver lights suddenly appeared from behind the gate, descending directly from within.


    Thergest silver light directly enveloped Elena and the little moon spirit leopard on her shoulder.


    Before William and the others could react, the remaining silver lights also descended one by one, directly entering their bodies.


    William only felt a sh of silver light before losing all sensation. After carefully checking his body, he found a silver crescent mark on the back of his left hand.


    Before William could figure out what the newly appeared mark on the back of his hand meant, the system prompt appeared in front of him.


    [You have received the blessing of the moon and guardian goddess Clemena]


    [You gain the expertise [Silver Moon Protection]]


    [[Silver Moon Protection] - Derived from the divine power of the moon and guardian goddess Clemena. Under moonlight, stamina and mana regeneration speed +50%, all attributes temporarily increase by 30%]


    ([Silver Moon Protection] expertise hidden effect, the probability of mastering Hidden Profession Skills such as moonlight, guardianship, night, and hunting increases by 30%)


    [You havee into contact with the divine power]


    [Your progress in analyzing divine power: 1%]


    Wow! That''s powerful! William touched the crescent mark on his left hand, realizing that the silver light just now was the power of the goddess Clemena?


    The so-called blessing of the gods refers to a kind of blessing bestowed by the gods on their devout followers or beloved creatures, endowing them with power derived from the gods, often manifested as a sustained enhancement effect.


    The [Silver Moon Protection] that William just obtained is quite special, as it only works under moonlight. However, inparison, the effect is also more powerful.


    Increasing stamina, mana regeneration speed, and a 30% increase in all attributes are quite terrifying effects, equivalent to an increase in level by nearly ten levels for William.


    As for the progress in analyzing divine power, William didn''t receive this prompt when he obtained the power of the gods in his past life, so he could only put it aside and explore itter.


    William nced at his left hand and decided not to wash it for a month. Perhaps he could change his pitiful luck by absorbing the divine aura.


    Nichole, Jason, and the others also woke up one by one, each with a happy expression on their faces, apparently benefiting greatly from the power of the goddess just now.


    "Nichole, how do you feel?" William asked, looking at Nichole, who was eager to try.


    "It''s amazing! I feel like my strength has increased a lot! Do you want to try it?" Nichole waved her small fist, showing off her little arm to William.


    William looked at Nichole''s fair and delicate arms and shook his head hastily, knowing full well the terrifying power hidden within.


    Seriously, Nichole alone could level the small mountain where they were, but it would take some time.


    Just as William and the others were joking around, the silver light on Elena and the little moon spirit leopard gradually faded away, and they woke up from their special state.


    "Elena, how do you feel?" Nichole immediately went to Elena''s side, asking with concern while keeping an eye on the little moon spirit leopard on her shoulder.


    It seems like the little cat has be more spirited! Nichole thought to herself.


    "I''m fine," Elena said, unaware of Nichole''s small movements. She nodded to the surrounding teammates to indicate that she was okay.


    "Was that the power of the goddess just now?" Jason asked, although he had some guesses in his mind, the always cautious him still asked Elena.


    "Yes, it was. It''s the reward from the goddess Clemena to us," Elena said with a look of reverence and longing on her face. "The goddess is very pleased with us for returning the soul of the moon spirit leopard home."


    Then, she gently held the little moon spirit leopard in her arms. The little guy seemed to have received the baptism and protection of the goddess as well, and now regarded Elena as the closest person, quietly falling asleep.


    While stroking the little moon spirit leopard, Elena said, "This little guy has also received the blessing and protection of the goddess. It will definitely be stronger than its mother in the future."


    Wow! How much does the moon goddess love moon spirit leopards? It must have cost a lot to perform such powerful divine power operations!


    William silentlyined in his heart, but as the strongest intermediate divine power deity in the elven divine system, the moon and guardian goddess Clemena probably wouldn''t mind this expenditure.


    Moreover, since William received tangible benefits himself, he should also praise the generosity of the Moon Goddess.


    Muttering a few words silently, William heard Jason arranging beside him, "Since everything is done, let''s tidy up and prepare to go back."


    No one objected to Jason''s words, and Elena used elven magic to summon vines to cover the body of the moon spirit leopard.


    When unable to return to their homnd, elves usually return the bodies of their animalpanions to nature in this way.


    The group returned to Baron Tony''s castle, informing him that the beasts in his territory had been sessfully dealt with by them and presenting him with the special certificate left behind.


    Baron Tony was naturally overjoyed, repeatedly thanking Jason and the others, and even invited them to rest in the castle for the night before departing the next day.


    However, the members of the adventure party decided to return to Canlight City now. They still had a little moon spirit leopard to take care of, so it was better to return to the team''s base as soon as possible.


    Watching the carriage of the adventure party gradually disappear at the end of the road, Baron Tony, who had specifically sent them to the crossroads of the town, couldn''t help but sigh.


    Truly, they are a team with a Golden Warrior. Their efficiency, even if a bit more expensive, is worth it! I should have just hired this mercenary group led by Nichole. It''s a waste of money to be dyed by those useless mercenaries. It''s all about money!


    "Master, shall we go back now?" Butler Zeman asked beside him. With the beasts causing trouble in the area dealt with, they, ordinary people, also breathed a sigh of relief, and Zeman''splexion improved a lot.


    "Go back?" Baron Tony''s tone was very stern. "Why would we go back so soon? You should hurry up and inform thosezy fellows to get to work in the vineyard."


    "These days of idleness are all wasting my money, do you understand?!"


    "And those people, go and tell them to leave immediately. Although the matter has been resolved, it has caused so much trouble. If it weren''t for that person, I would have thrown them to the Golden Lion Knights and the Dawn Church long ago!"


    "Let them leave quickly! I''m annoyed just seeing them!"


    Baron Tony grumbled and even kicked Zeman''s butt with his foot.


    Zeman immediately nodded and left to inform the strange caravan that had been staying with the master for half a year.


    "I hope there won''t be any more idents," Baron Tony stood in ce, looking worriedly at his vineyard. Why is it so difficult to be an ordinary baron?

 Chapter 44: Jack The Reaper

    <h4>Chapter 44: Jack The Reaper</h4>


    Chapter 44: Jack The Reaper


    The carriage returned much faster than it had gone. William and hispanions finally made it into the Brilliance City before the gates closed.


    "I''m going for a drink first, no need to wait for me!"


    With agility unusual for him, Lumbro leaped off the carriage, exchanged greetings with William and the others, and vanished in a puff of smoke.


    Looks like he''s really craving some booze.


    Jason shook his head but didn''t say anything. As long as Lumbro didn''t drink during the mission, he could do as he pleased. After all, with a dwarf''s constitution, drinking posed no real issue.


    Nichole paid no mind, happily nuzzling the little moon leopard in her arms,pletely disregarding the kitten''s struggle and extended pink ws.


    After much pleading and coaxing on her part throughout the journey, Elena finally agreed to let Nichole take care of the moon leopard for a while.


    "From now on, your name is Mooney!"


    Nichole held the moon leopard up in front of her, cheerfully giving the little creature its new name.


    Elena looked on helplessly at the struggling moon leopard in Nichole''s hands. Most likely, this little one would be herpanion in the future, but to be given a new name by Nichole like this... Shouldn''t it be something like "Shadow Panther" or "Moon''s shadow"?


    (Leopard: I don''t even want it!)


    When the carriage reached the vicinity of Fis Street, William also jumped off the carriage, bidding farewell to Nichole and herpanions.


    Nichole simply waved goodbye, then turned to snuggle with Mooney once again.


    Jason, who was driving the carriage, turned back and said to William, "We''re going to the Mercenary Guild to turn in the mission tomorrow morning. Are youing? It''s a good time to split the mission reward."


    "No need," William pondered for a moment, "I have some matters to attend to. You can hold onto the reward for me."


    Tossing the bag containing magic crystals to Jason, he said, "These are the spoils from the Kobold Lair. They''re worth hundreds of gold coins. Include them in the total."


    Jason caught the thrown bag and tossed it back to William, saying, "No need. Loot obtained during missions belongs to individuals, not the team. Keep it for yourself."


    "Alright then, goodbye."


    William nodded. Since there was such a rule, he wouldn''t refuse. After all, despite being a lord, he was currently a bit tight on funds. These magic crystals were worth hundreds of gold coins, and more importantly, they were valuable resources for his magical research.


    "Ah~~~"


    The next morning, William woke up from his soft bed andzily stretched.


    Although it only took two days toplete the extermination mission, most of the time was spent on the carriage. Even though he had strengthened his body through training, he still felt a bit tired.


    After freshening up, he went to the dining room to enjoy the sumptuous breakfast prepared by his chef. William patted his belly satisfactorily.


    Since thest time he made some snacks for Nichole in his own kitchen, his household chefs had realized that Master William''s culinary skills far surpassed theirs. Though it felt a bit strange, they humbly sought advice from him.


    William was happy to teach his household chefs. After all, there were many times when he was toozy to cook. With better cooking skills from the chefs, he could also enjoy his meals more.


    For example, the improved egg pancakes in front of him. William had specifically asked the chef to make a t pan for making pancakes. After some maniption, it already felt about seventy to eighty percent like in his previous life. William preferred to cook it a little longer, so he took a bite, enjoying the soft and crispy texture. It was simply delicious.


    Joyce, the butler, stood quietly behind William.


    Two days had passed, but Joyce, with his slightly graying temples, still wore his unchanged ck suit. His elegant demeanor seemed as immutable as his attire. William, who had be more natural and aristocratic since he dropped his pretense, made him seem even more noble.


    Joyce looked at William, his eyes flickering with a cloudy light.


    "You''ve made rapid progress, almost breaking through to the high-tier of bronze. Is this feeling due to divine blessing or the presence of the elvenpanion, a divine entity from the elven pantheon?"


    William''s current strength was transparent to Joyce, who also had a clear understanding of William''s experience of joining the adventuring party.


    Joyce, who was pondering, had the same expression as usual and didn''t intend to do anything.


    William had no idea that the butler standing behind him was actually a legendary-level powerhouse.


    If William knew, he''d hug his thigh without hesitation, even both thighs!


    After finishing breakfast, William habitually went to the yard to stretch and picked up his long sword to review the "Royal Swordsmanship" once again.


    Even though his strength wouldn''t decrease with the existence of the panel, things like the feel of his hand andbat intuition wouldn''t be reflected in the panel.


    So even though he had obtained "Mastery of Arms," he still needed to review it frequently, considering it as physical exercise.


    After finishing his routine, under Rosie''s service, William changed into a fresh set of clothes and set out with Welf, heading towards today''s destination.


    ---


    16th Street


    William stood in front of the brick house he had visitedst time.


    It had been a month since hisst visit, and the surroundings were still the same dpidated streets and muddy waters, but there were fewer covert nces this time.


    Of course, with Welf apanying him, anyone able to survive in such chaos would be quite astute. Who would dare to risk peeping at this obviously distinguished person with a high-level bodyguard by his side?


    Shaking his head, a month had passed, and ording to the young girl''s words, Jack should be back.


    "Bang, bang, bang~"


    The familiar iron gate, the familiar knocking sound, but this time there was finally a response.


    "Who''s there? you think I am deaf? Why knock so loudly!"


    The fierce voice came from behind the door, but William remained silent, standing quietly in front of the door, waiting.


    tter~


    The door suddenly swung open from the inside, and a man in his fifties walked out.


    It was hard to imagine that the loud voice just now came from this small figure. He had the appearance of an ordinary middle-aged man in the kingdom, but his expression was somewhat fierce. With a sparse brown hair, his leather jacket was already stained with wine and grease, almost unrecognizable from its original color.


    He looked like an unkempt old man, nothing special.


    But William knew that this man named Jack was not simple.


    In the previous life''s game, this Jack was a hidden NPC, and even though his temper was entric, he was still very popr among yers in the Canlight City area.


    Because this was a secret shop!


    Jack was the owner of this shop, selling rare magic items and equipment rarely found outside. So even though his temper was strange, it didn''t matter to the yers because of his enthusiasm.


    William hade for a special treasure in Jack''s hands.


    "Sorry to bother you, Jack, a friend rmended me toe over and buy something."


    Jack carefully scrutinized the handsome young man in front of him and didn''t say anything. Instead, he stepped aside, gesturing for William and Welf to follow him in.

 Chapter 45: Small Purchase

    <h4>Chapter 45: Small Purchase</h4>


    Chapter 45: Small Purchase


    16th Street, Jack''s General Store


    Although this young man was introduced by someone else, Jack remained vignt.


    Though it was their first meeting, the young man in front of Jack felt peculiar.


    Despite William''s ordinary attire, the magical aura surrounding him indicated he was a rare mage ording to Jack''s perception.


    But the calluses on his hands suggested frequent use of weapons such as long swords.


    Strange!


    Moreover, Jack''s store usually attracted members of underground forces and gangs. Yet, this handsome young man emitted no trace of a fierce or bloody aura.


    Especially the guard behind him.


    A Golden Warrior? Not only extraordinary in strength but also in status!


    Jack''s mind raced, but he didn''t speak to ask William and hispanions to leave.


    Able to run a shop in chaotic and disorderly ces like 16th Street and maintain it for so long, Jack naturally had the ability and confidence to protect himself.


    Even if this was a rare Golden Warrior, in the confined space of the house, Jack could deal a fatal blow under the guise of being harmless.


    Unaware of Jack''s suspicious thoughts, Welf followed quietly behind William, surveying the various items disyed around.


    On the ground were various weapons and equipment haphazardly piled together, swords, armor, iron spears, and more, all covered in dark bloodstains, indicating the items'' origins were not simple.


    On the right wall hung materials obtained from various magical beasts, such as white fur from snow wolves, ws from earth berserk bears, horns from rock rhinoceroses, and even what appeared to be dragon skin, along with many other materials Welf didn''t recognize, indicating they were likely not cheap goods.


    No wonder the young master wanted toe here; this shop seemed to have some tricks up its sleeve!


    William paid no mind to Welf''s curiosity. He himself had been surprised the first time he came, but unfortunately, he couldn''t afford anything and could only watch with envy.


    But this time, he wasn''t here to buy any equipment or weapons. The emerald mage suit he was currently wearing, as a Golden-level equipment, was already sufficient for him. His target this time was actually a treasure hidden in Jack''s collection.


    Of course, at the moment, this treasure was just an ordinary brooch.


    Jack sat down on a wide-backed chair against the wall and said gruffly, "Since you were introduced by someone else, you should know the rules. If you see something you like, take it yourself, no bargaining!"


    William didn''t mind. Jack''s attitude was much better than before; perhaps having Welf with him gave him a bit of face.


    It should be noted that in the previous life, some yers couldn''t stand Jack''s sarcastic mouth and directly attacked him, losing their lives. That''s when they learned that Jack was a Golden-level Shadow Assassin.


    "Welf, see if there''s anything you like. I''ll take a look myself."


    William instructed Welf, then began to search through the pile of odds and ends nearby.


    These were random items piled up in the corner of the room, many of which Jack didn''t recognize and simply threw here for people to choose at will.


    Each item was priced at 100 gold coins, just like a lottery; what you got depended on your eyesight and luck.


    "Magic ring? Just an ordinary stone."


    William tossed aside a ring emitting a faint light. It was a fake, but it looked pretty convincing.


    "Is this a love potion or an aphrodisiac?"


    William held a crystal potion bottle that was entirely pink, with half of the unknown liquid still inside.


    After searching for a while, William finally found his target.


    A dark gray brooch with a four-leaf clover pattern.


    This was it, exactly the same as the picture he had posted online in his previous life.


    William took the brooch in his hand, thought for a moment, and then also picked up the vial containing the aphrodisiac.


    Sometimes, this stuff was more useful than poison or anything else.


    "I''ll take these two, for two hundred gold coins," William said, cing the bag containing two hundred gold coins on the table in front of Jack.


    Jack opened it and nced inside, then tossed the heavy bag directly into a cab behind him.


    As for what William took from his shop, Jack didn''t care. If you got something good, it was because of your keen eyesight; if you picked up trash, don''t me others.


    These were all stolen goods, so getting them cheap was a bonus!


    Perhaps the expenditure of two hundred gold coins had some effect, as Jack''s attitude improved slightly.


    "Is there anything else you need? I can get a lot of good stuff here," Jack offered.


    William shook his head. Apart from this brooch, nothing else here was appealing to him.


    Perhaps he woulde backter for some rare magical beast materials when he started studying magic patterns.


    So Jack asionally closed the shop; he probably went elsewhere to restock.


    Just as William was preparing to leave, the door was gently pushed open, and a soft voice came from outside:


    "Uncle Jack, I''ming in, and I brought some delicious food for you."


    Ashley walked in carrying a basket, suddenly noticing two unfamiliar men in the room besides Uncle Jack.


    But this young man seemed familiar. Where had she seen him before?


    Ashley was curious, but still shy, so she immediately lowered her head and walked straight to Uncle Jack, cing the basket of bread and vegetable soup on the table. Then she hid behind Uncle Jack''s wide-backed chair, sneakily peeking at the somewhat familiar William.


    Isn''t this the future Lord of Night? she''s still so cute.


    Over a decadeter, in a side quest rted to assassinating nobles in the kingdom, yers eventually discovered that the culprit was a seductive female assassin who liked to wear tight leather clothes. In subsequent main quests, this female assassin made multiple appearances, and no one knew her origin.


    But the power of the yers was terrifying. The identity of this female assassin was eventually discovered by yers. She turned out to be the little girl who could asionally be seen in Jack''s shop in the early stages of the game.


    This incident caused quite a stir on yer forums at the time. William remembered clearly that someone had juxtaposed the childhood photo of Ashley, which was captured casually at the time, with theter image of the Sexy and valiant female assassin, making all the gentlemen marvel at the transformation.


    As Ashley was a highly popr character among yers, having encountered the Easter egg plot of Ashley''s childhood in Jack''s shop, yers affectionately referred to her as "Future Lord of Night."


    But at this time, the Future Lord of Night had not yet be a professional, so Uncle Jack probably hadn''t officially taken her as his apprentice.


    "Hello, little girl. From your voice, you''re the one who reminded me from behind the windowst time, right? Thank you very much," William greeted Ashley warmly. This was an important plot character; it wouldn''t hurt to make a good impression.

 Chapter 46: The Lucky Brooch of Arcadia

    <h4>Chapter 46: The Lucky Brooch of Arcadia</h4>


    Chapter 46: The Lucky Brooch of Arcadia


    "Ah, are you the big brother fromst time?" Ashley peeked out curiously. Last time, she had stolen a nce through the window crack. No wonder she found his figure somewhat familiar!


    "Yeah, I''m William. What''s your name?"


    "I''m Ashley."


    Just as Ashley was about to say her name, she was rudely interrupted by Jack''s gruff voice.


    "Done shopping? If you''re done, then hurry up and leave. Don''t waste my time doing business!"


    William nced around the grocery store, seeing no customers besides himself, shrugged, and realized that Jack didn''t want him to interact with Ashley right now.


    But it was okay; there would be other opportunities.


    William smiled at Ashley, greeting her, then walked out of the dim, narrow room with his newly acquired items.


    After William and Wolfe both left the room, Jack mmed the door shut with a loud bang and turned back to Ashley, gently advising her:


    "In the future, when strangers talk to you, don''t say anything, okay?"


    "Oh..."


    Ashley obediently nodded. That boy didn''t seem like a bad person at all, much better looking than those scary individuals who often visited Uncle Jack''s store.


    Jack nced at Ashley, pondered for a moment, and finally made up his mind.


    Since the first time he saw Ashley living across the street and sensed her extremely high affinity with the shadow ne, he knew she was a natural-born assassin.


    Lately, Jack had been hesitating whether to formally take Ashley as his disciple.


    After all, to be a true assassin, one must endure harsh and cruel training, walk on the edge of the de, and be immersed in bloodshed, all inevitable aspects of the path.


    It broke Jack''s heart to think about subjecting such an innocent and lovely girl to all of that. After all, he didn''t have any children of his own, and he had already treated Ashley as his goddaughter.


    But Ashley''s interaction with William made Jack realize that he couldn''t protect her forever; she would eventually have to interact with others and face the storms outside.


    Well, he''d let her make her own decision.


    Jack looked at Ashley with a serious expression and asked:


    "Ashley, do you want to be an assassin?"


    "Uncle Jack, what''s an assassin?"


    "It''s a profession like warriors or mages. I''m an assassin."


    Ashley''s eyes sparkled at the words. "Like those heroes in stories who defeat dragons and protect people?"


    "Exactly."


    Jack hesitated for a moment before saying, "Power itself is neither good nor evil; it''s all in the thoughts of those who possess it, whether they choose to do evil or good."


    After some thought, Ashley spoke softly but firmly:


    "I want to learn, so I can protect Aunt Anna and Uncle Jack!"


    Jack didn''t expect Ashley to respond like this. A slightly fierce expression blossomed on his face like a chrysanthemum.


    "Good, I''ll tell Aunt Anna. From now on,e to me every morning, and I''ll teach you how to be an assassin!"


    "Mm-hmm."


    Ashley''s cute little head nodded repeatedly, as if afraid that Jack would change his mind.


    William didn''t know that his interaction with Ashley this time had convinced Jack to take Ashley as his disciple in advance.


    At this moment, he didn''t want to dy. After returning to the mansion, he went straight to the basement.


    He took out the four-leaf clover brooch he had obtained from Jack and carefully examined it in his hand.


    Although the brooch was covered in dust and looked inconspicuous now, it would be a quite famous treasure among yers in the future.


    Hidden Treasure: Lucky Brooch of Arcadia


    This is an extremely rare item that can increase the character''s luck stat.


    The initial luck value of game characters fluctuates between three and seven points, and luck cannot be increased through leveling up. There are also few skills or item effects that can increase a yer''s luck.


    Luck is crucial for a yer''s fortune in the game, such as drop rates for equipment when fighting monsters. Moreover, luck ys a significant role in special circumstances or skill judgments.


    For instance, opening chests and critical hit rates for special skills, among others.


    However, William discovered that his luck value was a measly 3 points, so he immediately thought of this treasure.


    This brooch contains the power of the legendary fate god, nbel, but it hasn''t reached the level of an artifact; it''s just a special treasure.


    Currently, it looks dull and inconspicuous because its power is dormant and hasn''t manifested its special properties yet.


    William naturally knows how to awaken this treasure; all it needs is stimtion and guidance from a power of the same level.


    Taking out a small vial emitting a soft white light, William grimaced, feeling somewhat reluctant.


    This is the high-grade holy water he bought from the Dawn Church on the way, costing a hundred gold coins per vial. It''s simply extortionate.


    But he had no choice; this is the cheapest item containing divine power that William could buy. Even though it''s just a tiny amount, the breath of divinity is still present.


    William ced the four-leaf clover brooch on the table and carefully dripped some of the holy water onto it.


    At first, there was no reaction, but suddenly, the holy water on the brooch began to boil, and imperceptible ripples spread outwards.


    Joyce, the butler resting on the second floor of the mansion, frowned. With a grip of his right hand, the invisible fluctuations emanating from the brooch were confined within the mansion''s range.


    "What is the young master up to again? Previously, it was the protection of elven gods, and now, whose divine power is it this time?"


    Joyce felt somewhat puzzled. Since bing an arcane practitioner, the young master had been changing more and more.


    But Joyce had secretly checked and found no issues with William''s soul or body.


    Well, it''s a good thing he''s active; which strong individual suddenly bes stronger without making any noise?


    Shaking his head, Joyce decided not to bother anymore.


    In the basement, William was unaware that his butler had concealed the divine power fluctuations for him, focusing intently on observing the changes in the brooch.


    As if shedding its seal, the gray color on the brooch was gradually peeling away, revealing its silver-white base.


    In just a few minutes, the transformation finally stopped, and a brand-new silver-white four-leaf clover brooch appeared before William.


    William held the brooch in his hand and opened the system panel to check the effects of this treasure.


    [Hidden Treasure: Lucky Brooch of Arcadia]


    [Introduction: A treasure bestowed by the fate god nbel to the favored of the gods, Arcadia. Legend has it that it can bring good luck to its owner, but fate is fickle, and misfortune always seems to follow.]


    [Effect: Luck +3. Once a month, you can enter the lucky state, where all luck-rted judgments pass. The duration is 5 seconds, followed by three days of being a unlucky person.]


    [You have touched the power of the gods.]


    [Your analysis progress of divine power: 3%]


    {What do you think of this artefact? do you think 3 days is too much?}

 Chapter 47: Conspiracy

    <h4>Chapter 47: Conspiracy</h4>


    Chapter 47: Conspiracy


    "Hiss... this is powerful."


    William took a sharp breath, and the temperature around him rose by several degrees.


    In his past life, he had only heard about this as an item that increases luck value. He had seen style images on yer forums, but no yer who owned it had ever posted the specific effects, just a simple description.


    Never had he expected the luck value to increase by a whopping 3 points, making William''s luck much more appealing.


    In his past life, William knew that the best way to increase luck was the expertise "[Blessing of the World Tree]", but even that only raised it by two points.


    One could say this was the only treasure in the game rted to the God of Fate?


    As for the Lucky effect, there was relevant information in William''s past life.


    William knew that the simplest application was in battles, where it could make every attack hit weak points and critical hits.


    ording to the yer''s luck value, the critical hit rate fluctuated between ten and twenty percent with each attack.


    The Lucky effect was equivalent to William triggering a critical hit one hundred percent of the time for five seconds!


    Moreover, during these five seconds, many unbelievable things could be aplished.


    For example, with just a wire, one could open a chest with an advanced magical lock.


    For example, even without understanding the relevant knowledge, as long as magical ingredients were mixed together, a high-quality potion could be concocted.


    However, this effect should also have limitations. Firstly, there''s a limit to what good luck can achieve.


    An ordinary person with extremely good luck might defeat low-level professionals (such as when a sudden red dragon flies over and breathes fire, instantly killing the opponent), but they could never defeat a god.


    Secondly, ording to the instructions, after each use of the Lucky effect, there would be three days of being an unlucky person.


    This was something the previous owner hadn''t mentioned.


    William seriously doubted how lucky he would be in the Lucky state and how unlucky he would be in the unlucky state.


    Is this fate?


    Fortune and misfortune are intertwined, and misfortune often follows fortune.


    But regardless, this treasure is incredibly powerful, and now it belongs to William.


    Wearing this four-leaf clover brooch on his chest, it looked pretty good, not to mention.


    William readily invested all the recent experience points he had obtained into leveling up.


    William shivered all over, feeling the exhrating sensation brought by five consecutive level-ups.


    "Comfortable!"


    ---


    Name: William Kane


    Race: Human


    Level: 39


    Health Points: 1880/1880


    Mana Points: 3180/3180


    Status: Normal


    Experience: 0/260000 (Unallocated experience points [52100 points])


    Primary upation: Arcane Mage (Junior)


    Secondary upation: None


    Talent: Jack of All Trades (Legendary)


    Attributes:


    Strength 83 (Attribute Modification)


    Agility 45


    Intelligence 106 (Attribute Modification)


    Charisma 67


    Mystery 47


    Endurance 44


    Luck 3 (+3)


    Free Attribute Points: 0


    Expertise:


    [Arcane Mind] - Intelligence attributes receive double value modifications, Elemental Affinity +100%, Arcane sub-modules unlocked


    [intermediate Fatigue Resistance] - Reduces the negative impact of fatigue on the body, increases stamina recovery speed by 50%


    [Rank Suppression] - Receives additional power bonuses when facing lower-ranked professionals, current bonus (10%)


    [Fearless Challenger] - Reduces damage from rank suppression by 30%, has a chance to resist negative status effects such as fear, stun, silence, confusion, and charm


    [Low-level Toughness] - Increases health by 10%, improves minor injury recovery speed, and slightly increases personal resilience and elemental resistance


    [Mastery of Arms] - Strength attributes receive double value modifications, initial proficiency with all weapons fixed at intermediate level, and control level of the highest proficiency weapon +1


    [Silvermoon Protection] - Divine protection from the moon and the guardian goddess, Clemena. Under moonlight, stamina and mana recovery speed increase by 50%, all attributes temporarily increase by 30%


    Skills:


    Tricks (Hand of Magic, Cleansing, sh),


    First Circle Spells (Fireball, Ice Arrow, Human Charm),


    Second Circle Spells (Ice de, Wind Run, Earth Escape, Moderate Injury Repair, Levitation)


    Third Circle Spells (Chain Fireball, Elemental Shield, Stinking Cloud, Human Petrification)


    First Circle Arcane (Ignition), Third Circle Arcane (Blue Bomb, Aging Ray)


    Combat Skills (Fury sh, Shield m, Resistance Enhancement, Minor All Attribute Enhancement)


    Milestones: [Junior Mage (Bronze Level)], [First Step of the Strong (Silver Level)], [Friend of the Elves]


    Legendary Status: 10 (National Level - Court Viscount Legendary Status +10)


    Equipment: Emerald Staff, Emerald Talisman, Concentration Ring, Hidden Treasure: Lucky Brooch of Arcadia


    ----


    William enjoyed himself for a while before delving into today''s arcane research.


    It had been a month since he obtained the treasure brooch, and the Annual Holy Festival was drawing nearer. The sense of urgency in William''s heart was growing stronger, and he didn''t have much time left for himself.


    ---


    At a secret outpost in Canlight City, at the moment William obtained the treasure brooch:


    The secret chamber was located underground, with dimly flickering candles. A figure cloaked in ck stood silently in the center of the chamber, seemingly awaiting someone.


    Before long, another person, wrapped tightly in their cloak, walked in and stood before the cloaked figure.


    "How''s the task I gave you?"


    "It''s notpleted yet."


    The neer took off their hood, revealing himself to be Camus, who had shed with William at the Mage Academy.


    "You haven''tpleted such a simple task? I didn''t even ask you to kill that Viscount, just to test his strength."


    The cloaked figure was very displeased. If it weren''t for Camus being ssmates with William, this task wouldn''t have been assigned to him at all, as it was crucial to the ns of the higher-ups.


    "Give me some more time! That guy William hardly ever leaves his ce. I can''t find an opportunity. Last time I tried to corner him at the academy, but no matter what I did, I couldn''t provoke him. I had to resort to having his Golden Warrior guard intervene."


    Camus was also feeling aggrieved. He couldn''t understand how a prestigious Golden Warrior could be the bodyguard of a fallen viscount. What was it about William that was so enticing?


    "I don''t care. If you dy the ns of the higher-ups, you know the consequences."


    The cloaked figure replied, their words carrying a strong threat.


    Camus''s face changed, gritting his teeth, he said:


    "As long as you arrange for someone to engage that guard, I''ll take care of William myself. I''m sure I can find out his secrets."


    The cloaked figure looked at Camus as if he were an idiot:


    "What are you thinking? I only sent you to probe without alerting him. Do you want to arrange for a Golden-ranked professional, something we wouldn''t even resort to if this mission fails?"


    The cloaked figure didn''t say much more, finally stating:


    "The Annual Holy Festival is only two months away. I''ll give you another half a month. If you still can''tplete it, you won''t have to answer to me."


    With that, the cloaked figure walked straight out of the room, mming the door shut.


    Left alone in the secret chamber, Camus''s face was dark, as if water could drip from it at any moment. Clenching his fists, his nails almost drew blood.


    He thought it would be a simple task, but it had turned out like this.


    William! It''s all your fault!


    Don''t me me then!


    With determination, Camus, his face somewhat crazed, left the secret chamber.

 Chapter 48: Crucial Intelligence

    <h4>Chapter 48: Crucial Intelligence</h4>


    Chapter 48: Crucial Intelligence


    The next morning, after a long absence, Canlight City was greeted by a thorough downpour, apanied by rumbling thunder. In the courtyard, only Bend remained, calming the startled horses in the stables.


    In the dining hall, William, still in his pajamas,zily ate his lunch.


    Having spent another sleepless night working, William indulged in azy morning, just crawling out of bed.


    He didn''t me himself; if anything, he med the rain for making sleep too inviting, providing an inexplicable sense of security.


    As William savored the specially prepared roasted chicken by his own chef, Joyce ced a letter on the table.


    William flipped through the thick, unmarked parchment envelope. Not knowing who it was from, he was about to ask when Joyce preemptively spoke:


    "Young Master, this is a letter for you by Master Mora. He said you''d know what''s inside."


    Was it the intelligence he had asked Mora to gather for himst time? Finally, it had arrived!


    William lost interest in savoring the food any longer. He wolfed it down, barely filling his stomach, then grabbed the envelope and headed to the underground research chamber.


    Clearing a space on the table cluttered with various experimental apparatuses and scraps of paper, William sat down and tore open the envelope to peruse the intelligence Mora had gathered for him.


    Different types of intelligence were neatly organized on different formats of paper. Mora had indeed put effort into his task.


    "Changes in key officials within the kingdom? Nothing major there!"


    "The migration patterns of wild beasts in the kingdom and changes in merchant routes? Not particrly useful."


    "The recent activities of Countess Sharon''s widow? What''s Mora ying at with this?"


    The intelligence Mora prepared for him was diverse. For instance, the merchant routes seemed mundane, but William knew the cost his family''s trading consortium had incurred to uncover them. Selling such information to desperate traveling merchants could yield substantial profits.


    However, none of this was useful to William. What he wanted to know wasn''t among this information.


    At the end, he found the most detailed and crucial intelligence: statistics onmodity price changes in the Kingdom of Fis and surrounding countries.


    For most people, this served as apass for making money. But what William cared about wasn''t these.


    Among the dense data, William quickly found what he was looking for.


    In the Kingdom of Fis, staplemodities like grain, metal ores, weapons, and salt had experienced slight price increases over the past six months, ranging from five to fifteen percentpared to the same periodst year.


    Luxury goods and real estate prices had slightly decreased domestically.


    Several neighboring countries also showed simr situations, but the magnitude of price fluctuations was smaller than in Fis.


    Following the intelligence, there were rmendations from the intelligence personnel of the Golden Vine Chamber ofmerce, proposing an increase in the proportion of grain, equipment, and othermodities carried by caravans.


    William put down the intelligence and rubbed his chin, his eyes filled with profound meaning.


    Now this was interesting!


    The entire continent had been peaceful for a long time, so even though the Golden Vine chamber ofmerce noticed these unusual price fluctuations, they hadn''t considered them in the direction of war.


    Looking at these, whether it was grain, weapons, metal ores, salt, or any othermodities, they were all extremely crucial for war preparation.


    If the fluctuations in grain prices might have seasonal influences, then the price changes in weapons and metal ores didn''t make sense.


    However, William, despite not being particrly knowledgeable in economics, knew that the outbreak of war was an inevitable result. So, tracing back, it was easy to guess the reason for the increase in the prices of these war materials.


    Someone was secretly buying up and hoarding these crucial strategic materials!


    Moreover, judging by the magnitude of the price changes, the main buying and hoarding activities seemed to be happening within the Kingdom of Fis, which then affected the prices ofmodities in surrounding countries.


    This was getting somewhat terrifying!


    The funds mobilized could directly affect the prices of staplemodities like grain and weapons, implying an immense amount of capital!


    And this covert buying behavior hadn''t raised suspicions from the Golden Vine Merchant Guild, one of the top five guilds in the kingdom.


    This¡ªwithout the cooperation and support of the kingdom''s high-level officials, William couldn''t believe anyone could pull off such a feat!


    So, was the assassination attempt during the Annual Holy Festival orchestrated by the kingdom''s high-level officials?


    Could it be the king? William thought it unlikely. If it were truly the king''s intention to initiate a war, there would be no need for such a tant act that would damage the royal prestige and credibility.


    If the king desired, even minor border skirmishes could serve as a pretext for war.


    Suddenly, a sh of insight struck William! Yes, unless the king didn''t actually desire war, but someone wanted to create an irresistible pretext, forcing the King of Fis tounch an aggressive war.


    To shift the internal tensions within the kingdom and vent the dissatisfaction of the noble ss caused by the assassination!


    William slowly pieced together his thoughts, and his eyes began to gleam brighter.


    So, the most important thing now was to figure out who in the kingdom wanted to push for external aggression, and the reasons behind inciting war.


    William nced again at the intelligence in his hand, finding Mora''s delivered information quite useful. He''d have to thank him properlyter.


    Now, where could he gather information about the kingdom''s high-level officials?


    Soon, a figure appeared in William''s mind.


    Ah, how could he forget about her! ¡ª


    Gedo Street, Headquarters of Nichole''s Adventurer Team


    The rain outside continued to pour heavily, keeping people indoors, reluctant to venture out in the downpour.


    After all, in this era, even a minor cold could snatch away a person''s life.


    Members of Nichole''s Adventurer Team were all in the vi,zily enjoying this rare leisure time.


    Lumbro was still sipping his ale, which for him was akin to the elixir of life, while Jason was busy maintaining his longsword and armor, carefully lubricating them with special oil.


    Elena and Nichole sat side by side on the sofa.


    "Oh, Elena, just let me hold Mooney again, I''ll be gentler this time," Nichole pleaded, looking at the small ck cat curled up in Elena''s arms, feigning innocence.


    "You said the same thingst time," Elena retorted, ignoring Nichole''s attempts to act cute.


    "So stingy, I won''t let you y with it anymore in the future!" Nichole pouted in frustration.


    At that moment, William pushed open the door and walked in, overhearing Nichole''sint. He couldn''t help but smirk.


    Don''t be like that, it''s that ill-tempered Red Dragon of yours, I really don''t know how you managed to make the fiercest and most brutal of the Chromatic Dragons your mount? Was it through physical persuasion?


    Seeing William enter, Jason put down his sword and asked, "What''s up, William? Coming over in such bad weather, is there something urgent?"


    "It''s not really urgent, but I need your help with something," William said, shaking off the water droplets from his raincoat.

 Chapter 49: The Complex Situation of the Kingdom

    <h4>Chapter 49: The Complex Situation of the Kingdom</h4>


    Chapter 49: The Complex Situation of the Kingdom


    "Do you need me for something?"


    Judging from William''s serious expression, it seemed to be a matter of importance. Jason nodded and stood up.


    "Shall we go to my room?"


    "Alright."


    William put his raincoat aside and followed Jason directly to his room.


    Though Nichole and the others were curious, they had no intention of eavesdropping. If William wanted to talk to them, he wouldn''t have gone into the room.


    Jason''s room was on the east side of the vi''s first floor. Besides simple bedding and a wardrobe, there were many different styles of longswords and armor neatly arranged on shelves.


    Seeing William nce at those weapons and armor, Jason said, "It''s just a little hobby of mine. I like collecting these. Some were forged by dwarven masters, while others I purchased from other countries through intermediaries."


    William nodded. He had appraised the collection; it was an expensive hobby. Finally, he realized that Jason had a bit of the demeanor of a scion of wealth.


    "But enough about that. What''s the matter you wanted to discuss? Why so serious?"


    Jason changed the subject, pulling out two chairs for them to sit.


    "You know, I rarely socialize with other nobles. If there''s something I want to ask, I have toe to you."


    William spoke slowly, realizing that Jason was the person he had in mind to ask.


    As a scion of the top noble family, the Duke Harold, Jason naturally had some understanding of the top-level situation in the kingdom.


    As a teammate in the adventuring party, William felt that the futuremander of the Golden Lion Knights, Jason, was someone trustworthy.


    "What do you want to know?"


    Jason was curious. Was there something that couldn''t be learned through other channels, prompting William to ask a noble?


    "It''s like this: Do you know among the current nobles of the kingdom, who, in case of... hypothetically, would want to provoke a war with other countries?"


    William carefully chose his words, slowly addressing Jason.


    Jason was greatly surprised at this statement. Even the usuallyposed son of the duke almost lost hisposure.


    "Do you know what you''re saying?"


    William remained unfazed, meeting Jason''s gaze seriously. "I''m quite certain of what I''m saying. Can you tell me?"


    Jason rubbed his temples with his right hand, feeling a headacheing on. He hadn''t expected William to ask such a sensitive question.


    To be honest, based on recent interactions and understanding, he felt William was someone worth befriending. Most of the rumors he had heard about Count Kane before were likely unrealistic and fabricated.


    He was a low-key, steady genius!


    If William needed help, he was certainly willing to offer assistance to the best of his ability. That was a tradition of the Harold family.


    Make fewer enemies, make more friends.


    But this wasn''t the way to help!


    Casually mentioning such things could bring serious trouble to the Harold family.


    But William didn''t seem like such a reckless person.


    Jason raised his head, looked into William''s determined eyes, pondered for a moment, and said, "Can I know why you''re asking?"


    William nodded and directly delivered the premeditated exnation: "To be frank, I''ve received information from elsewhere suggesting that there might be individuals interested in inciting a war between our kingdom and others. Hence, I want to know who in the kingdom might have such inclinations." {A/n: With my bean sized brain, I can think of only this cliche reason. I am very sorry for my ipetence}


    "Is such a thing possible?"


    It wasn''t that Jason didn''t believe William, it''s just that 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 beforehand. There hadn''t been arge-scale aggressive war for a long time.


    The most recent minor conflict was a few years back, a sh involving thousands of troops between the borders of the Kingdom of Fis and the Kingdom of Norton to the west.


    However, William knew that over the years, despite the mediation of the Church, umted conflicts and the desires of various kingdoms for development were like a continuously expanding powder keg, just waiting for that final spark to ignite it.


    As for Jason, he knew of some nobles'' dissatisfaction, feeling that their own development had stagnated for many years and urgently needed a new window of opportunity.


    Previously, Jason didn''t take some rumors seriously, asints from noble lords weremonce, ranging from theck of novelty in recent operas to their own children not being as excellent as they expected.


    But when William mentioned the possibility of war today, it was something Jason hadn''t considered, forcing him to evaluate the probability of an actual war breaking out.


    William spoke with a firm tone, "This is the reality. The intelligence I''ve received is reliable, but I can''t disclose the source. You understand the specifics."


    Jason nodded. This could be rted to the kane family''s heritage and resources, so naturally, he couldn''t disclose everything to William.


    Thinking about this, Jason couldn''t sit still. He stood up and paced around the room, his mind racing.


    After a while, William thought Jason still hadn''t made up his mind and decided to add fuel to the fire.


    Just then, Jason stopped in his tracks, standing in front of the window with his back to William, seemingly admiring the sight of the July thunderstorm outside.


    Facing the window, Jason seemed to be speaking to himself, but his voice clearly reached William''s ears.


    "Duke Ram of the eastern frontier has always imed that the kingdom should have its own seaport and shouldn''t let those Bertritch people profit from the kingdom''s wealth."


    "Finance Minister Brailfog Git ims that tax revenue growth has not kept pace with the kingdom''s expenditures and that new sources of revenue must be found."


    "The number of court nobles in the kingdom is increasing, and the burden on the royal family is getting heavier. At the same time, the desires and demands of court nobles fornd ownership are bing stronger."


    Wow, Jason knew quite a bit.


    William listened and kept it in mind. There might be hidden hands among these people.


    Jason turned around and said seriously to William, "You must keep this information to yourself. Spreading it would cause considerable trouble, as you should know."


    William was well aware that speaking carelessly before understanding the situation would only bring trouble to his family and alert the hidden hands.


    "I understand. Thank you, Jason."


    After some thought, Jason carefully said, "You need to handle this matter with care. If there are any other updates, you cane to me."


    In Jason''s view, as someone on the fringes of the noble circle, William being able to obtain such critical information meant that his hidden power was not simple, and he was worth getting closer to.


    And just now, Jason realized that these pieces of information he previously overlooked seemed to connect, and the shadow of war seemed to be looming over the entire Kingdom of Fis and even the entire continent.


    It seemed he needed to pay a visit back home and discuss this matter with his father.


    After all, as the king''s confidant, his father should know more than he did.


    William nodded. Jason''s words were like a promise to him, offering limited help in this matter, which was already a pleasant surprise.


    After all, Jason wasn''t a transmigrator like himself, unable to be as certain as he was that war would inevitably break out.


    "I''ll keep an eye on the things you''ve mentioned recently. I''ll notify you if there''s any new information."


    "Alright, then I''ll head back for now!"


    William put on his raincoat, bid farewell to Nichole and the others, then stepped out into the rain curtain.

 Chapter 50: Assault!

    <h4>Chapter 50: Assault!</h4>


    Chapter 50: Assault!


    The Cain Family Mansion


    Returning from Jason''s ce, William went straight to the undergroundboratory upon entering the house.


    Locking the door behind him, William needed a quiet space to organize the important information he had just acquired.


    Listing down all the names, positions, and demands on paper, William tapped his index finger on the wooden table, silently calcting in his mind.


    What Jason said indeed shed light on many things.


    It seemed inevitable that this war would happen; the only difference was when it would erupt and what the catalyst would be.


    Looking at the information Jason provided on paper, William felt a headacheing on; there were just too many people involved.


    Duke Ram of the Eastern Territory did have enough power to covertly push things forward, but at most, he could only stir trouble at the border. To control everything in the capital, the power of Duke Ram alone was insufficient.


    As for the numerous court nobles, their demands did carry considerable influence. However, William knew that the leader of the court nobles was Duke Harold.


    If Duke Harold wanted to arrange this matter, Jason wouldn''t have disclosed this information to him.


    Headache, oh headache!


    Since it wouldn''t be the people Jason mentioned, then who would it be?


    Who has the capability to plot an assassination during the Kingdom''s Annual Holy Festival, and enough power and wealth to manipte the prices of the Kingdom''s food and weaponsmodities?


    Who could it be?


    Where else could I gather intelligence from?


    William shook his head in frustration, feeling like he was missing something.


    Suddenly, a light bulb went off in his mind, and William pped his thigh.


    Yes, how could he forget about this person?


    Camus from the Academy!


    He had always found this person suspicious, and now, thinking about it, he should be able to get information about the mastermind behind the scenes from him.


    What should he do?


    Should he have Welf bring Camus back by force?


    That would be too exaggerated. What if it alerted the person behind him and got himself killed prematurely?


    Take it slow, take it slow.


    He still had time; there were two months left until the Annual Holy Festival.


    He needed to n carefully.


    As William pondered how to extract the information he needed from Camus, little did he know that Camus was about toe to him willingly.


    ---


    A few days passed.


    William spent several days studying arcane arts at home, not stepping out at all, as if he had returned to the time in his past life of grinding games.


    That''s why people like William, who are adept at grinding, are very suitable to be wizards.


    Both are homebodies, able to sit still, and can grind all night without feeling anything.


    But today, William dide out. Jason had someone notify William to visit the vi on Gedo Street.


    Perhaps there was more news about the previous matter?


    After changing out of his colorful clothes, which had been stained by the experiments in the arcane arts, and tidying up, William prepared to go out.


    As usual, after having Welf check around the mansion to ensure no one was watching, he waved his hand, indicating Welf didn''t need to follow, and confidently slipped out from the back door.


    After days of continuous rain, the entire Fis Street had been cleaned anew, with a lingering dampness in the air.


    Should he research an arcane art to avoid rain next time? Last time, in his haste to find Jason, even with a raincoat, he couldn''t withstand the heavy rain, and by the time he returned, he was practically soaked through.


    These past few days, he had developed several new arcane arts. Feeling quite pleased with himself, William''s confidence soared. He even thought about finding Jason again to practice.


    Heh heh~


    Just as William reached the corner of the alley, preparing to turn towards Gedo Street, suddenly, a figure in a ck cloak shed from the adjacent alley, sprinting to a spot five meters in front of William.


    The person sped their hands together, then mmed their right hand onto the ground, conjuring aplex magic array emitting a white light that enveloped William and the figure in ck.


    The figure in ck rejoiced inwardly, finally caught you alone, William!


    ''To avoid being detected by that golden warrior, I''ve been lurking in this alley far from the mansion for several days!''


    Seeing the familiar formation on the ground, William''s expression changed abruptly.


    "Damn, a short-range directional magic teleportation circle?"


    Although he was willing to give potential enemies a chance, he didn''t expect the other party to go straight for the kill.


    William didn''t even nce at the prompt from the system that popped up at this moment, not daring to waste any time. Being teleported to an unknown location wouldn''t bode well.


    And there was no way to escape either. Once the circle locked onto you upon activation, even if you ran out of the radiant city now, you''d be immediately pulled back toplete the teleportation.


    With a sh of green light, the emerald wand appeared in William''s hand, and a gust of wind de struck towards the figure in ck.


    Immediately, without caring whether the wind de was effective, three clusters of blue bombs, emitting dangerous auras, gathered around William and were hurled towards the figure in ck.


    Then, without a second thought, William tossed aside the emerald wand, and with another sh of light, a longsword gleaming with an eerie coldness appeared in his hand.


    This was the longsword William obtained after acquiring the proficiency in various weapons skill, specially prepared by Welf for himself. Although it wasn''t enchanted, it was sharp and sturdy enough for William to use now.


    William raised the longsword and fiercely shed at the white magic circle on the ground.


    Rubble flew, and the centimeter-thick magic circle was cut open by the longsword in William''s hand, leaving a small gap.


    There''s hope!


    William''s eyes lit up. It seemed that this teleportation circle only had the most basic magic circle protection attached to it. He had a chance to break it before it activated!


    It seemed that this was a low-level teleportation circle, with an activation time of at least fifteen breaths. There should be enough time!


    Just as William attempted to destroy the magic circle, the pre-released spell attacks also reached the figure in ck.


    The foremost wind de directly collided with the defensive spell the figure in ck had cast in advance, shattering without causing any ripples.


    But William didn''t expect a single wind de to disrupt the opponent. The most important thing was to see the following three blue bombs.


    The first blue bomb collided with the defensive spell the figure in ck had cast, exploding, and the blue mes spread along the edge of the spell shield, quickly breaking through the first defensive spell with blue mes.


    What''s going on? Isn''t he just a novice mage?


    How could a blue bomb easily break the defensive spell I, a mid-level mage, cast?


    Something''s wrong! It''s not right!


    But the figure in ck didn''t have time to think carefully.


    There was still oneyer of elemental shield in front of him, which couldn''t withstand the remaining two blue bombs!


    Unfortunately, he still needed to maintain the activation of the teleportation circle and couldn''t spare any magic.


    With a grimace, the figure in ck took out two magic scrolls from the storage ring on his left hand, enduring the pain and directly infused magic into them to activate the spells recorded in advance.


    "Fourth-circle spell: Advanced Elemental Shield!"


    "Fourth-circle spell: Advanced Force Field!"


    In fact, the Advanced Force Field had very poor protection against magical attacks, but the figure in ck didn''t care about that much. The expensive cost of the directional teleportation circle had been brought out. If the mission wasn''tpleted, he would truly have no way out!


    A fourth-circle spell scroll was nothing.


    Under the tense gaze of the figure in ck, the second blue bomb collided with the remaining elemental shield, and this low-level spell didn''t have much effect before it shattered.


    The blue bomb, carrying its remaining momentum, smashed onto the just-formed advanced elemental shield.


    Boom!

 Chapter 51: Breaking the Formation

    <h4>Chapter 51: Breaking the Formation?</h4>


    Chapter 51: Breaking the Formation


    Boom!


    The second blue bomb shattered against the advanced elemental shield.


    The figure in ck breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that blocking the attack of the third blue bomb shouldn''t be a problem. There was little time left until the teleportation circle would activate normally, and then he could spare some time to teach this arrogant William a lesson.


    Just as the figure in ck was still fantasizing about how to deal with William at the prepared secret location, a sudden change urred!


    The third blue bomb seemed to be no different from the previous two attacks, but when it collided with the advanced elemental shield, it suddenly exploded violently.


    Sizzle... Boom!


    The violent explosion urred in front of the figure in ck, causing the advanced elemental shield to disintegrate under the terrifying impact.


    Fortunately, most of this huge shockwave was blocked by the so-called ineffective advanced force field, otherwise, given the figure in ck''s fragile body, he would probably have died on the spot.


    However, even so, the figure in ck''s clothes were already torn apart by the remaining impact, and the blue mes that fell on him burned his flesh like maggots, spreading all over his body.


    "Ugh... Grr..."


    The figure in ck uttered a painfully intense groan from his throat, the muscles on his face twitching violently.


    The reason for the abnormal explosion of the third Blue Bomb was that William attached the arcane ability, "Copse Burst," to it.


    This was one of the new arcana developed by William, capable of attaching burst energy to other spells of the Arcane category and triggering it when the spell approached the enemy, copsing the attached spell and converting all the energy into a special shockwave, specifically targeting the enemy''s protective spell.


    This was the first time he had used it in actualbat, and it seemed to be very effective.


    It directly broke through the figure in ck''s two fourth-circle protective spells and severely injured him.


    The shockwave destroyed all of the figure in ck''s clothes, exposing his true face to William.


    Sure enough, it was him!


    Camus!


    William just nced at him, but he had no intention of asking him why he had attacked him.


    At this moment, breaking the formation under his feet was the most urgent thing to do!


    Little time remained until activation, and the teleportation circle had been preliminarily activated. Even if he rushed up and killed Camus, it would be futile.


    William, who often used this trick to trap people in his past life, understood very well that he wouldn''t waste this time!


    One of the magic patterns of the teleportation circle had already been destroyed by William for the most part, and it seemed to take two or three more strikes.


    William gritted his teeth. He couldn''t afford to be stingy anymore. Who knew what was waiting behind the teleportation array.


    [You used the "Arcadia''s Good Luck Brooch" artifact]


    [You enter the lucky state, duration: 5 seconds]


    Ignoring the negative effects of using the Good Luck Brooch, William, empowered by the lucky state, once again gathered strength for a sword strike and shed at the half-destroyed magic pattern.


    Just then, the sequence of magic patterns of the teleportation circle seemed to hesitate in its rotation, and the magic pattern that William struck at suddenly dimmed for half a second.


    In this half-second of unprotected time, William''s sword tip "coincidentally"nded on this magic pattern.


    Swish~


    Without protection, the magic pattern couldn''t resist William''s destruction, and together with the bricks beneath it, was cleanly cut in half by William.


    "Damn, that''s fierce!"


    William was somewhat surprised. It felt good to ascend to the rank of the lucky guy after breaking away from the unclucky guy identity.


    Even if it''s only five seconds.


    With the destruction of the magic pattern by William, the entire short-range directional magic teleportation array shattered in a twist,pletely destroyed like this valuable array of thousands of gold coins.


    Fortunately, it was just a basic magic array, unstable and with a long activation time.


    Otherwise, even if he could recognize it, there would be no chance to interrupt the activation of the magic array.


    Seeing that the lucky state still had three seconds left, William didn''t have time to rest. He quickly took out a hammer from his storage ring and smashed it towards Camus.


    Burnt into a serious injury and with the magical array shattered, Camus couldn''t use protective spells due to the chaos of mana, and could only prepare to dodge to the left.


    Just as Camus was about to step aside, a banana peel seemed to have been waiting on the ground for him to step on.


    As expected, Camus stepped on the banana peel and staggered forward.


    His forehead "coincidentally" met the thrown hammer.


    William seemed to see the words "Critical Hit" and "Hit the Target" appear above Camus''s head.


    Camus, this intermediate mage, was directly knocked unconscious by William''s hammer.


    William grinned, feeling somewhat amused and helpless. This lucky guy effect was too strong, wasn''t it?


    Bananas from the southern coastal region of the continent were very precious and rare fruits in the city of Sanctum.


    William hadn''t even eaten one yet!


    And now, a banana peel appeared here, causing Camus to have a stroke of bad luck!


    No, it should be said that William was just too lucky.


    These probability events might not be impossible, but when they really happened before his eyes, Master William felt somewhat surreal.


    [Your lucky state has ended]


    [You''ve gained the Unlucky Guy effect, duration: 72 hours]


    William looked at the refreshed notification on his system panel, and his body instinctively shuddered.


    If the lucky guy effect was so strong, could the unlucky guy effect be simple? Could I really choke on a ss of cold water?


    William didn''t notice that not far away, the figure of Butler Joyce was slowly fading away.


    When the teleportation array was formed, Joyce had already sensed the magical fluctuations and immediately sneaked to a nearby ce to observe the situation.


    Instead of rushing to rescue William, he waited quietly for William''s own response.


    As a legendary-level assassin, he had the ability and confidence to rescue William at thest moment.


    However, William''s performance also pleasantly surprised him. He easily subdued the intermediate mage who had attacked him secretly.


    Although he had used that peculiar artifact, the winner was the one who stood till the end. Everything else was not important.


    But soon, Joyce frowned again.


    Which faction would target young Master William like this?


    I should have eliminated all of the master''s enemies, right? Strange.


    Joyce turned his head to look at Welf and the others who were rushing over, shaking his head.


    If young Master William relied on you for protection, he would have been done for long ago.


    Little did he know that in the previous life''s plot, even this legendary-tier powerhouse couldn''t save his master William by staying at home, and even the chance of resurrection was destroyed.


    "Young Master William!"


    Welf and a few guards rushed over, looking shocked when they saw the mess around Master William.


    Just as they returned to the mansion not long ago, they heard the sound of a loud explosioning from the direction where the young master had left, and hurried over to check.


    Fortunately, the young master was unharmed!


    After checking that Master William wasn''t injured, Welf breathed a sigh of relief.


    He almost thought he was going to lose his young master.


    William waved his hand helplessly, asking his guards not to surround him, and had the unconscious Camus carried back.


    Although the battle just now was brief, William had already revealed most of his strength and trump cards. Naturally, he wouldn''t let Camus off so easily.

 Chapter 52: Are You an Arcanist?

    <h4>Chapter 52: Are You an Arcanist?</h4>


    Chapter 52: Are You an Arcanist?


    In a secluded alley on Fis Street.


    Luckily, the surroundings were all high walls, and there were no unrted peopleing over to join the fun. Otherwise, he would have to figure out how to cover up the situation.


    William rubbed his arms. Although he hadn''t been injured in the recent battle, the consecutive use of three Blue Bombs and one Shatterburst had subjected his body to intense magical shock.


    It was fortunate that his strength attribute received an attribute correction, enhancing his physical strength significantly.


    If he could obtain the Brawler profession specialty and raise his resilience attribute points as well, then even if this kind of shock urred a hundred times, he wouldn''t feel a thing.


    After all, brawlers pursued the transcendence of the body, focusing all their abilities on their fists and body.


    Which profession specialty of the Brawler was most suitable for him again?


    While William was moving his body to alleviate the pain, he was also rummaging through the pile of rubble that used to be the core of the teleportation magic array.


    "There it is!"


    William picked out a crystal sphere the size of a fingernail from the pile of rubble. It was transparent and colorless, with a faint ck dot visible in the center of the crystal.


    Sure enough, it was still there, the Void Crystal!


    As the name suggested, the Void Crystal contained spatial power. The ck dot inside the crystal was the manifestation of spatial energy.


    No one knew how these crystals were formed, but people had discovered ways to use the spatial energy contained within them through continuous exploration.


    Almost all teleportation arrays were built around a Void Crystal.


    Since Camus''s teleportation array failed to activate properly, William came to see if the Void Crystal in the magic array was still intact.


    After all, the Void Crystal was the most valuable part of a teleportation magic array.


    William happily stored the Void Crystal into his ring and then returned to the mansion with Welf apanying him.


    As for Camus''s situation, he could go over after he finished his business. It shouldn''t make much difference at this moment.


    Originally, Camus wanted to capture William and use the short-range directional magic teleportation array to transport himself and William to the prepared secret base, where he would test him and then let him go.


    He had prepared excuses, intending to retaliate against William for snatching away his assistant status and for standing up for his brother!


    Although this wouldn''t change his crime for attacking the nobles, he believed it wouldn''t arouse William''s suspicion enough to affect the ns of the adults.


    For this, he was even prepared to give up all the achievements he had worked hard for at the academy and to hide his identity for a long time under the adults'' protection.


    But who would have thought!


    This William didn''t follow the script at all!


    Which Bronze Mage could so easily break through his Silver Mage''s defensive spells?


    Which Bronze Mage could recognize the extremely rare short-range directional teleportation magic array at a nce?


    Which Bronze Mage could directly cut through the magic array runes with a long sword?


    "I lost, William."


    Camus quickly calmed down his emotions and said to William, who was standing opposite him.


    "This time, I was wrong. I just had some grievances and wanted to retaliate against you, with no other intentions."


    Looking at Camus, who still wanted to conceal the truth, William didn''t rush. He sat down on a chair from the side.


    "Alright, no need to lie anymore. Don''t you see what situation you''re in right now?"


    William crossed his legs, propping his chin with his left hand, and said with a smile:


    "Even if I believed your nonsense, just the crime of attacking a noble would be enough for you to die several times."


    Camus''s face turned pale for a moment, and he fell silent for a few breaths, lowering his head:


    "I didn''t expect you to hide so deeply, a Bronze Mage? Heh."


    "So, what will it take for you to let me go?"


    William spread out his hands and said casually, "I don''t have any demands. Just tell me, who sent you to test me?"


    Camus''s expression remained unchanged as he asked in confusion, "What are you talking about? Who else could it be but me?"


    William stared at Camus firmly, causing a sense of dread to creep into Camus''s heart.


    "You don''t want to admit it, that''s fine. But I''ve known all along."


    William paused for a moment and said gently, "Did you really think it would be so easy to kill me during the Annual Holy Festival?"


    Camus still pretended to look puzzled, but inside, he was already in turmoil.


    To be honest, he had no idea what the adults were nning by testing William. He only had vague guesses, but seeing William so confident, it seemed like he already knew about the higher ups'' secret ns.


    How could that be?


    William was just a court viscount and¡ª


    No, William couldn''t be that simple. Spending years at the academy in mediocrity, consuming envy-inducing resources but achieving mediocre results¡ªnow it seemed that all of that must have been a disguise.


    He had endured the disdain and ridicule of others for so long.


    This person was terrifying!


    If William could hear Camus''s thoughts now, he would probably awkwardly stop his own boasting behavior.


    "No need to pretend. I knew It from that day at the school."


    William''s smile now looked like that of a viin as he squatted in front of Camus.


    To Camus, the smile on his face seemed like a devil''s grin, tinged with mocking pity.


    Camus took a deep breath and asked a question that wasn''t quite relevant, "Have you already be an Arcanist?"


    This question had been on Camus''s mind since the battle, and even though he already had some guesses, he couldn''t help but ask.


    "No."


    William didn''t hesitate at all and denied it resolutely.


    He didn''t have the bad habit of revealing his abilities, despite the significant advantage of being a viinous character.


    Seeing that William didn''t even show a hint of surprise at the mention of "Arcanist," Camus had a clear understanding.


    Extraordinary spell power, mysterious spell effects, terrifying knowledge reserve¡ªwas this the terror of an Arcanist?


    How did he get involved with such a monster?


    That was a path pursued by many Gold level mages, and now it was standing right in front of him, alive and breathing.


    An Arcanist under twenty years old?


    Probably even surpassing Bernie, the acimed genius of the academy for several years!

 Chapter 53: It’s Him?

    <h4>Chapter 53: It''s Him?</h4>


    Chapter 53: It Was Him?


    William saw that Camus seemed to have guessed something, so he didn''t say much. Anyway, he was doomed today.


    "Well, spill it. You''re a smart person too."


    Realizing that he had provoked a terrifying enemy and was facing a situation of certain death, Camus smiled bitterly and shook his head.


    He didn''t even bother to care about why William knew about the Lord''s n and still wanted to inquire about the Lord''s specific identity.


    "Do you not want to say, or can''t you bring yourself to say it?"


    William, intrigued, scrutinized Camus and asked directly.


    Unfortunately, he didn''t know any relevant necromantic spells; otherwise, he would have directly extracted his soul for questioning.


    Camus seemed utterly despondent from William''s blows and nodded listlessly.


    It seems to be thetter. I wonder if it''s the priest''s cautious speech discipline or the mage''s secrecy seal? Regardless of which, they are both golden-level powers, not something I can forcibly break through now!


    But I can try a clever approach.


    "Was it King Morton Fis who ordered you?"


    Camus shook his head.


    Good!


    William''s eyes lit up. It seemed that the restrictions on Camus only prohibited him from revealing certain specific information, rather than a broad prohibition on disclosing anything rted to it.


    But even with a weaker restriction, obtaining the desired information would require some cunning.


    "Was it Duke Harold?"


    Shake of the head.


    "Was it Duke Ram?"


    Shake of the head.


    "Was it Commander Traelid Milvian of the First and Second Armies of the Kingdom?"


    Shake of the head.


    "Was it Crocia Lacy, President of the First Chamber of Commerce Fis Chamber of Commerce?"


    Shake of the head.


    William rubbed his temples. Although Camus was quite cooperative due to being greatly disheartened, none of the prominent figures he had thought of were the one.


    No rush, no rush.


    Think carefully.


    Who else did I miss?


    William paced back and forth in the study, pondering who else among the kingdom''s upper echelons could be suspicious.


    Suddenly, a sh of inspiration struck William''s mind, and he immediately turned to ask Camus:


    "Is it Prince Julius Fis?"


    Camus, who had been shaking his head continuously, suddenly stiffened, staring motionlessly at William.


    Seeing Camus''s reaction, William''s eyes narrowed instantly, already knowing the answer he wanted.


    Julius Fis!


    The face of a stern middle-aged man with golden hair emerged in William''s mind.


    Yes!


    This could exin it. He has enough power and influence to affect various forces within Fis, consolidate resources for various preparations, influence kingdom decisions, and n for war!


    In his previous life, William knew this person. As one of the most outstanding and highly regarded princes among the kingdom''s heirs, he yed a crucial role in the subsequent total war on the Fanol Continent.


    Therefore, when Blood Rose Princess Brynhildr Fis emerged to inherit the threr on, it caused quite a stir, leaving many people puzzled. {A/N: Brynhildr and hilda are same person. The origin of name brynhildr will be exined in "Introduction to Gods arc"}


    But when Brynhildr Fis demonstrated her legendary warrior strength, all the disturbances vanished instantly.


    In this world, power is everything!


    As a legendary Warrior born from an extremely rare noble lineage, Brynhildr no longer needed the position of the Queen of Fis.


    It was the entire Fis Kingdom that needed Brynhildr to be the queen!


    However, new doubts surged in William''s mind.


    Why would Julius Fis do all this? If his covert plotting to assassinate nobles were exposed, it would be no small matter.


    He would be abandoned by the entire noble ss! So, as long as he isn''t discovered, it''s fine?


    I really can''t imagine that such an upright person would do such a controversial thing.


    William looked up at the grim-faced Camus and asked, "Do you have anything else to say? I''ll give you time."


    Camus opened his mouth, sighed bitterly, and swallowed back the plea for mercy.


    Both were clever people, and Camus naturally knew that William wouldn''t let him walk out of here alive.


    After all, he now truly knew William''s trump card.


    But the price was his own life!


    How could someone as deep-thinking as William catch him?


    It seemed that after joining the Lord, he had lost the prudence and patience he had before!


    Camus couldn''t help but feel deeply bitter in his heart, but thinking about this was useless now.


    Lord Julius, it seems you really chose the wrong person!


    Seeing that Camus had nothing more to say, William didn''t bother to waste any more words with him and began to chant a spell.


    Third circle spell "Death Ray"!


    A gray-white beam directly hit Camus, who waspletely defenseless.


    He didn''t make a sound, and his whole body seemed to copse, slumping onto the chair as if he had turned to mush.


    His skin turned pale under the influence of necrotic energy, and his body lost any trace of vitality.


    William, who killed someone for the first time after being reborn, didn''t show the slightest hesitation, as if he were already very skilled.


    Afterwards, William cast several fire spells topletely destroy Camus''s body, leaving no trace behind.


    William had naturally already taken Camus''s storage ring, but upon inspecting it, he found less than a hundred gold coins and a mid-level staff, along with some misceneous items.


    It seemed that, to target him, Camus had really emptied all his savings.


    William didn''t care about these spoils of war. After all, being able to get the true identity of the mastermind from Camus was the biggest gain.


    ---


    Gedo Street, Adventurers'' Vi


    The specially dispatched guard informed Jason that William suddenly had urgent matters and couldn''te today.


    Jason didn''t mind; it wasn''t anything urgent anyway. After discussing matters with his father, there were still some things he wanted to confirm with William.


    Jason remembered the scene in his father''s study from yesterday.


    "Father, these are the things that Viscount William Kane told me about. I think they are very likely to happen."


    Duke Harold, with his white hair and a face that looked somewhat old and gentle, but still very spirited, sat behind arge chestnut wood desk, not looking at Jason, but rather bowing his head, toying with an exquisite goose feather pen.


    It seemed that the fine lines on the goose feather pen had a unique attraction.


    Jason knew this was his father''s habit when thinking, so he stood silently aside, waiting.


    After a while, it seemed that the elderly Duke Harold finally appreciated all the patterns on the goose feather pen, and then slowly spoke:


    "Jason, do you think what our Viscount Kane said is true?"


    This was clearly not a questioning tone.


    Jason organized his thoughts and said, "It should be true. The intelligence I told William, all of it was information I had heard before but seemed unrted. But if we consider the possibility of war erupting, then..."


    "Mm."


    Harold responded, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with Jason''s view.


    Actually, he vaguely sensed something. After all, as the leader of the court nobility and the king''s confidant, Duke Harold could see much more than Jason and Williambined.


    But the question was, who would want to touch this hot potato?

 Chapter 54: Unlucky William

    <h4>Chapter 54: Unlucky William</h4>


    Chapter 54: Unlucky William


    "If someone were really pushing this behind the scenes, who do you think it would be?" asked Duke Harold casually.


    "Father, I don''t," Jason shook his head. In fact, after hearing about William''s intelligence, he hadn''t slept all night, pondering who could be behind pushing for war.


    He mentally ran through all possible names but couldn''t find anyone suspicious.


    "Alright, no need to guess," Duke Harold smiled, taking out a precious cigar from a brown wooden box sourced from the south. He leisurely cut a smooth notch with a silver cutter.


    After lighting the cigar with a match, Duke Harold didn''t rush to put it to his lips. Instead, he held it in his hand, quietly feeling the bluish-gray smoke generated by the burning cigar dissipate in the air, and asked, "Why stop the war?"


    "Because many, many people would die?" Jason said uncertainly, never having been on a real battlefield.


    "Indeed, in war, there are always casualties, but you also need to see what you gain."


    "Just as you and William said, the Bertritch Kingdom to the east, with a foolish monarch and corrupt officials, would have been annexed long ago if not for the Church of the Gods."


    "If the kingdom gained control of the eastern seaport, what would that signify? Do you understand?" Duke Harold hinted at his exceptionally talented younger son.


    "That would be beneficial for the kingdom''s development, but..." Jason spoke with a hint of uncertainty.


    "You''ve also seen that the kingdom needs war to seek change, some costs are bearable, and the Church of the Gods has changed its stance," Harold hinted.


    "So, father, are we to just watch and even push for the outbreak of war?"


    "Of course not."


    Duke Harold stood up, walked to the window of the study, and slowly said, "Our Harold family is deeply trusted by His Majesty the King, do you know why?"


    Without waiting for Jason''s response, Duke Harold continued, "Because we always stand behind the king, obeying His Majesty''s orders. Do you understand?"


    "Yes, father," Jason replied.


    Jason hesitated for a moment and asked softly, "So, His Majesty doesn''t want to start a war?"


    Duke Harold didn''t answer directly but continued, "So, what His Majesty doesn''t want to see, we must prevent."


    "The question now is, how will they make His Majesty agree to start the war?"


    Jason thought carefully but shook his head.


    Duke Harold paced back and forth in the study, then looked up at Jason and said, "Since it was Viscount Cain who told you, ask him if there''s any other news."


    He paused, then smiled and added, "Also, express our gratitude and sincerity to the Cain family. After all, being informed of such confidential matters is quite interesting, my boy."


    Jason shook his head. Every time he discussed serious matters with the old man, it gave him a headache, and exining things clearly didn''t tire him.


    <Scene Break>


    Looking at Nichole, who was rolling on the sofa with Mooney, the little moon leopard, in the living room, his temples started to ache again.


    "Why did the wise King entrust me with taking care of the princess?"


    The past six months had felt much more exhausting than before.


    "Jason, Jason, what are you looking at?" Nichole on the sofa raised her head alertly, noticing Jason''s strange gaze.


    "Nothing, I just feel like Mooney is being bullied by you."


    "Where did you see that! Mooney has always liked me."


    Nichole tightly hugged Mooney, unaware of the exhausted expression on Mooney''s face.


    Elena wasn''t home, so there was no escape from Nichole''s clutches.


    "Jason, what are we having for lunch? I''m hungry!"


    "Alright, alright."


    Jason reluctantly got up and went out to a nearby restaurant to buy lunch.


    Thinking about having to get special food for Mooney as well, Jason couldn''t help but sigh deeply.


    I really don''t want to be a nanny!


    Meanwhile, at the Cain family mansion


    William walked out of the basement with a calm expression and said to Welf and the others guarding outside, "It was just a thief trying to kidnap me. I''ve already taken care of him. Understand?"


    "Understood, Master William."


    Welf and the others quickly responded.


    "Well, if anyone asks, that''s what happened."


    William nodded and lifted his foot to go upstairs.


    Suddenly, William stepped on empty air, unable to maintain his bnce, and mmed into the nearby hard wall.


    "Master!"


    Welf was shocked and quickly helped William up, but identally, with uncontrolled force, he heard a "crack" as William''s right arm dislocated.


    William''s eye twitched, gasping for breath.


    With a bump on his head and a dislocated arm, he couldn''t even speak due to the pain.


    Seeing this, Welf immediately stopped moving, full of question marks.


    This shouldn''t happen. As a golden warrior, how could he lose control of my strength?


    Moreover, Master William has been training for a long time. How could he dislocate his arm just by being helped up?


    In a daze for a few seconds, William, who was awakened by the pain, gestured with his uninjured left hand for Welf and the others to step back.


    Holding his breath, pressing his dislocated arm, clenching his teeth, he exerted force.


    "Crack!"


    William, who had reset his dislocated arm, frowned, his face slightly pale. But even so, he dared not let Welf and the others help.


    He had already realized what the problem was.


    Looking at his status panel


    ---


    [Unlucky Status: Remaining Duration 70 hours 10 minutes]


    ---


    Feeling ufortable, how was he going to get through the next three days?


    William didn''t expect the negative effect of the Lucky Brooch of Arcadia toe so quickly, almost suffocating him.


    ''What should I do? Now I''m a bit afraid to move!''


    William had a headache, feeling danger everywhere around him, as if stairs would copse as soon as he stepped on them, or the roof of the second floor would copse as soon as he stepped on it.


    He couldn''t just stand here all the time. Who knows, a brick might fall on his head at any moment.


    Feeling the fiery pain on his forehead, William held his breath deeply and tentatively walked up the stairs.


    One step, two steps, three steps...


    William dared not be careless with each step, focusing all his attention on controlling his body and observing the surrounding objects.


    Welf and the others behind him watched William''s strange movements, but what happened just now made them dare not ask, afraid of rming the young master and causing trouble.


    The staircase that usually takes one minute to climb took William a full ten minutes this time. He stopped every step to observe the surroundings, checking for loose bricks overhead and damaged stairs underfoot.


    Finally reaching the hall, William breathed a sigh of relief.


    As long as he was careful, he could still avoid unlucky things from happening!


    Just as William was thinking about where to go and wait for the unlucky effect to end,


    "Oh, Master! I made a fruit pie as you instructed, please try it!"


    Maid Rosie saw William standing there and happily ran over with a hot fruit pie.


    There seemed to be a puddle of water on the ground that hadn''t been wiped dry. Rosie slipped, and the fruit pie in her hand flew directly out of her hands.


    It flew towards William.


    "Unlucky, unlucky, unlucky, unlucky!"


    He heard voices roaring around him!

 Chapter 55: Camus is Such a Nice Guy!

    <h4>Chapter 55: Camus is Such a Nice Guy!</h4>


    Chapter 55: Camus is Such a Nice Guy!


    On the third day, at the Cain family mansion.


    Williamy on his bed, staring nkly at the ceiling.


    God knows how he got through these three days.


    Standing there, he got his face smeared with hot fruit pie by a maid, and trying to use magic to block it ended up in a rare element dispersal ident.


    Now, he was internally and externally injured.


    Even eating was troublesome; he choked on every three mouthfuls of food. The most ridiculous part was choking on water. William even doubted if he had mutated somewhere.


    Fortunately, the subsequent bad luck was rtively mild, just bumping a toe while walking or getting a minor burn.


    However, to be cautious, William refrained from arcane research and physical exercise during these three days. If something minor went wrong during this time, it could be fatal. He didn''t want to end up missing limbs.


    During these days, Williamy on his bed meditating. Since he had nothing else to do, he informed Jason and continued practicing. It was good to umte some experience points.


    William leaped off the bed and stood on the floor, looking warily at the legs of the chair nearby.


    It made him realize that even with good physical training, your little toe was still fragile.


    "Oh right, seems like there''s a system prompt I haven''t checked."


    William summoned the system panel.


    ---


    [Limited Challenge Task Triggered]


    [Objective: Defeat Silver Mage Camus]


    [Reward: Depends on taskpletion]


    [You inflicted fatal damage to the target with Death Ray!]


    [You killed Silver Mage Camus LV51!]


    [You gained 200,000 experience points]


    [You defeated Silver Mage Camus against the odds,pleting the limited challenge task]


    [Judgment: Overstepping Challenge. Passed, reward increased]


    [Judgment: Full Combat. Passed (70%), slight increase in reward]


    [Judgment (Hidden): Same upation Strong Enemy Judgment Passed, substantial increase in reward]


    [Taskpletion rate 200%, reward distribution in progress]


    [You gained 600,000 experience points]


    [You gained 200 gold coins]


    [You gained Proficiencies: Intermediate Fire Elemental Affinity, Novice Spell Genius, Concentration]


    [You gained the skill Advanced Elemental Shield]


    [Youpleted the milestone "Second Step of the Strong (Gold Level)"]


    [You gained the blueprint "Short-Range Directed Magic Teleportation Array (Basic)"]


    ---


    Damn, that''s awesome!


    What an explosion!


    William''s eyes almost blinded by the brightness. So, this was the reward forpleting a limited challenge task alone? It''s simply amazing.


    William couldn''t help but wish he could pull the system out of his body and kiss it fiercely!


    Haha, it''s a good thing I didn''t open the panel during the unlucky egg effect, or else the rewards would have been garbage.


    Thinking rather sentimentally, William gleefully opened each reward to check them out.


    ---


    [Intermediate Fire Elemental Affinity] - Your affinity with fire elemental particles has further increased. Gain a 30% damage bonus when using fire spells, while also being immune to fire toxins, fire element contamination, and other negative effects.


    [Novice Spell Genius] - You have a unique talent in spellcasting. Casting time reduced by 10%, spell power increased by 10%, and you learn and master spells slightly faster.


    [Concentration] - Hardship has tempered your mind. Under meditation and spell research conditions, your mana recovery speed is increased by 20%, and you find it easier to enter a focused and distraction-free state.


    [Advanced Elemental Shield] - A quadruple-tier spell. Forms ayer of elemental shield around you, blocking (300% Intelligence + 10% Mana) damage, with the shield''s value increasing proportionally to the user''s elemental affinity. Cooldown: 2 minutes. Cost: 5% mana.


    ["Second Step of the Strong (Gold Level)"] - Proof of strength. You defeated an enemy by relying on your own power. You''ve taken a big step forward on the legendary path. Reward: 20 freely distributable attribute points, 20% chance to resist negative states.


    ["Short-Range Directed Magic Teleportation Array (Basic)"] - Records a blueprint of a special magic array. You can learn the magic array recorded in the blueprint or use it as a disposable item.


    ---


    Indeed, the rewards from a Silver Mage were much better than those from the mission with adventurers. They are all items that can directly enhance my strength.


    The Intermediate Fire Elemental Affinity and Novice Spell Genius don''t need much exnation. They are the embodiment of every mage''s spellcasting talent, directly enhancing the power of his fire-rted spells.


    Speaking of which, all of William''s elemental affinities are currently low-level. There''s still a long way to go.


    The Novice Spell Genius is a proficiency that can directly enhance hisbat power, especially with the effect of reducing casting time, even though it''s just a basic proficiency, it''s quite useful.


    Concentration is a rather special proficiency. It seems to be a proficiency that Camus acquired through diligent study when he first entered school. It can increase the efficiency of William''s meditation and spell research.


    This deserves praise for Camus''s hard work. This proficiency should be very helpful when he''s studying arcane arts. William feels like he could use a bunch of these proficiencies.


    The Advanced Elemental Shield is a skill that every Silver Mage must learn because its effect is very practical and powerful, saving William a lot of effort in learning it.


    "Second Step of the Strong (Gold Level)" and "Short-Range Directed Magic Teleportation Array (Basic)" are very straightforward in their effects, and William likes them very much.


    Ah, Camus is truly a good person!


    He should have used a gentler tone at the time.


    William felt a bit guilty, unaware of how much he had overdone it with Camus.


    (Camus: Get lost!)


    Opening the panel again, William enjoyed the fresh new proficiencies and skills, gathering his thoughts and starting to ponder his current situation.


    Finding out from Camus this time that the mastermind behind everything was Julius Fis, the second prince of the Fis Kingdom, was indeed surprising.


    After all, as the heir to the kingdom after the unexpected death of the first prince, Julius should not be touching such sensitive matters at this time.


    A smooth transition and taking over the throne should be the most important tasks for this prince.


    As for the subsequent counterattack of the Blood Rose Princess, that was entirely beyond anyone''s control.


    The fact is, before Brynhidr (You-Know-Who) appeared, Julius''s position as the heir was extremely stable, and he had already begun assisting the elderly king in handling some government affairs.


    Therefore, although this prince didn''t have much power under his name, from another perspective, his strength was already enough to influence almost half of the kingdom.


    For example, the firstmercial chamber of the kingdom, the Fis Chamber of Commerce, was the private property of the Fis royal family. Its financial and political power could easily affect the prices of staple goods like food and weapons without alerting others.


    This prince usually kept a low profile, which is why William didn''t think of him at first.


    Moreover, after the end of the full-scale war, Prince Julius had never appeared in public again.


    But why would he target me and specifically arrange for Camus toe and test me?


    With his current power and influence, there''s no need for him to worry about any obstacles in the assassination, right?


    Could there be other hidden factors in the assassination incident during the Festival of Sacrifice?


    William''s fingers danced lightly on the table, tapping away.


    Although there are still many unanswered questions, William felt like he''s getting closer and closer to the truth of the matter!

 Chapter 56: The Direction of the Future

    <h4>Chapter 56: The Direction of the Future</h4>


    Chapter 56: The Direction of the Future


    Despite many unresolved questions, William felt he was getting closer and closer to the truth.


    Furrowing his brows, William set aside his considerations about the Second Prince, redirecting his attention to his own strength enhancement.


    Recently, he hadpleted a Silver-rank exterminationmission, and with the experience reward from the battle against Camus, he had been able to level up to over level 40.


    This exceeded his expectations. It seemed he should be able to break through level 50 and be a Silver Mage before the start of the Annual Holy Festival.


    Moreover, he had acquired many powerful skills and specialties, smoothly adding the lucky brooch of Arcadia, a treasure he had nned for, into his collection.


    Logically, he should have nothing to worry about, right? But indeed, there was a problem thaty ahead, and it was very important for his future.


    That problem was the Arcane Subsystem.


    As he developed more and more exclusive arcanes, William gradually deepened his understanding of the entire arcane subsystem.


    He could confirm that his arcane subsystem had changed significantlypared to what gamers had in his previous life.


    In the past, gamers using the arcane subsystem were more about trying their luck, randomly adjusting the magic patterns and elemental particles in the spell model to piece together new spell models.


    It could be said there was no technical content; almost every new arcane was developed by sheer luck.


    However, William found that his arcane subsystem was different, perhaps because he hade to the real "Gods Apocalypse" game?


    In the process of developing arcanes before, he clearly felt that each spell model had its inherent rules, not as disordered and illogically pieced together as in the past.


    When using the arcane subsystem, he truly felt the characteristics of each elemental particle: the explosiveness of fire, the softness of water, the agility of air, and the solidity of earth.


    And in the spell model, he truly touched the underlying logic of the spell model. With just a light touch, the magic patterns and elemental particles would arrange andbine ording to his will.


    He also understood the source of each spell model''s power.


    Why the spell model of Fireball could condense fire elements to form a fireball and attack the enemy.


    How the spell model of Elemental Shield formed a shield by condensing andbining the power of elemental particles to block enemy attacks.


    He felt that only by understanding all these secrets could he truly master the power of each spell.


    The affinity between different elemental particles, why magic patterns could better conduct magical power and stimte the characteristics of elemental particles, and so on.


    These were just the basics. Just the characteristics of the four fundamental elemental particles of earth, water, fire, and wind, and how to constrain them within the spell model, were enough to challenge him.


    Not to mention the higher-level applications, such as thepatibility issues in multi-element magic spell model sequences and elemental particles, how to leverage higher special elements with basic elements, such as light, death, space elements, etc.


    This reminded him of the hot and painful period in thest semester of his senior year in high school, with textbooks and tutoring materials piled up like mountains on the desk in front of him.


    And there was a significant difference from his past life in gaming: learning professional knowledge for yers was just a change in character data, not truly learning how to cast spells like Fireball.


    But for him, it was different. When he acquired "Bobaka''s Arcane Notes," he found that relevant knowledge truly appeared in his mind.


    However, there was also a hidden danger: the knowledge that appeared in his mind was something he just remembered, not something he could use proficiently.


    For example, suppose he had never encountered mathematics before.


    Suddenly, if the god of mathematics instilled the knowledge of 2¡Á3=6 into his mind, he would remember this piece of knowledge.


    If he were presented with the question 2¡Á3=?, he could immediately answer 6.


    But what if the question was 3¡Á2=?


    He would hesitate for a moment before realizing the answer was also 6.


    The moreplex the knowledge, the harder it was to fully master.


    So, his current understanding of magic knowledge in his mind was still at the level of knowing, and there was a long way to go before integrating and mastering itpletely.


    For a mage, knowledge was power!


    For an arcane practitioner, knowledge was the foundation of their life!


    If William had been content with just using the corresponding spells without delving deeper, that would have been one thing.


    However, in the realm of the arcane, William wanted to continue down this legendary path more smoothly and farther. Merely knowing wasn''t enough!


    Therefore, William faced two paths:


    The first path was like those in his previous life who had the arcane subsystem, to rely on luck and happenstance in developing arcanes.


    The advantage was the full utilization of the system without the need for expending experience points, allowing for rapid improvement in strength and arcane level in a short time, as he had done before.


    The second path was to start from scratch, to grasp every bit of magic knowledge, starting from the basics and slowly climbing towards the temple of knowledge.


    This path would undoubtedly slow down his progress in the arcane arts initially, but it would allow him to proceed more steadily and go further.


    Come on, was there even a choice?


    It had to be the second path! William was not just aiming to survive in the uing turbulent times but to reach the legendary realm that no yer in his previous life ever touched.


    Hard work? Tiredness? Boredom?


    In front of the temptation of mastering power, these meant nothing!


    Let''s do it!


    Was it just about working hard?


    he, Power Leveler William, Was he afraid of this?


    ¡ª


    Canlight City, Fis Street.


    In a secluded alley, a modest two-story building stood quietly.


    The only difference between this building and its surroundings was the four-meter-high wall that surrounded it tightly, without a gate, as if hiding something.


    This alley, rarely visited by people, became even more ignored when passersby walked past this building, as if the building didn''t exist.


    Suddenly, a figure in a ck cloak emerged from a side alley, breaking the quiet of the moment.


    The figure in ck looked around, making sure no one was near, then quietly approached the wall and tapped on it lightly in a specific rhythm.


    After a brief wait, ripples appeared on the surface of the wall in front of the figure, which then slowly became translucent.


    The figure in ck walked straight through the wall.


    As the figure quickly crossed the wall and entered the yard in front of the building, two shield-like figures appeared in front of him.


    Two guards in grey armor, likely Silver Warriors by their aura, blocked his way.


    Without speaking, the guards simply stared at the figure in ck.


    As if any wrong word or action would lead them to instantly y the figure on the spot.

 Chapter 57: Prince Julius’s Plan

    <h4>Chapter 57: Prince Julius''s n</h4>


    Chapter 57: Prince Julius''s n


    The man in ck knew the rules well; even though he was acquainted with the two guards, there would be no exceptions.


    He took out a silver token from his ring and removed his hood, revealing the face of an ordinary middle-aged man with a slightly paleplexion, as if he had not been exposed to sunlight for a long time due to living in the dark.


    One of the guards took the token, checked it, and then 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 named Robert took back the token and casually asked.


    "The lord should be in the study, looking over the intelligence report that just arrived from the Fis Chamber of Commerce. You can go straight there."


    "Thank you."


    Robert nodded to the guard and made his way familiarly to the study on the second floor on the east side of the building.


    When Robert stood outside the study, he awkwardly wiped his hands on his clothes before knocking on the door gently.


    "Come in."


    A calm and maic baritone voice came from inside the study. Robert then rxed, carefully pushed the door open, and walked in.


    Inside, a spacious walnut desk faced the door, neatly arranged with various books and documents, bathed in the still cool morning sunlight.


    The blond middle-aged man sitting at the desk, leaning back slightly in his chair, was frowning at the intelligence report from the Fis Chamber of Commerce and did not notice the entrance of Robert.


    Seeing this, Robert did not speak but stood silently to the side, bowing his head and quietly waiting for the man to finish the remaining documents in his hand.


    After a while, the blond man put down the papers, took a sip of the fragrant ck coffee beside him, and rubbed his tired eyes.


    "Lord Julius, you really shouldn''t overwork yourself like this," Robert said softly, his face filled with respect and concern.


    "The ns are mostly in ce, just waiting for the Annual Holy Festival. And you haven''t had a proper rest for more than half a year!"


    Indeed, the blond man sitting at the desk was Prince Julius Fis of the Fis Kingdom.


    Julius waved his hand nonchntly:


    "The closer we get to critical moments, the less we can afford to let our guard down. I don''t want years of effort to be ruined overnight."


    Then Julius looked up at Robert in front of him and asked:


    "How are the various ns being implemented?"


    Julius had assigned Robert the main responsibility of liaising with the various forces involved in the n and reporting back to him regrly.


    For convenience, this secluded ce next to the royal pce was specially arranged as a center for gathering intelligence and coordinating efforts.


    Therefore, the security here is quite hidden and strict, with an illusionary formation and Silver Guards outside, and a Gold-level powerhouse hidden in the shadows.


    As the conversation turned to official matters, Robert straightened up and began to report meticulously:


    "The Fis Chamber of Commerce and its subsidiaries have nearlypleted the acquisition and storage of supplies. The remaining work is just finalization, and so far, it has not attracted the attention of other domestic forces or foreign countries."


    "You have already reviewed the specific quantities of supplies. Food, weapons, and medical supplies are sufficient to support the kingdom''s external warfare for five years."


    "The Duke of Ram and the Duke of Byram have promised to start reorganizing their armaments. If the kingdom deres war, they will immediately strike at the Kingdom of Bertrich."


    "I have arranged for someone to secretlymunicate with some court nobles. They will also speak out in support of the kingdom''s war efforts, but we need to support their efforts to gain military merits and territories on the front lines."


    "Due to the presence of Duke Harold, to avoid leaks, we have not contacted most of the court nobles.


    "However, ording to our understanding, the rest of the court nobles mostly support the war effort, and the few who are conservative will likely not oppose the kingdom''s retaliation after learning of their colleagues being assassinated by foreign spies."


    "As for the Kingdom of Bertrich, dissatisfied with our demand to lower border taxesst year and after our covert lobbying and guidance, they have prepared, as you anticipated, to dispatch Gold-level assassin from their kingdom, Bloodde, to infiltrate our country for retaliation."


    "We have activated Assassin Bloodde through specialmunication. He will not go to Duke Ram''s territory but wille directly to Canlight City to follow your arrangements, Lord Julius."


    As Robert passionately recounted each progress of the n, he looked at the man before him with awe.


    Almost all possibilities had been ounted for; as long as there were no idents, the oue would surely develop as Lord Julius anticipated.


    The Kingdom of Bertrich audaciously assassinating a noble from their own country during the Annual Holy Festival!


    The Fis Kingdom dering war on the Kingdom of Bertrich! The Fis Kingdom winning the war, and Julius ascending to the throne!


    Julius did not show any sign of joy; his expression remained calm, as if everything was unfolding exactly as he had anticipated.


    "Those people from Bertrich are truly useless, rotten to the core. If not for the Church of the Gods, haha."


    Julius brieflymented on the astonishing moves of the Kingdom of Bertich.


    "Indeed, who would have thought their secretly trained ace assassin was actually your hidden piece, my lord?"


    Robertplimented him appropriately.


    Julius rubbed his brow, paying no attention to Robert.


    Lately, he had been feeling a sense of palpitation, something that had never happened before. Was there something he had overlooked?


    Leaning back in his chair, Julius suddenly asked Robert:


    "Have the targets for the Annual Holy Festival been confirmed?"


    "Yes, my lord," Robert quickly replied.


    "They are Viscount Cain, Baron Leo, 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."


    "But..."


    Julius lifted his eyes, disliking the uncertainty, and pressed Robert:


    "Speak the truth!"


    Robert hurriedly lowered his head and said:


    "As per your instructions, Baron Leo, Baron Lucas, and Baron Allen have been probed without any anomalies. However, the task regarding Viscount Cain was given to Camus, and there has been no progress."


    "Camus?"


    Julius remembered him; he was an exceptionally talented student from the Fis Royal Magic Academy who had broken through to Silver Mage before graduation.


    What''s more precious was hismoner background, making him one of the mage talents Julius had recruited in recent years, and hence, he had high hopes for him.


    Senior mages were very valuable allies, and in the entire Fis Kingdom, they were mostly found in the Magic Academy.


    Being the first in line to the throne, he had only one Gold-level mage under hismand.


    He had wanted to give Camus a chance to prove himself, but he couldn''t evenplete this small task?


    Julius was somewhat disappointed; he had allocated quite a few resources to Camus.


    "Make sure there are no idents! Hurry up!"


    Julius stood by the window, not saying much more, just faintly instructing Robert.


    "Yes, my lord!"


    Robert immediatelyplied, and seeing that Julius had no further instructions, quietly turned and left the study, gently closing the door behind him.


    Julius silently watched the bustling streets from the window, his gaze not focused on the noise, but murmuring in a voice filled withplexity:


    "Hilda?"

 Chapter 58: The Favor of the Lord

    <h4>Chapter 58: The Favor of the Lord</h4>


    Chapter 58: The Favor of the Lord


    In the early morning at the Cain family estate,


    William got up as usual, dressed as usual, and went downstairs as usual. This ordinary routine brought tears to the eyes of William, who had encountered various misfortunes within three days.


    William had noticed that these three days of bad luck posed no significant threat to him; at most, it was just some bumps and minor injuries.


    However, it was quite easy to leave a psychological shadow.


    William touched his now-swollen forehead with lingering fear.


    During these days, William had also made some guesses about the effects of "Lucky Guy" and "Unlucky Fellow."


    The lucky brooch of Arcadia seemed to be able to grant him almost "wishful" good luck for 5 seconds through the power of fate.


    At the same time, he needed to bear the corresponding misfortune, but the equal amount of bad luck would continue to affect him over three days, making the intensity of the misfortune much milder.


    In any case, after using the lucky brooch this time, William had witnessed the power of this artifact, which could save his life in critical moments!


    However, it''s better to use this artifact sparingly unless necessary.


    He did not want to experience this feeling of misfortune again.


    William, neatly dressed, entered his kitchen to replenish various fresh ingredients into his storage ring. After giving his chef an encouraging pat on the shoulder, he prepared to leave to find Jason.


    After all, he had dyed for three whole days, even a pigeon wouldn''t be this slow.


    This time William learned his lesson and let Welf follow him all the way to the adventurer''s group vi on Gedo Street before waving him off, no longer needing hispany.


    After all, in terms of a sense of security, Welf wasn''t even close to a tenth of Nichole.


    Welf was quite worried, especially since his young master had just experienced an assassination attempt. But after being sternly refused by William for close protection, Welf left reluctantly, looking back three times with each step, not even in the mood to stop by Jinbaihe Lane to "appreciate the flowers."


    William, already quite familiar with the ce, did not hesitate to push the door and enter the vi.


    Since William had gotten up especially early today, only Elena, who was up early to feed the little moon spirit leopard, was in the living room.


    The elf, dressed in a light green home outfit, had not yet tied up her pale golden hair, letting it fall to her waist. Without her ranger attire, she exuded a soft and gentle temperament.


    The little moon spirit leopard was too busy enjoying its meat and asionally licking milk from a dish beside it, taking advantage of the happy moments when the "female devil" was absent.


    "Good morning, Elena!"


    "Morning, William. Howe you''re here so early today?"


    Elena, who hadn''t dressed up yet, felt a bit embarrassed and brought her long hair to the front.


    "I didn''t have much to do, so I came over early to make some delicious food. After all, I am a great chef."


    William winked at Elena and then started to get busy in the kitchen.


    asionally cooking a meal was also a form of rxation for William, who had been engrossed in reading the day before.


    When William brought the steaming fruit triple-decker cake and fresh Bai Song soup to the table, along with a few portions of apple snapper prepared in advance, Jason and Nichole had also gotten up.


    "William, can youe to my roomter?" Jason greeted William.


    "No problem," William nodded in response, which was also the main reason for his visit today.


    Nichole wasn''t concerned about what the two men were always doing in the room. The apple snapper on the table had already caught her attention, and she grabbed one and bit into it directly.


    "Ouch! It''s hot!" The freshly baked snapper was still hot, but Nichole couldn''t bear to spit it out, savoring the sour-sweet apple filling and the rich milky crust too much to waste any.


    Just out of bed, Nichole hadn''t tidied herself up yet. Her fiery red hair was messily draped over her shoulders, and her light pink nightgown was wrinkled, indicating her restless sleep the night before.


    Elena also particrly enjoyed the apple snapper, eating it in small bites, even preferring it over the fruit triple-decker cake.


    William also enjoyed the fruits of hisbor, cooking and tasting good food being one of his major hobbies apart from his rigorous study.


    After a delicious breakfast, Lumbos was still hungover.


    Elena took Nichole, who was still somewhat dazed, to get dressed and tidy up.


    After cleaning up the aftermath and washing the dishes, Jason called William to his room.


    Since theirst talk, they had be much closer, and Jason didn''t hesitate to offer William a seat before sitting down himself.


    Jason poured William a cup of grape juice, as neither of them was a dwarf with a penchant for morning alcohol, which would have been a bit too much.


    "After ourst conversation, I went straight back and told my father," Jason began candidly.


    Duke Harold? William nodded, understanding that Jason was aware that this was not something the two of them could resolve on their own.


    "My father might have had some suspicions, but he wasn''t as certain as you," Jason hesitated before saying.


    William thought to himself, knowing the future events, of course, it wasn''t false.


    But Duke Harold also had his suspicions, which was impressive, fitting for a pir of the Fis Kingdom.


    "My father believes someone is orchestrating this from the shadows, but it''s certain that it''s not His Majesty the King."


    Just as William had spected, the King of Fis did not want, or rather was not looking to go to war with neighboring countries anytime soon.


    William pondered silently. Although he knew the mastermind was Prince Julius Fis, it wasn''t appropriate to directly mention this to Jason.


    With Julius''s methods, he wouldn''t leave any leverage against himself. Investigating now would at best uncover some suspicious signs but wouldn''t directly implicate him.


    Even if Camus were still alive, it wouldn''t make a difference.


    This matter needed to be approached more cautiously and gradually, without haste.


    As William was mulling over this, Jason asked, "So my father wanted me to ask you, William, do you have any other clues?"


    "Please, William, this is very important to the Harold family. If there''s anything in the future where you need the Harold family''s help, feel free toe to me," Jason sincerely said.


    William was somewhat surprised; this was a significant statement. Jason was speaking on behalf of the Harold family, effectively owing William a big favor.


    Knowing the strength and status of the Harold family, if William asked, they could even elevate his noble rank to that of an count.


    After a moment''s thought, William said to Jason, "In the past six months, the fluctuation of prices for certain grains and weapons has been irregr, suggesting someone might be buying them up in secret."


    "I''ve received information that there''s some movement in the Bertrich Kingdom to the east that we need to be vignt about."


    William''s information was targeted; the fluctuations in prices were information he got from Mora, easy to verify but overlooked by many.


    As for the Bertrich Kingdom, if William remembered correctly, in his previous life, the first kingdom Fis dered war on was Bertrich.


    The reason was Bertrich''s assassination of several nobles during the Annual Holy Festival in Canlight City!

 Chapter 59: Exclusive Quest

    <h4>Chapter 59: Exclusive Quest</h4>


    Chapter 59: Exclusive Quest


    Gedo Street, Adventurer Group Vi


    William and Jason emerged from the room quite satisfied.


    Both expressed high approval of their exchange, proposing constructive suggestions and agreeing to maintain a goodmunication mechanism between them. In simpler terms, both got what they wanted; Jason learned new intelligence about the mastermind behind the scenes, and William received a promise from the Harold family.


    Jason also presented William with a diamond VIP card from the Canlight United Chamber of Commerce.


    This chamber ofmerce, one of the top five in the kingdom and established by various court nobles, is significantlyrger than Mora''s Goldvine Chamber of Commerce, offering even more.


    Holding this diamond VIP card, William would enjoy a 30% discount at the Canlight United Chamber of Commerce, applicable to a wide range of goods, from daily necessities to high-level magic equipment. This discount nearly equates to the chamber ofmerce providing services at a loss.


    Those with insight could even profit from this card. Jason''s sincerity was evident, especially since Mora had only offered William an 8.5% discount in his own guild.


    After joining Jason in the living room, William saw Nichole and Elena sitting on the couch, with Nichole holding the little moon spirit leopard quietly, and Elenabing Nichole''s lion-like red hair neatly.


    William then sat down and took out a book on the characteristics of fire elements and the application of magic runes to study.


    His goal now was to consolidate his magic theory and fundamentals for improvement.


    Seeing this, Nichole, Jason, and others did not disturb William, opting to begin their day''s training outside.


    ---


    As the sun grew stronger and reached its zenith, William set aside his book, intending to prepare a simple meal in the kitchen.


    Jason then entered with a middle-aged man dressed in the Mercenary Guild''s uniform.


    The man approached William with enthusiasm, saying, "This must be Mr. Moriarty, the new member of Nichole''s adventure group. Truly outstanding and exceptional!"


    William, not one to refuse a handshake, obliged the overly enthusiastic man, asking, "Hello, and you are?"


    "Ah, I forgot to introduce myself!" the man pped his forehead, saying, "My name is Mirel, I''m in charge of dispatching tasks at the Mercenary Guild. Pleased to meet you."


    "Likewise, pleased to meet you, Mr. Mirel."


    After the greetings, William handed off the task of hosting to Jason and went to prepare lunch.


    By the time the meal was served, Mirel had already left.


    Nichole and Elena had finished their morning training, quietly waiting at the table for William''s serving, even Lumbro, absent all morning, was present.


    After cing the food on the table, William asked Jason, "Where did Mirel go?"


    "He left. He came to notify us that the guild has assigned an exclusive task to our adventure group."


    "Oh, an exclusive task?"


    As William sat down, everyone began to eat.


    Jason tapped on the table, saying, "Now that William is here, let me exin the situation with the guild''s exclusive task, and let''s see if we want to take it."


    As everyone enjoyed the meal, they listened curiously to Jason''s exnation, intrigued by the task directly assigned by the Mercenary Guild¡ªa rare and likelyplex mission.


    It appeared the guild believed this task was beyond the capability of ordinary mercenaries, requiring a specific group for its urgentpletion.


    Jason organized his thoughts before speaking, "There''s a vige called Kora, a two-day carriage ride south of Canlight City."


    "Recently, the vigers of Kora noticed something strange about the nts near their vige; they''re growing at an unusually fast pace, with some trees growing over a meter overnight."


    "The vigers are panicked as their vige is being quickly overrun by the forest. After reporting to their lord, who found no solution, they sought help from the kingdom."


    "Since the cause of these anomalies hasn''t been identified yet, the Mercenary Guild was tasked by the kingdom to conduct preliminary investigations."


    "The guild has ssified it as a dungeon exploration task and assigned it to our adventure group. If we ept, we need to register at the guild tomorrow and depart immediately due to the task''s urgency."


    "Also, ording to preliminary explorations by the local lord, there might be traces of undead creatures, which we need to be cautious of."


    "What do you think? Should we take on this task?"


    After sharing the avable information, Jason looked at his teammates gathered around the table.


    Nichole was the first to enthusiastically respond, "Let''s do it! I''ve only heard about undead creatures in stories and haven''t had the chance to fight one yet!"


    William nodded in agreement. In the rtively stable society of the Fis Kingdom, to prevent the transformation of the deceased into undead, all citizens are buried in the Lord of Dawn''s cemeteries without any additional fees, a strict regtion applicable even to those living outside the city.


    This policy exins the rarity of undead creatures within the kingdom''s borders, as the Lord of Dawn''s priests maintain and bless the cemeteries, wielding the Lord of Dawn''s power, which has a strong effect against undead creatures¡ªa task the Church of War and Wisdom could not aplish.


    Eager to undertake this responsibility, the Lord of Dawn''s Church benefits significantly from spreading the faith of the Lord of Dawn in the Fis Kingdom, making it an important stronghold for the Church on the Fanor continent.


    Thus, necromancers and simr professions steer clear of the Fis Kingdom, wary of the Lord of Dawn''s muscled, hammer-wielding priests proiming, "Praise the glorious light of the Lord of Dawn!" before condemning them to hell.


    William mused about his previous life''s suspicions that the Lord of Dawn might be a muscr deity with a well-defined physique, though the gods worshipped in the various churches are represented by vague statues, obscuring their form and features.


    Nevertheless, William felt it best to keep a distance from the Lord of Dawn''s intimidating priests.


    Elena then added, "If the nts are growing rapidly, it indicates an increase in life force, but it''s strange that undead creatures would appear."


    "Exactly," Jason nodded, "which is why the Mercenary Guild suspects the emergence of a new dungeon in Kora Vige, prompting our assignment to explore."

 Chapter 60: A New Dungeon?

    <h4>Chapter 60: A New Dungeon?</h4>


    Chapter 60: A New Dungeon?


    "What support has the guild provided this time?"


    Elena asked, knowing that if it was a mission assigned by the guild, some assistance would be provided based on the mission''s objectives and actual conditions, which also served as a part of the advance reward.


    "Ten vials of high-grade Holy Water from the Dawn Church, three [Necrotic Strike] spell scrolls, and two [Command Undead] spell scrolls."


    "All items are aimed at aiding against the undead!" William nodded.


    He was familiar with these items; high-grade Holy Water from the Dawn Church cost one hundred gold coins per vial, and he had just bought one a few days ago to awaken the Lucky Brooch relic.


    [Necrotic Strike] is a first-level spell, and [Command Undead] is a second-level spell. Generally, a first-level spell scroll is valued between 10 to 50 gold coins, and a second-level spell scroll between 100 to 200 gold coins.


    The support from the mercenary guild this time is quite impressive!


    "Yes, considering the main adversaries might be undead creatures, the guild prepared these countermeasure magic items."


    Jason paused, then, without changing his expression, snatched thest chicken leg from Lumbro and said:


    "So, the guild''s requirements are clear; it''s best if the cause of the unusual events in Kora Vige can be investigated and dealt with."


    "If that''s not possible, gather relevant intelligence, then head to the nearest mercenary guild to notify the kingdom''s army and the Churches of the Gods to handle it."


    "I have no objections. I agree!" Elena nodded.


    "I agree too!!!" Nichole raised her hand high to signal her agreement.


    "I have no objections." William naturally wouldn''t object; such an important mission meant anotherrge experience gain, bringing him closer to bing a Silver Mage.


    Moreover, if this turns out to be a newly formed dungeon, that would be interesting!


    In the previous life''s "Gods Apocalypse" game, various special dungeons would appear on the continent of Fanor from time to time. Some were ancient, while others were formed due to special reasons. Some were unique spaces, while others were dangerous areas on the continent itself, all collectively referred to as dungeons.


    The rules and scenarios within each dungeon varied; you might encounter snow falling from the sky with moltenva beneath your feet, or shattered floating inds and mountains.


    Dungeons containedmon creatures like goblins, but also terrifying beings like ancient dragons and divine fiends.


    After yers arrived, if a yer cleared a dungeon, it could be recorded by the system as a Dungeon Crystal, allowing yers to re-enter and challenge it.


    However, clearing dungeons was not easy, and in the previous life, most Dungeon Crystals were in the hands of major guilds, treated as extremely precious resources for their own yers to reuse.


    A few yers who owned Dungeon Crystals made a fortune by renting them out.


    So, William was curious, if this turns out to be a newly formed dungeon, would he receive a Dungeon Crystal upon clearing it? He couldn''t help but feel excited at the thought!


    Lumbro didn''t even look up, as he didn''t care about team affairs and only needed to stand in front of his teammates during adventures.


    Seeing everyone agree to take on the mission, Jason also nodded in agreement.


    After all, they might encounter rare undead creatures, which would be a valuable experience for Nichole''s growth.


    Helping Nichole gain experience and insight from various battles was a task given to him by the king himself. Nichole, though immensely talented, had been tutored in the pce to break through to the gold level, but without the baptism of realbat, advancing to the legendary level was nearly impossible.


    He felt like he was bing a nagging mother, Jason worried briefly, then decided not to dwell on these sad thoughts.


    "Then it''s decided. We''ll meet directly at the mercenary guild tomorrow, take the mission, and head straight to Kora Vige. Everyone, make sure to prepare today."


    Jason made his final arrangements, nning to return home to inform his father of thetest news he had received from William and to arrange for someone to investigate discreetly.


    Everyone agreed, understanding the urgency of the mission. They wouldn''t have the luxury of leisure anymore.


    After lunch, William decided not to continue reading and returned to his residence directly.


    Given that the mission could take a significant amount of time, he had some arrangements to make.


    Upon returning home, William summoned Joyce, his ever-elegant butler, and instructed him:


    "I will need to leave for a while soon, please manage the affairs of the estate in my absence. Instruct Welf and the others to enhance the estate''s surveince. Note any special urrences, and we''ll discuss them upon my return."


    Joyce frowned slightly, "Master William, if you are traveling far, it would be best to take Captain Welf with you for your safety."


    "It''s not convenient, and I''ll be with others, so there''s no need to worry about safety."


    William waved off the concern to the butler.


    It seems he''ll be with those mercenarypanions again. That young girl does seem quite capable.


    Joyce pondered silently, maintaining a neutral expression, then asked:


    "Where will you be going, young master? Do you need me to prepare anything else for you?"


    "Ask the kitchen to prepare a week''s worth of food for ten people, and add some fruits and bread that I''ll take with me. That''s all I need."


    Jason had already agreed to prepare other adventuring gear like tents, so William only needed to arrange for food.


    Joyce nodded in agreement and left to prepare the requested items as William had instructed.


    William returned to his room, summoned the system, and invested all his experience points into raising his personal level. Exploring an unknown dungeon meant any increase in strength was beneficial.


    ---


    [Your personal level has increased: 39¡ú40!]


    [You receive +2 Strength, +1 Agility, +2 Intelligence, +1 Charisma, +1 Mystique, +1 Endurance]


    [Your personal level has increased: 42¡ú43!]


    [You receive +2 Strength, +1 Agility, +2 Intelligence, +1 Charisma, +1 Mystique, +1 Endurance]---


    Feeling the new strength flow into his body was almost exhrating, leaving William nearly shouting in delight.


    After a few moments, William checked his updated attribute data.


    His intelligence and strength had increased by 8 points each, with intelligence reaching 114 points and strength at 91 points.


    He also allocated the 20 free attribute points from the gold-level milestone [The Second Step of the Strong] to his intelligence, bringing it to 154 points.


    Sigh~


    Suppressing the sensation of bing significantly more intelligent, William nodded in satisfaction with his recent progress.


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